Belfast cityscape at dusk
Accountants in Belfast

Straight-talking accountancy for ambitious NI businesses

Clear advice. Sound judgment. No jargon. We work alongside NI business owners to turn complex figures into confident decisions.

15+ Years in practice
1000+ Businesses advised
14 People
4 Sector specialisms

Accountants for Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

We work with business owners who want more from their accountant than a year-end filing. Our team is trained to think commercially, communicate plainly, and distil complex information down to what is most important.

We provide tailored guidance you can act on, exercise sound judgment on the decisions that matter, and make sure nothing falls through the cracks. No surprises. People who pick up the phone.

Our services

What we do

Clear, proactive guidance across the full range of accountancy and tax services. One team, one relationship.

Sectors we know inside out

We work with businesses across every NI industry. These are the sectors where we have built the deepest playbooks. See all sectors →

Main contractors, subbies, and trades

Construction

Construction is the most paperwork-heavy industry on the books. CIS deductions, VAT reverse charge, retentions, applications for payment, and a workforce that flexes by the project. We work with NI builders, contractors, and subcontractors who need their accountant to know the difference between an application and an invoice.

CIS deductions and returnsVAT domestic reverse chargeRetentions and WIPProject-level profitabilityCapital allowances on plant
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Single-site to multi-site groups

Hospitality

NI hospitality runs on margin, footfall, and the cost of the next shift. From independent restaurants in Belfast to multi-site pizza, coffee, and quick-service operators, we work with hospitality businesses who need an accountant that understands tronc, tips, and what a wet weekend does to the till.

Tronc and tipsMixed-rate VATMulti-site reportingLabour cost controlCash flow and seasonality
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Independent and multi-site retailers

Retail

NI retail runs on margin, footfall, and seasonal cash flow. From independent shops in Lisburn to multi-site operators across Belfast, we work with retailers who need their accountant to understand the rhythm of a till-driven business.

VAT on mixed-rate stockCross-border tradeStock valuationSeasonal cash flowStaff costs
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Engineering, food, and precision

Manufacturing

Northern Ireland has one of the strongest manufacturing bases in the UK, from aerospace and engineering to food processing and advanced materials. We work with manufacturers who need an accountant that understands the difference between a balance sheet and a shop floor.

Capital allowancesR&D tax reliefStock and WIP valuationGrant accountingSupply chain costs
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Also working across

  • Not-for-profit Charity SORP, audit thresholds, and governance for NI charities and CICs.

    NI charities, social enterprises, and community interest companies operate under their own legislation and their own regulator. You need an accountant who knows the Charities Act (NI) 2008, not just the England and Wales version.

    Visit not-for-profit page
  • Property & landlords Section 24, MTD-ITSA, and incorporation decisions for NI landlords.

    Owning property in NI has changed beyond recognition since 2017. Section 24 mortgage interest restriction reshaped the maths for higher-rate landlords. Furnished Holiday Let status changed in April 2025. Making Tax Digital for Income Tax lands in 2026 and 2027 with quarterly filings. We help individual and portfolio landlords across NI navigate the decisions that actually move the tax bill.

    Visit property & landlords page
  • Healthcare practices Associate vs principal, goodwill, and NHS income for NI healthcare practices.

    Healthcare practices have their own tax language. Associate versus principal income, goodwill on acquisition or sale, mixed NHS and private income with different VAT treatment, and ownership structures shaped by partnership law and professional regulation. We work with dental, GP, vet, pharmacy, and optometry practices across NI on the accountancy that fits the way the sector actually runs.

    Visit healthcare practices page
  • Professional services Partnership accounts, WIP, and profit shares for NI legal, architecture, and consulting practices.

    Professional services firms run on partner time, WIP, and reputation. The accountancy is partnership-heavy: profit-share waterfalls, partner capital accounts, work-in-progress that ties up cash, and tax positions that vary widely between equity partners, fixed-share partners, and salaried partners. We work with solicitors, architects, surveyors, and consultancy firms across NI.

    Visit professional services page
  • Technology & software R&D tax relief, EMI options, and SEIS/EIS for NI tech founders and SaaS businesses.

