Practice Accounts Assistant & Bookkeeper

Join a purpose-driven accountancy practice that genuinely cares

At The Orenda Collective, we believe accountancy should be about more than compliance.

We partner with ambitious small businesses, providing clear advice, practical solutions and genuine support that helps business owners feel confident in their numbers and decisions.

Our purpose is:

To be the caring force for straight talking business transformation.

This shapes how we work with our clients and each other. We combine strong technical standards with a genuinely human approach, building long-term relationships founded on trust, care and honest communication.

As our client base continues to grow, we are looking for an experienced Practice Accounts Assistant & Bookkeeper to join our team.

This is a varied role spanning bookkeeping, VAT, year-end accounts and tax. It would suit someone who enjoys getting to know clients, takes pride in producing high-quality work and wants to continue developing within a supportive, forward-thinking accountancy practice.

A varied role with room to develop

You will work across bookkeeping, accounts and tax, supporting a portfolio of small business clients in a range of industries.

The balance of work will vary throughout the year. At times, your workload may be more focused on bookkeeping and VAT. At others, you may spend more time preparing year-end accounts, Corporation Tax returns and Self Assessment tax returns.

We are looking for someone who genuinely enjoys this variety and is happy to contribute wherever their skills are needed.

You will have the opportunity to understand the businesses behind the numbers, communicate directly with clients and identify ways to improve their bookkeeping, processes and overall experience.

As The Orenda Collective grows, there will be opportunities to take greater ownership of client relationships, develop your technical knowledge or specialise in the areas of accountancy that interest you most.

What you will be doing

You will prepare accurate, high-quality work for a portfolio of clients, with your work reviewed by one of our senior accountants.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Preparing year-end accounts and Corporation Tax returns for limited companies.
• Preparing accounts and Self Assessment tax returns for sole traders.
• Preparing Self Assessment tax returns for company directors, higher earners and other individuals.
• Completing bookkeeping using Xero.
• Reconciling bank accounts, credit cards and online payment platforms.
• Reconciling accounts payable, accounts receivable, VAT, PAYE and other balance sheet accounts.
• Posting payroll journals, accruals, prepayments, accrued income, deferred income and depreciation.
• Preparing and submitting VAT returns, including applying the correct VAT treatment.
• Preparing and submitting CIS returns.
• Liaising with HMRC about Corporation Tax, Income Tax, PAYE, VAT and CIS queries.
• Communicating directly with clients by email and Zoom.
• Explaining technical matters clearly and in plain English.
• Managing your workload to ensure internal and statutory deadlines are met.
• Identifying missing information, inconsistencies and potential issues, then proactively working to resolve them.
• Reviewing clients’ bookkeeping processes and recommending improvements.
• Helping clients use Xero more effectively through bank rules, automated feeds and integrations.
• Supporting the onboarding of new clients.
• Highlighting potential tax planning opportunities or areas requiring further advice.
• Supporting colleagues and contributing to improvements across the practice.

You will probably be a great fit if you:

• Enjoy both bookkeeping and accounts preparation.
• Take pride in producing accurate, carefully considered work.
• Are organised and able to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Take ownership of your work from start to finish.
• Use your initiative and enjoy solving problems.
• Can work independently but know when to ask for support.
• Enjoy getting to know clients and understanding their businesses.
• Communicate in a clear, warm and professional way.
• Care about the client’s experience, not just the technical output.
• Enjoy improving systems and finding more efficient ways of working.
• Are comfortable with technology, automation and AI-supported working.
• Respond positively to feedback and want to continue learning.
• Want to contribute to a supportive and collaborative team.

