Cash feels tighter than profit
Collections, stock, tax, loan repayments or drawings may explain why reported profit is not available cash.
Management Accounts and Cash Flow ReportingManagement accounts and cash flow reporting that support real decisions.
Get figures you can use while there is still time to act. We agree the reporting rhythm and measures that matter to your company, then connect profit, cash, tax and owner decisions.
- Advisers with Big Four and Top 20 firm backgrounds
- Response in hours not days
- Fees agreed upfront
Expert perspective
Timely figures only help when they are reliable.
Statutory accounts explain a completed period. A company making pricing, hiring, investment or dividend decisions needs a more current picture. Management accounts bridge that gap when the bookkeeping is reconciled and the report focuses on questions management can actually influence.
UA Tax can prepare a concise quarterly review or a more detailed monthly pack. We agree the level of detail, source records and responsibilities first, then explain movements in margin, cash, debtors, creditors and tax rather than sending a spreadsheet without interpretation.
The reporting needs to be useful to the people running the business. A growing company may need project margins, stock or pipeline data; another may need a simple forecast that shows whether upcoming payroll and corporation tax can be paid. We tailor the scope to the decision and avoid false precision.
When this matters
Recognise the point at which advice adds value
The best result usually comes from reviewing the position before documents are signed, money moves or a filing deadline becomes urgent.
A funding or hiring decision is due
Management needs credible historic figures and a forecast with visible assumptions before making a commitment.
The year-end result is a surprise
Regular reconciled reports can reveal margin changes, director balances and tax exposure earlier.
The business has outgrown a basic ledger
More transactions, staff, products or entities mean that a single bank balance no longer answers the questions directors face.
The technical review
What a useful management pack can contain
The exact pack depends on the company and the questions it needs answered.
Reconciled results
Profit and loss by period with key balance-sheet accounts checked, so management does not rely on an incomplete ledger.
Cash and working capital
Bank position, debtors, creditors, stock and timing of receipts and payments, with a short-term cash view where useful.
Budget and forecast
Actuals compared with an agreed plan, the main drivers of variance and realistic assumptions for the remaining period.
Tax and owner balances
Indicative corporation tax, payroll, director loans and potential distributions considered alongside cash commitments.
Relevant measures
Margins, project performance, recurring income or other measures selected because they lead to a decision, not because a dashboard can display them.
Discussion and actions
An agreed review meeting or written commentary that assigns owners and dates to significant follow-up points.
What changes the answer
Agree what the report should help you decide.
A longer pack is not necessarily a better one. The underlying records and the reporting timetable determine what can be relied upon.
- 01Which decisions require current numbers, and how often are those decisions made?
- 02Are sales, costs, bank accounts and balance-sheet movements reconciled soon enough for the proposed timetable?
- 03What assumptions drive cash, tax and funding forecasts, and who updates them?
- 04Who reviews the report and takes responsibility for the resulting actions?
How UA Tax works
Build a reporting rhythm around decisions and deadlines
Agree the information needed, its delivery date and who will act on it.
Choose the decisions and reporting frequency
Identify whether cash, pricing, funding, hiring or owner withdrawals are the priority. Agree a monthly or quarterly pack and its fee.
Set the records cut-off and responsibilities
Agree who maintains the ledger, supplies supporting schedules and resolves missing information before the reporting date.
Reconcile and explain the movements
Review key balances and actuals against the agreed plan. Explain profit-to-cash differences, tax estimates and director balances, with assumptions visible.
Record actions and refresh the forecast
Discuss the findings, assign next steps and update assumptions. Flag personal-return, dividend or specialist planning issues for the appropriate separate scope.
Questions worth asking
Frequently asked questions
Do small companies need monthly management accounts?
Not always. A focused quarterly pack may suit a stable company, while rapidly changing cash or margins may justify monthly reporting. We agree the frequency against the decisions involved.
Can you work with our bookkeeper?
Yes. We can agree who maintains the ledger, which reconciliations are required and when the records must be available for review.
Will the report show cash as well as profit?
It can include a cash and working-capital view, with a forecast where that is part of the agreed scope. Profit alone does not show the effect of tax payments, debt or collections.
Can management accounts support dividend decisions?
They can provide relevant evidence, but a lawful dividend also requires sufficient distributable profits and appropriate company records. The specific position must be checked.
Are tax forecasts included?
We can include indicative corporation tax and other known obligations where the scope and available records support it. The final liability may change with adjustments and later events.
How is the fee set?
We agree the number of entities, quality of records, reporting frequency, forecasting and discussion required, then quote for the defined scope before work begins.
What do you need to prepare the first management accounts?
Recent accounts, a current trial balance, reconciled bank records, aged debtors and creditors, loan schedules, tax balances and any budget. We confirm the exact records, cut-off and responsibilities after reviewing the business.
Does management reporting include my personal tax return?
Only where agreed explicitly. Company reporting can supply useful salary, dividend and loan evidence, but the director’s return also needs other personal income and relief information. We agree each responsibility and fee.
Continue exploring
Related advice
Guides on this topic
Explore the decisions behind this service.
Agree the reporting your company will actually use.
Tell us your company year end, current software, reporting frequency and the decision you need to support. We will agree the records, timetable and fee.