    Tech and software businesses have a specific set of tax tools available. R&D tax credits, SEIS and EIS for early-stage funding, EMI share option schemes for retaining staff, and corporate structures that scale into international markets without creating tax friction. We work with NI tech founders, SaaS businesses, agency-style dev shops, and managed service providers.

    Visit technology & software page
  • Trades & home services CIS, van and tool capital allowances, and sole-trader to limited transitions for NI trades.

    Trades are CIS-heavy, van-heavy, and tool-heavy. The accountancy is mostly about three things: getting CIS right, claiming everything you have spent on plant and vehicles, and knowing when to make the jump from sole trader to limited company.

    Visit trades & home services page
  • Hair, beauty & personal services Chair rental, MTD-ITSA, and sole-trader transitions for NI personal-services businesses.

    Personal services is the most overlooked corner of accountancy. Hairdressers, barbers, beauticians, nail techs, lash artists, mobile therapists, and personal trainers. High volume, mostly cash or app-paid, and almost always under-served by generalist accountants. We work with salon owners, chair renters, and mobile practitioners across NI on the questions that actually shape what they take home.

    Visit hair, beauty & personal services page
  • Agri-food & farming Herd basis, farmers’ averaging, and capital allowances for NI farms and food producers.

    NI farming and artisan food production has its own tax toolkit. Herd basis, farmers’ averaging across two or five years, Agricultural Property Relief, capital allowances on farm buildings, and a stream of grant schemes that need careful accounting treatment. We work with farms, food producers, and craft drinks businesses across NI.

    Visit agri-food & farming page
  • Logistics & haulage Vehicle capital allowances, driver payroll, and cross-border VAT for NI hauliers.

    NI hauliers and freight businesses sit at a unique tax junction. Cross-border movements with the Republic and Great Britain bring multiple VAT regimes into play under the Windsor Framework. Fleet capital allowances at scale, driver payroll, and fuel and AdBlue accounting dominate the cost base. We work with owner-driver hauliers, small fleets, couriers, and freight forwarders across NI.

    Visit logistics & haulage page
Coming April 2026

The biggest change to UK tax in a generation. Be ready.

Making Tax Digital arrives on 6 April 2026 for sole traders and landlords earning over £50,000. From April 2027, the threshold drops to £30,000. Quarterly digital filings replace the annual return. We get you set up, compliant, and ahead of the deadline.

Three-step readiness
  1. Eligibility check against your last self-assessment.
  2. Software setup (Sage, Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, or bridging).
  3. Quarterly filing from your first compliance window.

How we work with every client

  • 01

    Locally rooted, nationally qualified

    Fifteen years in Belfast. We answer to the same standards as the big firms, with the relationships only a local firm can build.

  • 02

    Proactive advice, not annual reports

    Year-end is too late. We talk to you all year round about tax planning, growth, and the decisions that move the bottom line. Your accountant should be your most useful adviser, not your most expensive filing service.

  • 03

    Fixed fees, no surprise bills

    We agree the scope and the fee upfront. No hourly billing. No surprise invoices. If anything changes we tell you before any work happens. The same clarity we bring to your accounts, we bring to ours.

What clients say

  • "We have been with Arro Group for six years and the business has grown from strength to strength. Calls get returned the same day and the advice is always plain English."
    ShedFactory Ireland Manufacturing client
  • "Ciaran and the team steered me through every pitfall of setting up as a limited company and have advised me ever since on how to maximise what the business pays out."
    The League of Advertising Limited company client
  • "I have been with Arro Group for five years and would recommend them to anyone. They actually answer the phone, and they explain things without making you feel stupid."
    Julie Turkington · Feminine Touch Retail client, Newtownards

★ 5.0 · 13 Google Reviews

Never miss a deadline

Every key tax date for 2026 to 2027 in one PDF. Self assessment, PAYE, VAT, P60s, P11Ds. Print it, pin it, get it out of your head.

Ready to work with a firm that picks up the phone?

15-minute discovery call. Free, no commitment, no pressure. Find out in one conversation whether we are a fit.