Tourism and visitor economy accounting
Accountants for tourism and visitor businesses in Edinburgh.
Specialist tourism business accounting for Edinburgh — ACCA-regulated, fixed-fee, with a named accountant on direct contact.
Countify for Edinburgh tourism businesss
Local context
that actually matters.
Edinburgh has the most concentrated seasonality in the UK visitor market: August festival trade can represent a disproportionate share of annual revenue for accommodation providers, with Hogmanay a secondary peak. That makes deferred income, seasonal staffing and off-season cash-flow forecasting the defining accounting tasks, and it makes any regulatory change to letting capacity a direct revenue risk rather than an administrative one. Edinburgh operates a short-term let control area, so planning permission is required for whole-property short-term letting in much of the city in addition to the licence — a point that has caught out operators who bought on the assumption that licensing was the only hurdle. Edinburgh is also furthest along on the visitor levy, so accommodation providers here should expect to collect and account for an overnight charge and to price for it.
Sector context
What tourism business accounting actually involves.
Tourism businesses in Scotland run on extreme seasonality and, increasingly, on regulation that changed under them. Self-catering operators and guest houses now need a short-term let licence before taking bookings, the furnished holiday lettings tax regime was abolished from 6 April 2025, and a visitor levy framework allows Scottish councils to introduce an overnight charge that operators must collect and account for. Meanwhile the core accounting problem is unchanged: costs run all year, revenue arrives in a short window, and deposits taken months in advance are not revenue when they land. Countify handles deferred income on forward bookings, models the cash trough between seasons, deals with the council tax versus non-domestic rates question at the 140-night threshold, and keeps the post-FHL tax position straight.
How we help Edinburgh tourism businesss
Tourism and visitor businesse-specific scope, fixed fees.
Deferred income on advance bookings
Deposits and forward bookings recognised when the stay occurs, not when the cash lands — so seasonal accounts show the real trading position.
Short-term let licensing and rates interaction
The 140-night non-domestic rates threshold, and whether Small Business Bonus Scheme relief is available once a valid licence is held.
Post-FHL tax position
Rebuilding the tax model after the furnished holiday lettings regime ended, including the finance cost restriction and the loss of the old CGT reliefs.
Seasonal payroll and cash-flow forecasting
Seasonal staff, RTI and auto-enrolment handled through peak, with a forecast that carries the business through the off-season trough.
Run the numbers
Calculators built for tourism businesss.
Rental Income Tax Calculator
Section 24 mortgage interest credit, allowable expenses, higher-rate landlord impact.
VAT Threshold Checker
Rolling 12-month turnover vs £90k threshold. Cash-flow impact of registration modelled.
Employer PAYE Calculator
True cost of employment: employer NI at 15%, auto-enrolment pension, monthly breakdown.
Questions we hear weekly
Tourism and visitor businesses FAQs.
Do I need a licence to run a self-catering property in Scotland?
Yes. A short-term let licence must be in place before you take bookings or receive guests, and it usually lasts three years. Operating without one is a criminal offence carrying a fine of up to £2,500 and a one-year ban from reapplying.
When are booking deposits recognised as income?
When the stay takes place, not when the deposit is received. Deposits held for future stays are deferred income and sit as a liability until then — which is why a cash-basis view of a seasonal tourism business is usually misleading.
Will my holiday let pay council tax or business rates?
A property available to let for 140 nights or more a year is generally assessed for non-domestic rates rather than council tax. With a low rateable value and a valid short-term let licence, the Small Business Bonus Scheme may reduce that bill to nil.
What did the abolition of the furnished holiday lettings regime change?
From 6 April 2025 for income tax and CGT, holiday lets are treated as an ordinary property business. Full mortgage interest relief, capital allowances on furnishings and CGT reliefs such as Business Asset Disposal Relief are no longer available on the old basis, which materially changes both annual tax and exit planning.
What is the visitor levy and do I have to collect it?
Scottish councils can introduce an overnight visitor levy in their area following a statutory consultation process. Where one applies, accommodation providers collect it from guests and account for it to the council, so systems and pricing need to handle it separately from VAT.
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