Is there such a thing as a CPA in the UK?

Many overseas company owners, particularly from the US, search for 'CPA' out of habit because it is the accounting qualification they know. The UK has never used the CPA designation for its own accountants, and the letters have no regulatory meaning here.

Some UK firms use 'CPA' loosely in marketing to catch this search traffic, but the person doing the work is almost always ICAEW, ACCA or AAT qualified underneath, since those are the bodies that regulate UK company accounts and tax work.

UK company accounts must follow UK GAAP or IFRS and be filed at Companies House in a specific format, and UK corporation tax follows UK rules submitted to HMRC. A US CPA is trained in US GAAP and IRS rules, neither of which apply to your UK filings.

Look for the qualification letters after the accountant's name, ACA, FCCA, ACCA or MAAT, rather than the word 'CPA', when deciding whether a UK firm is properly regulated to act for your company.

Our fixed monthly packages for a UK limited company start at £89 plus VAT and run to £169 and £289 plus VAT as bookkeeping, VAT, payroll and reporting are added. One-off filings are sold at fixed prices, and the Companies House fees we pay for you are charged at cost with no VAT added. Overseas owners are quoted on exactly the same published prices as UK-resident clients.

Rates, thresholds and deadlines here reflect the 2026/27 UK position and current Companies House and HMRC guidance. Check GOV.UK, or ask us, before relying on them for your own company.