Tourism and visitor economy accounting
Accountants for tourism and visitor businesses in Inverness.
Specialist tourism business accounting for Inverness — ACCA-regulated, fixed-fee, with a named accountant on direct contact.
Countify for Inverness tourism businesss
Local context
that actually matters.
Inverness and the wider Highlands run the most seasonal tourism model in Scotland, with NC500 traffic, coach tours and outdoor tourism concentrated into a short window and a genuinely quiet off-season. The cash-flow consequence is severe: fixed costs, financing and licence obligations run for twelve months against perhaps five months of meaningful trading, so the forecast rather than the annual accounts is the document that actually manages the business. Highland self-catering operators are frequently at the 140-night threshold where the council tax versus non-domestic rates question is finely balanced, and the answer can swing the annual cost by thousands once Small Business Bonus Scheme relief is factored in. Many Highland operators also run mixed activity — accommodation plus tours, activities or a café — which creates a mixed VAT position that needs handling properly rather than applying one rate across all income.
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 Inverness 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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