Straightforward vs “It’s Complicated”: What Your Bookkeeping Says (and How We Price Fairly)

Ever feel like your relationship with your bookkeeping (and your accountant) has a bit of a relationship status vibe?

Some months it’s Straightforward. Everything’s where it should be, the bank matches, receipts are filed, and life is good.

Other months It’s complicated. There are multiple accounts, payment platforms doing their own thing, and a mysterious pile of “uncategorised” transactions that have been quietly multiplying in the background.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone — and it’s exactly why we talk about straightforward vs complex bookkeeping at Longwood.

Why we even bother labelling it

This isn’t about judging anyone (we’ve seen it all, and we’re still friends). It’s about making sure:

·         you get the right level of support

·         the work is done properly

·         and our pricing feels fair and predictable

In short: we match the job to the right person and the right approach — rather than pretending every business is the same.

What “Straightforward” bookkeeping usually looks like

Your bookkeeping is typically on the straightforward end when you have things like:

·         One main bank account (and not too many extra cards/accounts floating about)

·         Mostly bank transfers and regular payments

·         Receipts kept digitally (even if it’s not perfect — just findable)

·         A lower number of transactions

·         Business spending kept separate from personal spending

When it’s like this, support tends to be quicker and simpler — and you’re far less likely to get stuck.

What makes it “It’s complicated…” (complex territory )

Bookkeeping tends to become more complex when there are more moving parts, for example:

·         Multiple bank accounts and/or cards

·         VAT registration

·         Cash transactions

·         E-commerce sales or multiple payment platforms (Stripe, PayPal, Shopify, etc.)

·         Higher transaction volumes

·         Personal and business transactions mixed together

None of that is “bad” — it just means there’s more to reconcile, more to check, and more ways for the numbers to go slightly sideways.

How this links to our pricing

When you ask us for ad-hoc support (for example help getting set up for MTD for Income Tax, or guidance while you update your books), we price based on complexity.

·         £50/hour + VAT is for guidance, support with MTD setup in your software, and very basic bookkeeping (typically one bank account and straightforward transactions).

·         £75/hour + VAT applies where the bookkeeping is more complex — multiple accounts, reconciliations needed, messy/behind records, e-commerce, or multiple sales/payment platforms.

If you’re not sure where you sit, don’t worry — we’ll ask a couple of quick questions and confirm the rate before we start.

The good news

The “relationship status” can change.

A lot of our clients start in the “it’s complicated” camp (usually because they’re busy running the business), and with the right setup and a few good habits, it becomes much more straightforward over time.

If you’d like us to help you get things back to “straightforward”, just shout — we’ll keep it simple, clear, and as stress-free as possible.

Want a quick sense-check?

Send us a message with:

·         how many bank accounts/cards you use

·         whether you sell through any platforms (Stripe/PayPal/Shopify etc.)