You will ideally have:

• At least two to three years’ recent experience within a UK accountancy practice.
• An AAT qualification, be studying towards ACCA or ACA, or be qualified through experience.
• Experience preparing limited company accounts and Corporation Tax returns.
• Experience preparing accounts and Self Assessment returns for sole traders.
• Experience preparing personal tax returns for company directors and higher earners.
• Strong bookkeeping knowledge, including balance sheet reconciliations and year-end adjustments.
• Experience preparing VAT returns and applying different VAT rates and schemes.
• An understanding of pre-registration VAT claims.
• Experience preparing CIS returns.
• Strong working knowledge of Xero.
• The ability to manage your workload and meet deadlines with appropriate support and review.
• Confidence communicating directly with clients and HMRC.
• The right to work in the United Kingdom.

Experience of the following would be advantageous:

• Dext and Hubdoc.
• TaxCalc.
• BrightManager or another practice management system.
• Payroll and workplace pensions.
• Stripe, PayPal, Shopify and other payment or e-commerce platforms.
• Remote or hybrid working.
• Using automation or AI tools appropriately to improve efficiency.

We do not expect one person to know everything. What matters most is that you have a strong foundation, care about doing things properly and are willing to ask questions and continue learning.

What success looks like:

We do not want to be the type of accountants our clients only hear from once a year. We aim to become a trusted part of their journey, providing reassurance, practical guidance and proactive support.

Success in this role means:

• Producing accurate, high-quality work with increasingly minimal review points.
• Meeting deadlines and raising potential delays or issues early.
• Taking responsibility for gathering information and moving work forward.
• Building trusted relationships with clients.
• Communicating technical information in a way clients can understand.
• Identifying ways to improve clients’ bookkeeping, processes and experience.
• Spotting unusual transactions, inconsistencies and potential risks.
• Using technology efficiently without compromising quality.
• Responding positively to feedback and taking ownership of your development.
• Supporting colleagues and contributing positively to the wider team.
  

Our clients:

You will work with ambitious small businesses, predominantly within the creative, wellness and service sectors. We also support clients in industries including construction and retail, so you will encounter a variety of businesses and accounting challenges.

We are proud to work with genuinely lovely clients. They respect our expertise, value the relationships we build and expect high standards. In return, we care deeply about their businesses and success.

Where you will work:

We are predominantly remote, but we are far from distant. We communicate daily, share knowledge and support one another. You will be trusted to work independently without being left to figure everything out alone.

Our office is based in Farnborough, Hampshire. If you live locally, you can work from the office regularly or combine office and home working. The office has free parking and is within walking distance of local shops and gyms.

For the right person, this role can be fully remote. You must be based in the UK and able to attend up to four in-person team meetings each year. These will normally be held in Farnborough, Swindon or London.

Why join The Orenda Collective?

Our culture is just as important as our technical standards.

We believe:

• Great client service combines efficiency with care, accuracy and professional pride.
• Strong relationships help us provide better advice and a better experience.
• Bookkeeping creates the reliable information on which better decisions are built.
• Accountants should look beyond compliance and identify practical ways to help.
• Technical information should be communicated clearly and without unnecessary jargon.
• People should be trusted to manage their work while receiving support when needed.
• Good ideas can come from anyone within the team.
• The best results come from sharing knowledge and working together.
• Technology should improve our work while professional judgement and human relationships remain central.

What we offer:

• Salary of £30,000 to £36,000, depending on experience.
• 30 to 37.5 hours per week.
• Performance-related bonus, which may be taken as additional pay or annual leave.
• Flexible working around an agreed usual working pattern.
• Predominantly remote working, with optional office working in Farnborough.
• A supportive remote environment with daily communication and regular collaboration.
• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Company pension.
• Paid professional subscriptions.
• Access to CPD resources and technical reference materials.
• Regular virtual social events.
• Up to four in-person team meetings each year.
• Opportunities to develop your knowledge, responsibilities and career.

Salary and annual leave will be pro-rated for part-time employees.

We understand that life does not always fit neatly into fixed hours. We will do our best to accommodate appointments, family commitments and other responsibilities, provided client needs are supported, communication remains clear and deadlines are met.

Join Us

If you are looking for a role where you can broaden your technical experience, build genuine client relationships and make a meaningful contribution within a growing accountancy practice, we would love to hear from you.