Software and tech companies
Accountants and fractional CFO for software and tech companies
Software and tech accountants running a full finance function for profitable, owner-managed businesses. Not a year-end accountant, and not a fundraising adviser.
AI Accounts is a firm of software and tech accountants and a full finance function for owner-managed UK businesses. We run the bookkeeping, management accounts, payroll and year-end, and give you senior finance input on pricing, hiring and cash. Built for founders running a real business on real revenue, not for companies chasing the next round.
Who this is for
We work with profitable, owner-managed technology businesses turning over roughly £1m to £30m.
Subscription software funded out of its own revenue.
Established products on recurring contracts.
Development agencies and technical services.
Hosting, platforms and tech-enabled services.
The common thread is that you are funding growth out of your own revenue. Your questions are about margin, pricing, hiring and how much cash you can safely take out. They are not about investor decks.
You are probably at the right point if
- You are making pricing or hiring calls on gut feel because the numbers arrive too late
- Your accountant does the year-end well but cannot tell you what to do next month
- You are thinking about a financial controller or finance manager as your first finance hire
- You are profitable on paper but cash still feels tight
- Nobody in the business owns the numbers between the bookkeeper and you
What software and tech companies actually need from finance
The direct answer: recurring revenue reported properly, a clear view of cash, and someone senior who can tell you what the numbers mean. Most technology businesses do not need more reports. They need the right ones, on time, with a decision attached.
Recurring revenue reported properly
MRR and ARR tracked consistently, revenue recognised correctly across contract terms, and churn measured the same way every month so the trend means something.
Cash you can see ahead
Annual billing, monthly costs and staged delivery pull cash in different directions. You get a forward view, not a bank balance and a guess.
Margin by product and client
Which products, contracts and clients actually make money once delivery time and infrastructure costs are in. Usually the answer surprises people.
People costs modelled
Developers are your largest cost. We model the hire before you make it, so you know what it does to margin and cash.
R&D and share options
R&D claims prepared properly under the current rules, and EMI schemes where you need to keep key developers without giving the company away.
Profit taken out sensibly
Salary, dividends and timing planned across the year, so what you take out of a profitable business is deliberate rather than accidental.
How this compares to your other options
Most technology businesses at this size are choosing between three routes. Here is the honest comparison.
| Traditional accountant | First in-house finance hire | AI Accounts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | Year-end accounts, tax returns, compliance | One person doing whatever their level covers | A full finance function: bookkeeping through to CFO input |
| Numbers arrive | Months after the year ends | Monthly, once they are up to speed | Monthly, from the start |
| Seniority | Varies, usually compliance-focused | Whatever one salary buys you | Senior input without a senior salary |
| Cover and continuity | Not applicable | Single point of failure: holiday, illness, resignation | A team, so the work continues |
| Scales with you | No, the service stays the same | Needs another hire above or below them | Yes, you move up the tiers as you grow |
If you are actively weighing up a hire, read fractional CFO versus an in-house FD or see what to do at your first finance hire.
How we work with technology businesses
Three tiers, and you move between them as the business changes.
Finance Foundations
The compliance layer done properly: bookkeeping, payroll, VAT, year-end accounts and Corporation Tax, with basic management accounts so you are not flying blind.
Finance Operations
Our core service and the layer most technology businesses are missing. Monthly management accounts, cash flow and KPI reporting built around recurring revenue, finance systems set up properly in Xero, and a monthly review meeting.
Fractional CFO
For bigger calls. Forecasting and scenario modelling, pricing and margin work, hiring plans, profit extraction and tax planning, and Anna in the room when you are making a decision that matters.
See the full pricing ladder, or read more about Finance Operations and fractional CFO support.
Your software and tech accountants
Anna Stafford, the founder, leads every client relationship and acts as your CFO. She is the person you call about a hire, a pricing change or a cash squeeze. Behind her, a delivery team under UK oversight handles the monthly work, and the year-end accounts and tax are prepared and signed off by fully qualified chartered accountants. AI-powered workflows do the routine lifting, which is what keeps senior time on the advice rather than the admin.
Software and tech finance questions
?Do I need a fractional CFO or a finance operations service?
If your monthly numbers are late, inconsistent or not produced at all, start with Finance Operations. That fixes the reporting layer. A fractional CFO is the right call when the reporting is already reliable and the questions have moved on to pricing strategy, funding growth from cash, or planning a bigger set of hires.
?Can you work with us if we are not raising investment?
Yes, and that is our main audience. Most of our technology clients are profitable and bootstrapped. The work is about margin, cash and profit extraction rather than investor reporting.
?How should a SaaS business recognise revenue?
Revenue from a subscription is recognised across the period you deliver the service, not when the customer pays. An annual contract billed upfront is spread across the twelve months, with the unearned portion sitting on the balance sheet as deferred income. Getting this right matters because it is the difference between a month that looks brilliant and a month that actually was.
?Can we claim R&D tax relief on software development?
Sometimes. Qualifying work has to seek an advance in science or technology and resolve genuine technical uncertainty. Routine development, standard integrations and configuring existing tools generally do not qualify. HMRC now expects considerably more evidence than it used to, so claims need to be prepared carefully and documented as you go.
?Why is my software business profitable but short of cash?
Usually timing. Costs such as salaries and infrastructure go out monthly and evenly, while revenue arrives in lumps on annual renewals or staged milestones. