Wandsworth Town, Old York Road and the Common
Wandsworth takes its name from the River Wandle, which meets the Thames here, and it is one of the larger town centres in South West London. Wandsworth High Street is dominated by the Southside shopping centre, with its shops, restaurants and cinema. Next to it, the old Ram Brewery has been turned into the Ram Quarter, with hundreds of apartments, shops and restaurants along the Wandle.
Head towards the river and you reach Old York Road in the area locals call the Tonsleys, a street of independent cafés, butchers and bakers by Wandsworth Town station. To the east is Wandsworth Common, with Bellevue Road on its edge and the Toast Rack streets of large family houses beside it. Earlsfield runs south along Garratt Lane. Our accountants are based around Fulham, and Wandsworth Bridge connects SW18 directly to Sands End on our side of the river.
Independent shops and food businesses
Old York Road, Bellevue Road and Garratt Lane are full of owner run businesses: delis, bakeries, brunch spots, butchers, florists and pubs. Many began as sole traders and are now wondering whether a limited company makes more sense. We compare the two using your actual figures, and if a company is the better fit we set it up and move the business across properly.
Food businesses have their own VAT questions. Much fresh food is zero rated, while hot takeaway food, alcohol and anything eaten on the premises are standard rated, so a café that does both needs its till set up correctly from day one. We help you register when taxable turnover passes £90,000 in a rolling 12 months, keep the split between zero rated and standard rated sales accurate, and file Making Tax Digital VAT returns each quarter.
What we help people in Wandsworth with
- Sole trader to limited company reviews and set up
- VAT registration and returns for food and drink businesses
- Payroll and auto enrolment for pubs and restaurants
- Monthly management accounts
- Rental accounts for riverside flat owners
- Personal or company ownership comparisons for landlords
- Inheritance tax planning for family homes
- Capital gains tax reporting within 60 days
Brewing, pubs and hospitality around the Ram Quarter
Brewing in Wandsworth goes back centuries. Young's brewed at the Ram Brewery until 2006, and Sambrook's now brews on the same site. Pubs like the Alma and the riverside bars near Wandsworth Bridge carry on that tradition, along with well known restaurants such as Chez Bruce on Bellevue Road.
Pubs and restaurants carry big payrolls with a lot of part time and seasonal staff. We run weekly or monthly payroll, handle auto enrolment pensions and tips, and check whether you can claim the Employment Allowance, which takes up to £10,500 off the employer National Insurance bill for eligible businesses. Monthly management accounts help you see which nights and which menu items actually make money.
New riverside flats and the landlords who own them
Much of the old industrial wharf land along the Thames in Wandsworth is now lined with apartment blocks, and the Ram Quarter has added hundreds more. A lot of these flats were bought as investments and are let to professionals commuting from Wandsworth Town into Waterloo. Some owners hold one flat in their own name, others have bought through a limited company.
Both routes are taxed differently. Personally owned residential lets fall under Section 24, so mortgage interest gives a basic rate tax credit rather than a deduction. Company owned flats pay corporation tax on profits instead, but taking money out brings its own tax. We set out the numbers for your situation so you can decide with clear figures in front of you. We also prepare rental accounts, handle Making Tax Digital quarterly updates where they apply, and report capital gains within 60 days when a flat is sold.
Families near Wandsworth Common
The streets around Wandsworth Common are popular with families, and the Toast Rack has some of the most expensive houses in London. For many households the family home is now worth far more than when it was bought, and that changes the inheritance tax picture.
Each person has a nil rate band of £325,000, and a residence nil rate band of up to £175,000 can apply when a home passes to children or grandchildren. Anything above the available bands is taxed at 40%. We explain how these bands work together for married couples, talk through gifts and wills with you, and work alongside your solicitor so the plan holds together. Parents juggling work with a small business on the side can also come to us for their self assessment.
Working with us from Wandsworth
Wandsworth Town, Wandsworth Common and Earlsfield stations all serve the area, but you do not need any of them to work with us. Clients usually work with their accountant online, by email and video, sharing records through secure cloud software, with meetings arranged when needed.
Fees are fixed and agreed before any work starts, after a free review. Send us an enquiry through the free quote form and an ACCA qualified accountant will reply with a clear quote.
Who we work with here
- Independent shops and cafés on Old York Road and Bellevue Road
- Pubs and restaurants around the Ram Quarter and the river
- Investors who own flats in new Wandsworth developments
- Families with homes near Wandsworth Common
- Self employed people in Earlsfield and Southfields
Common questions
Do you have an accountant in Wandsworth?
Our ACCA qualified accountants are based around Fulham, just across Wandsworth Bridge, and work with clients throughout SW18. Most clients work with us online, by email and video, with meetings arranged when needed.
Should my Old York Road café be a sole trader or a limited company?
It depends on your profits, how much you need to draw and your plans for the business. We run the numbers both ways using your real figures and explain the difference in plain words before you decide.
Is food VAT free for my deli or café?
Some of it is. Much cold food sold to take away is zero rated, but hot food, alcohol, soft drinks and food eaten on the premises are standard rated. We help you set up your till and records so each sale is treated correctly.
I bought a flat at the Ram Quarter to let. How is the rent taxed?
If you own it personally, the rental profit goes on your self assessment return and mortgage interest gives a basic rate tax credit under Section 24. If you own it through a company, the company pays corporation tax instead. We prepare the figures either way.
Will my family pay inheritance tax on our house near Wandsworth Common?
Possibly, depending on the total value of your estate and who inherits. The nil rate band is £325,000 per person, with up to £175,000 more when a home passes to direct descendants. We can look at your figures and explain your options.
How much does an accountant cost in Wandsworth?
We do not publish prices because every client needs something different. After a free review, we agree a fixed fee with you before any work starts.
Do you cover Earlsfield and Southfields?
Yes. We work with people and businesses across SW18, including Earlsfield, Southfields, Wandsworth Town and the streets around the Common.