We do one thing.

Why sector focus matters more, not less, than it used to

A generalist accountant will produce a compliant tax return for a short-term let operator. That is not in question. The question is whether they will produce the return that reflects everything a specialist would have applied - the sector-specific reliefs, the rating optimisation, the VAT treatment of platform fees, the post-FHL restructuring options, the interaction with the register schemes coming in across all four nations of the UK.

The last two years have seen four separate changes that hit STL operators specifically and hit no other client type in the same way: the abolition of the Furnished Holiday Let regime, the introduction of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, the launch of registration schemes in England and Wales, and the arrival of the visitor levy in Scotland and Wales. Every one of those changes has a right answer and a lot of wrong ones. A generalist accountant, running twenty different client types, will not have the depth on any one change that a specialist practice running one client type in hundreds will.

This firm was founded on the assumption that the tax and regulatory burden on STL operators would grow, that it would grow in ways that rewarded sector-specific knowledge, and that generalist accountancy would leave real money on the table by the time it caught up. Everything since has confirmed that assumption.

What we mean by “the only”

The claim is a specific one and worth making precisely. We are aware of several accounting firms across the UK that count short-term let operators among their clients, and of hospitality-focused accountants who cover STL as part of a broader hotel and guest-house practice. We are not aware of another UK accounting practice whose entire client base is short-term let and holiday let operators and who publishes and speaks on that basis. If you know of one, we would like to hear about them.

Part of the STL Solutions group

STL Accounting and Finance is the accounting arm of the STL Solutions group. Our sister practice, STL Solutions, is the UK's leading planning and licensing consultancy for short-term let operators, headed by Ross Armstrong LLB (Hons), MA. The two firms work closely together where a client's question has both accounting and planning dimensions - and, in this sector, most of them do.

Where we work

We advise short-term let and holiday let operators across all four nations of the United Kingdom. Scotland, where the licensing regime arrived first and the tax and regulatory environment is now three years into its post-licensing life, forms the largest share of our current work. England, Wales and Northern Ireland are the areas of fastest growth in our client base as their own registration and licensing schemes come into force.

How we work

Monthly bookkeeping, quarterly management information, annual tax returns, and proactive tax planning. All delivered on a fixed-monthly-fee basis with transparent pricing. No time-recording surprises. No junior work billed as partner work. See our pricing for the three main packages.