Choose an ecommerce accountant by asking them to explain one of your settlements, spell out the work in their quote and identify who will answer your questions. A useful first call should leave you knowing how they will reconcile your platforms, which filings they will handle and what you must provide.
Send the same short brief to each firm
List your business structure, selling channels, payment providers, order volume, currencies and stock locations. Add your accounting software, VAT status, next filing deadlines and any overdue records. Separate the help you need each month from one-off cleanup or advice.
For example: a UK limited company selling through Shopify and TikTok, receiving money through several payment providers and holding stock at a UK fulfilment centre. That brief gives a firm more to assess than turnover alone. Use approximate volumes for the first conversation; share detailed records through an agreed secure channel.
Ask them to explain a payout
Take a redacted settlement with a refund, fees and a balance still due. Remove customer names, addresses and other details the firm does not need. Ask the prospective accountant to describe the records they would compare and how they would handle a difference at month end.
| Ask this | Look for this in the answer |
|---|---|
| How will you get from orders to the bank deposit? | Separate sales, refunds, fees, tax and unsettled amounts, supported by platform records. |
| What happens when a refund arrives next month? | A way to trace it to the original order and explain the timing. |
| How will you prevent duplicate sales? | Clear ownership of imports across connectors, manual entries and bank feeds. |
| How will you report my margin? | An agreed definition covering stock, fulfilment, returns and advertising. |
You are assessing their approach, rather than asking for a free set of accounts. Our reconciliation guide gives you a worked example to use when discussing the process.
Check the people and credentials
Ask for the contracting firm’s name, the person responsible for your work and the professional body behind any qualification or regulation claim. Check those claims with that body. ACCA provides separate routes to find a firm or member. A software badge alone does not establish accounting competence.
- Who prepares the books, who checks them and who speaks to you?
- Does the firm hold the practising permissions and insurance relevant to the work offered?
- Who covers holidays or staff changes, and how do you escalate a missed deadline?
- Can the team explain a comparable platform problem without sharing another client’s confidential records?
Compare written scope before the monthly fee
Ask each firm to price the same list. A bookkeeping quote may leave annual accounts, tax returns or VAT submissions outside the monthly fee. Another firm may bundle them. Put the work, periods and exclusions beside the price before comparing the total.
- Bookkeeping: channels, bank accounts, frequency and record-volume assumptions.
- Filings: VAT returns, annual accounts, Corporation Tax, Self Assessment or payroll as applicable.
- Software: ledger, connectors and stock subscriptions, including who pays and controls access.
- Extra work: setup, historic corrections, overdue filings, overseas registrations and advice.
- Fee terms: VAT on the fee, review triggers, notice period and any exit or transfer charges.
Use our pricing and scope checklist to prepare your comparison. Ask the firm to confirm ambiguous items in writing before you sign.
Check how they handle overseas sales and stock
Tell the firm where goods sit and move, who imports them and which sales go through marketplaces. Ask which countries and filings the firm covers, what it refers to another adviser and who coordinates that work. Marketplace tax collection does not answer every question about your own obligations. Use the ecommerce tax and VAT service to discuss the help you need.
Keep control of records and access
Agree who owns the software subscription and how you obtain exports and supporting documents. Use named user access with suitable permissions. Ask what happens to connectors and historic records if you leave. For HMRC access, use its agent appointment process; keep your own sign-in credentials private.
Decide using the work you can verify
Keep a short comparison sheet: requirement, the firm’s answer, evidence received and any open question. Resolve a vague answer before paying a deposit or cancelling your existing arrangement. A remote accountant can be a practical choice for a national online business when the team can handle your records and communicate to an agreed timetable.
If you are replacing an accountant, use the switching checklist before choosing a start date. To assess our fit, read about the practice and our monthly bookkeeping scope, then send your requirements for a quote.
Specialist E-commerce Accountants
General information for UK online sellers. Your accounting and tax treatment depends on your circumstances; confirm the approach for your business before acting.