Business Details
20 Years
experience
Your Trusted Partner for Accounting Solutions
We are independent accountants based in central Exeter, dedicated to helping small and medium-sized business owners achieve their goals through strategic financial management. Our services extend beyond traditional accounting and tax compliance, focusing on empowering clients to make informed decisions that drive growth, improve profitability, and enhance work-life balance. With over 18 years of experience since our founding in 2006, we combine technical expertise with personalized support to deliver tailored solutions. Our team brings decades of combined industry experience, including roles in corporate accounting and charity sector finance, ensuring we understand the diverse challenges our clients face. We prioritize transparency, fixed pricing, and proactive advice, offering unlimited ad hoc support to help businesses navigate financial complexities.Our commitment to excellence is demonstrated through our ICAEW membership and a client-centric approach that emphasizes long-term partnerships. We serve businesses in and around Exeter, leveraging local market knowledge to provide contextually relevant guidance. Our innovative methodologies, including one-page benchmarking and BoardView meetings, simplify complex financial data into actionable insights. We maintain rigorous professional standards while fostering a culture of accessibility and responsiveness, ensuring clients receive timely, reliable support. Our track record of positive client testimonials reflects our dedication to delivering measurable value through expert financial stewardship.
Services
Annual Accounts
Tax Planning
Bookkeeping
Payroll Services
Business Valuation
Cashflow Forecasting
VAT Returns
Company Secretarial
Benchmarking Reports
BoardView Meetings
Details
- Year established: 2006
Highlights and features
- We offer fixed-price packages with unlimited ad hoc advice and no hidden fees.
- Our team combines 18 years of business experience with ICAEW-accredited expertise.
- We provide one-page financial insights to simplify complex business decisions.
- We prioritize proactive tax planning to minimize liabilities and maximize growth.
- Our local Exeter team understands regional business challenges and opportunities.
Associations and certifications
- ICAEW
What people say
Breath of fresh air
Friendly and accessible
Exceptionally great professionals
Unflappable support
Always ready to help
Services
Annual Accounts Preparation
We prepare comprehensive annual accounts that provide clear insights into your business performance. Our process ensures compliance with regulatory requirements while highlighting opportunities for growth and efficiency improvements. Clients receive detailed explanations of financial statements to support strategic decision-making.
Tax Planning Advice
Our tax planning services identify legitimate opportunities to minimize liabilities while maintaining compliance. We analyze business structures, transactions, and available reliefs to create tax-efficient strategies tailored to your specific circumstances and long-term objectives.
Bookkeeping Support
We maintain accurate, up-to-date bookkeeping records to ensure financial clarity. Our services include transaction categorization, reconciliation, and preparation of management accounts to support day-to-day business operations and decision-making.
Payroll Services
Our payroll solutions handle all aspects of employee compensation, including salary calculations, tax deductions, and statutory reporting. We ensure compliance with HMRC requirements while providing timely, accurate payroll processing and related advisory services.
Business Valuation
We provide professional business valuations for succession planning, mergers, or investment purposes. Our analysis considers financial performance, market conditions, and growth potential to deliver accurate, defensible valuations that support strategic decisions.
People
Giles Corby
Founder
Established Merlin Accountancy in 2006 after local education at Exeter School. Combines technical expertise with strategic business advice, focusing on helping clients achieve personal and professional goals through financial clarity. Passionate about rugby and health improvement initiatives.
Karen
Accountant
Joined Merlin in 2007 with prior experience in charity sector accounting. Specializes in making complex financial matters accessible to clients. Brings practical insights from previous roles in company administration and bookkeeping, with a focus on simplifying business processes.
Niki
Apprentice Accountant
Joined the team in 2023 to pursue accountancy qualifications. Bilingual Polish-English professional with diverse experience across hospitality, customer service, and business administration. Provides fresh perspectives while supporting clients with day-to-day financial management tasks.
Questions
What accounting services do you offer for small businesses?
