Practice Accountant in Altrincham

We are currently recruiting for an experienced Practice Accountant to join a well-established and close-knit accountancy practice. This is a hands-on role for an accountant with solid accountancy practice experience who is confident managing a varied portfolio of clients and taking ownership of their work from bookkeeping through to accounts preparation and tax compliance.

The successful candidate will work closely with the wider team and will have the opportunity to take responsibility for a broad range of accounting and client-facing duties.

The Role

You will be responsible for managing a portfolio of clients and handling a variety of accounts and tax-related work, including:

• Preparing year-end accounts for sole traders, partnerships and limited companies
• Preparing accounts from trial balance through to final accounts
• Completing year-end adjustments, journals and working papers
• Managing bookkeeping and maintaining accurate accounting records
• Preparing and submitting VAT returns
• Completing bank, balance sheet and control account reconciliations
• Processing and reviewing purchase and sales ledgers
• Preparing management information and financial reports where required
• Processing weekly, fortnightly and monthly payroll
• Handling PAYE, National Insurance and pension submissions
• Supporting with self-assessment and corporation tax work
• Reviewing accounts and investigating discrepancies
• Dealing directly with clients and responding to accounting queries
• Requesting information and managing client deadlines
• Providing advice and support across day-to-day accounting matters
• Working with IRIS and QuickBooks
• Taking ownership of a varied workload while maintaining high standards of accuracy
• Supporting the wider practice with more complex accounting and technical work where required

About You

We are looking for someone who has already gained strong experience within an accountancy practice and is comfortable working with clients independently. You will ideally have:

• Several years' accountancy practice experience
• Strong experience preparing accounts for sole traders, partnerships and limited companies
• The ability to take accounts from bookkeeping/trial balance through to completion
• Good knowledge of VAT and tax compliance
• Experience with self-assessment and/or corporation tax
• Solid bookkeeping and reconciliation experience
• Previous payroll experience
• Practical experience using IRIS and QuickBooks
• Experience managing your own portfolio of clients
• Strong client-facing and communication skills
• The ability to work independently and manage competing deadlines
• A proactive approach with strong attention to detail
• AAT, ACCA or ACA qualification/studies would be advantageous, but qualification is not essential for the right candidate

The Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced practice accountant who wants to join a friendly, established practice where they can take genuine ownership of their client portfolio and continue developing their technical and client-facing skills. The role would suit someone who is already operating at Senior Accounts Assistant / Semi-Senior / Practice Accountant level and is looking for a position with greater responsibility.