In-depth guidance on SRA Accounts Rules compliance, partnership tax planning, LLP conversion, and practice succession. Written specifically for solicitors and law firms navigating UK tax regulations and legal sector accounting. Looking for the firm behind these guides? See our accountants for solicitors and lawyers service overview.
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View guideVAT & Compliance
Conveyancing legal services are standard-rated for VAT at 20%. This guide works through the VAT treatment of a conveyancing matter end to end in 2026/27: your firm's fee, property searches (and why most are not disbursements after Brabners), HM Land Registry registration fees, the property transaction tax paid for the client, and CHAPS recharges.
Partnership & LLP Structure
An LLP is tax-transparent, so each member is taxed as a self-employed partner on their allocated profit share, not on the cash they draw. This guide covers the income tax and Class 4 NIC charge, payments on account, qualifying loan interest relief on a capital buy-in, and the salaried member exception that can pull a fixed-share partner into PAYE.
Trainee & Paralegal Tax
UK trainee solicitor salaries in 2026/27 range from £25,000 at small high-street firms to £60,000+ at Magic Circle firms. Most are in £28,000-£40,000 range. We cover salaries by firm type, post-qualification jumps, take-home after tax and student loan.
Practice Succession & Sale
UK law firm EBITDA multiples in 2026/27 range from 0.8x for conveyancing-heavy firms in soft markets to 3x+ for specialist firms with premium positioning. Most multi-partner firms sit at 1.2-2.0x normalised EBITDA. We cover the realistic ranges and what drives them.
Practice Accounting
UK LLP filing deadlines 2026/27: SA800 partnership return due 31 January following tax year end. LLP accounts at Companies House 9 months after year-end. Each member's personal SA due 31 January. We cover the full filing calendar plus penalties.
Locum Solicitor Tax
IR35 rules affect locum solicitors who work through a personal service company (PSC). The engaging firm, if medium or large, determines the locum's employment status for tax. Getting the determination wrong can mean unpaid tax, NIC and penalties for both parties.
Locum Solicitor Tax
A clear guide for locum solicitors and the firms that engage them, covering IR35 status, VAT registration thresholds, and the practical tax implications of working as a self-employed solicitor or through a personal service company.
Fee-Earner Tax & Compensation
UK newly qualified solicitor (NQ) salaries in 2026/27 range from £35,000 at small high-street firms to £180,000+ at US firms in London. Magic Circle sits at £125,000-£150,000. We cover the full range, take-home after tax, and the trade-offs each tier involves.
Partnership & LLP Structure
A step-by-step guide for UK solicitors and law firm partners on preparing partnership accounts for the 2026/27 tax year. Covers the partnership tax return (SA800), partner statements, profit allocation, and common pitfalls for both general partnerships and LLPs.
Fee-Earner Tax & Compensation
Solicitors can typically claim CPD costs as a tax deductible expense if the training maintains or improves existing knowledge and skills relevant to their current practice. The rules differ for employed solicitors, partners, and locums. We explain the HMRC position and common pitfalls.
Structure & Incorporation
SRA Regulated Community Statistics show incorporated companies now make up about 58.7% of the SRA-regulated firm base, up from around 20% in 2011, while LLPs account for about 15.9% and traditional partnerships have fallen to about 10.2%. This article sets out what is driving the restructuring, why these stock figures are not the same as Companies House incorporation-flow data, and the tax and accounting implications of each structure for solicitors.
Practice Finance & Cash Flow
ONS Business Demography 2024 data shows that 59.8% of new legal activities businesses survive five years, against 38.4% across all UK industries. The gap is striking but not unconditional: around four in ten law firms still do not reach their fifth birthday.