Remote Bookkeeper / Trainee Accountant

About Barnes & Scott

Barnes & Scott is a fully remote, ICAEW chartered accountancy firm built specifically for UK tech startups. Founded in 2012, we were one of the first UK firms to specialise solely in tech and fintech businesses. Our client base has grown from there, and today we work with around 150 AI companies, venture backed start-ups, and some of the UK's most innovative and fastest growing companies. We help them with everything from day to day accounts and bookkeeping through to R&D tax credits, EMI share schemes and investment readiness.

We're a 12-person team spread across the UK and abroad, and we're growing steadily. This role sits at the centre of that growth. You'll be trusted with real client responsibility from day one, working closely with and reporting into a senior accountant.

What you'll be doing

• Double entry bookkeeping and Xero management across a portfolio of clients.
• Managing multiple clients at once, keeping every file accurate and current.
• Posting payroll journals for clients.
• Supporting the accounts team and resolving day to day client queries.
• Helping us roll out new systems and tools, like Sodium (practice management) and Briefcase (receipt capture).

What you'll bring

• Newly qualified (ACA/ACCA) or working towards it, ideally with some prior bookkeeping or practice experience.
• Confidence with double entry bookkeeping and Xero.
• Experience of remote working, and confidence working independently with minimal day-to-day oversight.
• A proven ability to manage a high volume of clients at once, without anything slipping through the cracks.

Who we're looking for

• A self starter who gets stuck in without needing every task mapped out.
• Confident with communicating directly with clients.
• Open and honest, someone we can rely on to flag problems early.
• Inquisitive, and genuinely open to new ways of working.
• Comfortable with AI as a tool that makes your work better and faster, not something to be wary of.
• Someone who enjoys bookkeeping and client support as their core craft, rather than looking to fast-track into a broader accounting or advisory role.

Great to have (not essential)

• UK Payroll experience.
• Knowledge of other UK taxes, including self assessment, VAT and corporation tax.
• Based in a timezone reasonably close to the UK (from UK as far as India/Bangladesh works well for us).

Pay and hours

• Up to £30,000 FTE if UK based, paid via PAYE (pro-rated for part-time hours), depending on experience.
• If you're based outside the UK, we'd engage you on a contractor basis at a day rate of up to £115, depending on experience and location.
• There's flexibility here for the right candidate.
• Full-time is 35 hours a week (7 hours a day plus an hour for lunch). We're also open to part-time, so let us know what works for you.

What you'll get

• 25 days holiday + bank holidays (pro rata for part-time).
• CPD courses provided.
• A varied, interesting client portfolio in the tech, AI and startup space.
• A friendly, inclusive team with regular online meetings.
• Company pension scheme (UK employees).
• Room to grow. As the practice expands, there may be opportunities to build towards a broader accounting or advisory role, though this isn't something we can promise from day one.

How to apply

Please apply via LinkedIn with a copy of your CV. No covering letter needed, we'd rather get to know you through the process itself.

Barnes & Scott is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of the clients we serve.