sharon aplin bookkeeping

about me

I am a qualified bookkeeper based near Taunton in Somerset.
I achieved distinction & honours in the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers membership examination.
I was named Student of the Year in the 2021 ICB Luca Awards.
I have trained to use leading brands of software such as Sage and Quickbooks.
I am insured and registered with the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers.
I am diligent, organised and have an eye for detail.
I speak in straightforward language you will understand, not technical gobbledegook.
If you find bookkeeping tedious, time consuming and frustrating, why not let me do it for you?

Practice No 23168

how i can help you

Bookkeepers and accountants perform different, but complementary roles. As a bookkeeper I can maintain your basic business records and keep them up to date (a key requirement for H M Revenue & Customs Making Tax Digital – MTD - programme).Your accountant’s role is to prepare your annual accounts and tax return and to advise you on tax matters; that task is made easier if your books and records are up to date and accurate – which is where a good bookkeeper comes in.I can also prepare management accounts to give you an idea of how your business is doing during the year, not months after it has ended.I can help you to spend less time on paperwork, leaving you more time to run your business.

MTD: Making tax digital

Virtually all VAT registered businesses are now within MTD for VAT.From April 2026 MTD will be extended to cover income tax for the self-employed and landlords. Almost every self-employed person and landlord with annual sales or rent over £50,000 will be required by law to keep their business records digitally, using MTD compliant software and apps. They will have to send a summary of their sales, rent and expenses quarterly via their software to H M Revenue & Customs or face financial penalties. The sales/rent threshold will drop to £30,000 from April 2027.Separate quarterly returns will be needed for each business, for property rental and – if registered – for VAT. If you are self-employed, VAT registered and rent out a property, up to fifteen returns a year will be required instead of the current five. This is a huge change and if you will be affected, you need to begin thinking about it long before April 2026.

accounting software and apps

There is more to using accounting software than complying with MTD.Accounting software and apps can make it easier to keep your records up to date, give you better information about your business and automate time-consuming tasks such as generating sales invoices, sending them to customers and chasing unpaid amounts. They can help you to keep information organised and in one place, minimising queries at the end of the year.With Cloud-based software, your accountant or bookkeeper can log in at any time you choose, wherever they are, to look at the figures and to offer help or advice.While some people find software and apps very easy to use, many don’t. There is a huge and bewildering choice of products available.Whether you need help and guidance, or just want to hand your bookkeeping over to someone else, I can help.