We provide annual accounts preparation, tax planning, bookkeeping, payroll, business valuation, and strategic advisory services tailored to small and medium-sized enterprises.
Do you offer fixed-price accounting packages?
Yes, we offer three fixed-price packages (Essentials, Potential, Growth) with monthly payments and unlimited ad hoc advice, ensuring predictable costs for our clients.
How do you help businesses improve profitability?
We analyze financial data to identify hidden profits, provide benchmarking reports, and offer strategic advice on cashflow management and tax optimization to enhance business performance.
Are you qualified accountants?
We are ICAEW-registered accountants with over 18 years of combined experience, providing expert financial guidance that meets professional standards and regulatory requirements.
Do you support businesses outside Exeter?
While based in Exeter, we serve clients across Devon and provide remote support through regular virtual meetings and digital accounting solutions.
Reviews (6)
Ashley Eccleston
Nov 17, 2021
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Positive:Professionalism,Quality,Responsiveness,Value
Having used Merlin Accountancy for a few years now, I can say they've been brilliant. Any query is promptly answered and nothing is too much of a problem. Highly recommended
Having used Merlin Accountancy for a few years now, I can say they've been brilliant. Any query is promptly answered and nothing is too much of a problem. Highly recommended
Rachel Gilpin
Jun 18, 2021
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Positive:Professionalism,Quality,Responsiveness,Value
Thank you Giles and Karen for your excellent service and assistance with all our accountancy/bookkeeping requirements. Highly recommend your professional service and the newsletters are excellent.
Thank you Giles and Karen for your excellent service and assistance with all our accountancy/bookkeeping requirements. Highly recommend your professional service and the newsletters are excellent.
Wayne Tooze
Jun 02, 2021
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Merlin Accountancy is a breath of fresh air. My business switched to them in 2018 and we have no regrets. The service we receive is a fixed price package and spread over monthly payments, so we always know the costs for accountancy services. Previous accountants charged by the minute and the breakdown of charges were lacking, so when invoices came through they were often a surprise and it put us off getting advice when we really needed it. As part of the service Merlin will support you with any accounts queries as part of the package. Response times are also excellent. Merlin also assists us in
Cara Stobart
Apr 26, 2021
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Merlin Accountancy Services have provided invaluable support in establishing our financial practices as a new company. They have provided a highly professional and reliable accountancy service covering everything from our bookkeeping, invoicing, and payroll through to end of year accounts, and annual returns. I have found Karen and Giles to be friendly, accessible and totally unflappable! Quick to respond to queries and happy to provide advice when needed. Id recommend their services to others without hesitation.
Andrew Gwynne
Apr 21, 2021
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Im the sole director of a limited company, which I use to manage interim and project-based marketing contracts. Ive used Merlin Accountancy for several years, initially for my personal tax returns. When I started the business, they were the obvious choice to help me with its start-up and ongoing management.
Ive always been very satisfied working with Giles and Karen. They are unfailingly reliable, professional and accessible. For me, the main benefit of working with them is that they help remove complexity, which gives me fewer worries. Without their help, I would undoubtedly feel less
Ive always been very satisfied working with Giles and Karen. They are unfailingly reliable, professional and accessible. For me, the main benefit of working with them is that they help remove complexity, which gives me fewer worries. Without their help, I would undoubtedly feel less
Simon Wilkins
Apr 19, 2021
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About four years ago, when my wife suggested that we changed from the accountancy firm we were working with and went with Giles at Merlin Accountancy Services, I was a little reluctant. At the time, we did not have a lot to do with our accountant, but neither did we have any significant complaints. So why go through the potential hassle of changing?
Well, the truth is there was no hassle changing because Giles handled everything, and I can genuinely say that Im so glad that we did change. Not only does Giles and his team do our accounts, tax returns and payroll, Giles also comes to our office
Well, the truth is there was no hassle changing because Giles handled everything, and I can genuinely say that Im so glad that we did change. Not only does Giles and his team do our accounts, tax returns and payroll, Giles also comes to our office
