Accountants for scientific and pharma contractors
Clinical research contractors, regulatory affairs specialists, CRO project managers, laboratory consultants, and pharmaceutical industry professionals operating through a limited company face the same core compliance requirements as any contractor — but with profession-specific expenses, professional body memberships, and occasionally complex IR35 questions arising from embedded project work. AutoBooks handles your limited company from £89+VAT/month.
Most contractor accountants charge £120–£159/month for equivalent cover. AutoBooks includes everything for £89.
What's included
Bookkeeping
Every transaction recorded and reconciled monthly
VAT returns
Quarterly MTD-compliant returns filed on time
Director payroll
Monthly PAYE and RTI submissions
Corporation tax
CT600 prepared and filed with HMRC
Self Assessment
Director's SA100 included as standard
Companies House
Confirmation statement and annual accounts
Salary & dividends
Optimal split calculated and reviewed annually
Year-end accounts
Full statutory accounts prepared and filed
What scientific and pharma contractors need from an accountant
- Embedded project IR35 considerations. Contractors working on long-term clinical trials or pharmaceutical development projects at a single sponsor site can face similar IR35 scrutiny to engineering contractors. We help you identify the risk factors specific to your engagement structure.
- Scientific equipment, software, and consumables. Laboratory equipment, specialist software (statistical analysis tools, data management platforms), scientific publications, and professional databases used for your contracted work are all potentially claimable expenses.
- GCP and professional training expenses. Good Clinical Practice training, regulatory submission training, and other mandatory professional development required for your contracted roles are allowable expenses. Annual renewal certifications are included.
- Publication and conference expenses. Poster presentations, conference registrations, and journal access fees that are genuinely business-related are claimable against the company — subject to the usual wholly-and-exclusively test.
Professional membership fees you can claim
RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry) membership — RSB (Royal Society of Biology) — IChemE (Institution of Chemical Engineers) — TOPRA (The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs) — ACRP and SOCRA (clinical research professionals) — BPS (British Pharmacological Society) — SCI (Society of Chemical Industry) — ABPI (for those requiring ABPI Code certification) — Professional indemnity insurance — Scientific journal subscriptions directly related to your contracted work.
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