Find a bookkeeper

Search free for a licensed, insured and qualified bookkeeper near you. ICB members can handle everything from bookkeeping to tax returns for your business.

Two ways to find help

Search the directory or post a vacancy

Whether you want to outsource your books to a local practice or bring a bookkeeper into your team, both routes are free to use.

Browse the directory

Search hundreds of ICB practices by location and by the services you need. Every listing is a qualified, insured ICB member licensed to offer their services to the public.

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Post a vacancy

Employing a bookkeeper, or have a self-employed role? Post a vacancy free of charge. It will only be seen by qualified bookkeepers, and you can call us to verify applicants.

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Why it matters

A good bookkeeper is the route to a better business

Accurate, up-to-date books are not paperwork. They are the difference between guessing and knowing: knowing your cashflow, knowing what you owe HMRC, knowing whether you can afford the next hire. Behind every well-run small business there is usually a very good bookkeeper.

Anyone can call themselves a bookkeeper. A Certified Bookkeeper is different. Certification means the person your trusting with your business has passed ICB's qualifications, keeps their skills current through continuing professional development, and answers to a professional body if things go wrong. ICB is the global body for the world's best bookkeepers, and the directory only lists practices that meet our standards.

Qualified

Every member has proved their competence through ICB's qualifications, and is qualified in using commercial accounting software.

Licensed and supervised

Every practice holds an ICB Practice Licence and is supervised by for anti-money laundering compliance under the Money Laundering Regulations.

Insured

Every practice in the directory carries professional indemnity insurance, so your business is protected.

Held to the highest standards

Members follow ICB's code of ethics and rules of professional conduct, with a complaints and disciplinary process behind them.

It's the law

In the UK it is a legal requirement that external bookkeepers and other accountancy service providers are supervised for anti-money laundering compliance. ICB is an HM Treasury-appointed AML supervisor. If someone offering you bookkeeping services is not supervised, they are not operating legally. Read more about the Money Laundering Regulations.

What ICB bookkeepers do

Help with tax returns, VAT, payroll and more

Certified Bookkeepers cover far more than the day-to-day books. Depending on their qualifications and licence, ICB members offer:

Bookkeeping and accounts

Sales and purchase ledgers, bank reconciliations, trial balances and internal year-end accounts, kept accurate and up to date.

VAT returns

VAT registration, digital record keeping and quarterly VAT returns filed under Making Tax Digital, in whichever software suits your business.

Payroll and pensions

Payslips, RTI submissions to HMRC, auto-enrolment pensions and CIS, run reliably every pay period.

Self assessment tax returns

Preparation and filing of self assessment tax returns for sole traders, landlords and directors, with the records behind them done properly all year.

MTD for Income Tax quarterly

Quarterly digital reporting for sole traders and landlords under MTD for Income Tax, with your bookkeeper acting as a supporting agent in HMRC systems.

Corporation tax returns and Companies House

Suitably qualified members prepare final accounts, file corporation tax returns with HMRC and handle Companies House reporting for micro and small companies.

Beyond the returns: where a great practice earns its keep

Filing on time keeps you compliant. The most successful ICB practices go further, turning your numbers into decisions. These are the services businesses come back for:

Cashflow forecasts and budgets

Rolling forecasts, budgets and what-if scenarios, so you can see a cash squeeze coming months before it arrives and plan hires, purchases and pricing with confidence.

Management accounts

Regular management reports that show how the business is really performing: margins by product or customer, debtor days, and the numbers behind your next decision.

Accounting software setup

Choosing, implementing and migrating to the right accounting software for your business, connecting bank feeds and apps, and training you and your team to use it well.

Invoicing and credit control

Getting invoices out promptly, chasing what you're owed and tightening payment terms, often the fastest way to put cash back into a small business.

Services vary by membership level and licence, so ask any practice what their licence covers. ICB can confirm a member's status at any time on 0203 405 4000.

Making Tax Digital is here

MTD for Income Tax now applies to sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000, with more businesses joining from 2027. If quarterly digital reporting sounds like a burden, it doesn't have to be: an ICB bookkeeper can set up the software, keep the records and file the updates for you. Read our MTD for Income Tax guidance.

The standard behind the name

What Certified Bookkeeper actually means

ICB membership is earned, not bought. Every member has worked their way up a ladder of regulated qualifications and examinations.

Associate members (AICB) have proved their core bookkeeping competence. Full members (MICB) hold the designation Certified Bookkeeper and can offer a wider range of services. Fellows (FICB) sit at the top of the profession. Whichever letters follow their name, every member in the directory keeps their knowledge current through mandatory professional development and works under ICB's ethical code. You can read more about how bookkeepers qualify on our study and qualifications pages.

If you're a business owner or new startup wondering where to begin, our guide for small businesses explains how to keep good records and what to look for when hiring a bookkeeper.

Posting a vacancy: terms and conditions

It is the responsibility of the person posting the vacancy to ensure that applicants have the relevant membership grade to fulfil the role. Please contact ICB on 0203 405 4000 should you need any further information or help to find a bookkeeper.

Directory: terms and conditions of use

The details of members' practices are provided by the members themselves. ICB is not responsible for the content, nor does it make any recommendations or provide any warranties in respect of any practice, product or service, save that the owner is a member and is subject to the rules of ICB. Users of the directory must satisfy themselves of the suitability and qualifications of the supplier and of the product or service to be supplied before entering into any contract with a member's practice.

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all rights, including copyright in the content of this website and the directory, are owned by or controlled for these purposes by The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers ("ICB"). Except as expressly permitted under copyright law or ICB's terms of use, the content of this site and the directory may not be copied, stored, reproduced, republished, downloaded, posted, broadcast or transmitted in any way without the prior written permission of ICB.

Using the directory to compile a mailing list is a prosecutable offence. Unsolicited mailings of any kind, for any purpose other than engaging an ICB member for a specific bookkeeping position, are strictly prohibited. ICB reserves the right to record the IP address of all users.

Your business deserves the best

Always insist on an ICB bookkeeper. Search the directory free, or post your vacancy and let the right bookkeeper find you.

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