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Who we help · Agencies

Accountants for agencies — know your project margins, manage cash, and scale profitably

Agencies live and die on project margins and cash flow. We give you clear numbers by client and project, manage the freelancer and payroll side, and keep your tax efficient as you grow.

  • Fixed monthly fee
  • A named accountant
  • UK-wide, fully online

Everything you need

One team, one fixed fee

  • Accounts & Corporation Tax. Year-end accounts and Corporation Tax filed, tax minimised.
  • Bookkeeping Services. Income and costs tracked, ready for project reporting.
  • Payroll & CIS. Staff payroll and freelancer payments handled.
  • Management accounts & Virtual FD. Profitability by client and project, plus cash-flow forecasting.
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Sound familiar?

The bits no one warns you about

Agency finances are deceptively tricky: retainers and project fees, a mix of staff and freelancers, and clients who pay late all make it hard to see your true profitability.

Run on gut feel and you can be busy but barely profitable — and a generalist accountant rarely shows you margins by client or project.

  • Not knowing which clients or projects are profitable
  • Cash flow squeezed by late-paying clients
  • Juggling staff payroll and freelancer payments
  • Lumpy income from projects and retainers
  • Missing R&D relief on technical or creative work
  • A generalist who can’t advise on agency margins
How we help

Everything handled, under one roof

Marketing and creative agencies look healthy when work is flowing — but lumpy projects, freelancer costs and slow-paying clients can hide thin margins and tight cash. Knowing which clients and projects actually make money is half the battle.

We work with agencies on exactly that: management reporting by client and project, freelancer and payroll handling, cash-flow forecasting, R&D claims where they apply, and the usual accounts and tax — all for a fixed monthly fee.

Is this you?

Who we work with

If any of these sound like you, you’re exactly who we set this up for. Not sure where you fit? A quick, free call will tell you.

Book a free consultation
  • Marketing, digital and PR agencies
  • Creative, design and branding studios
  • Web, software and development agencies
  • Social media and content agencies
  • Growing agencies hiring staff and freelancers
  • Agency founders who want clearer numbers
Why it pays

More money kept, less stress carried

See your real margins

Reporting by client and project, so you know exactly what’s profitable and what to stop doing.

Cash flow under control

Forecasting and credit control insight, so late-paying clients don’t squeeze your runway.

Staff and freelancers handled

Payroll, pensions and freelancer payments managed correctly, so the people side just works.

R&D and tax efficiency

We check whether your development work qualifies for R&D relief and keep your overall tax low.

Bookkeeping

Agency bookkeeping

Agency bookkeeping should tell you which clients and projects actually make money. We track retainers, project costs and freelancer spend in Xero or QuickBooks, with VAT and Corporation Tax kept on track.

  • Retainer and project income tracked accurately
  • Freelancer and contractor costs recorded
  • Pass-through media spend and VAT kept separate and correct
  • Project-level profitability and Corporation Tax position, monthly
Transparent pricing

Know the price before we start

A fixed monthly fee scaled to your size and reporting needs — agreed up front, covering accounts, payroll, tax and management reporting.

  • A fixed quote, agreed before any work
  • No hourly billing, no year-end surprises
  • Cancel any time — no long tie-ins

A fixed monthly fee,
tailored to you

Confirmed after a free, no-obligation quote.

Get my fixed quote
Why Provense

A team that does the work — and picks up the phone

Agency specialists

We understand retainers, project margins and the agency model.

Growth-focused

Reporting and forecasting built to help you scale profitably.

A named accountant

One person who knows your agency — not a call centre.

Still deciding?

The honest answers to what you’re thinking

How much does an agency accountant cost?

We agree a fixed monthly fee scaled to your size and the reporting you need. For most agencies, the margin insight and tax saved more than cover it.

Can you show profitability by client or project?

Yes — that’s one of the most valuable things we do for agencies. We set up reporting so you can see which clients and projects actually make money.

Do you handle both staff and freelancers?

Yes — payroll and pensions for staff, plus the correct treatment of freelancer and contractor payments.

Could our work qualify for R&D tax relief?

Possibly — agencies building software, tools or solving technical problems often qualify without realising. We’ll review it honestly.

How it works

Getting started is easy

  1. 01

    Tell us about your agency

    Your clients, team and how you bill — a quick, free chat.

  2. 02

    We set up the numbers

    Accounts, payroll and project-level reporting put in place.

  3. 03

    You scale profitably

    You see your margins, manage cash, and grow on solid numbers.

FAQ

Marketing & creative agencies: your questions answered

Do marketing agencies need a specialist accountant?
The basics any accountant can do, but understanding agency margins, retainers, freelancer costs and cash flow — and spotting R&D relief — is where a specialist adds real value and usually pays for itself.
How much does an accountant cost for an agency?
We use a fixed monthly fee scaled to your size and the reporting you want, quoted up front so there are no surprises.
Can you help me understand which clients are profitable?
Yes — we set up management reporting by client and project, so you can see exactly where you make money and where you don’t.
Do you work with agencies across the UK?
Yes — we’re fully online and work with agencies throughout the UK, with a dedicated accountant for each client.
Can you take over from our current accountant?
Yes, and we handle the whole handover for you, so the move is quick and painless.

Let’s take the tax off your plate

Book a free, no-obligation consultation and we’ll show you exactly how we can help — and what it would cost.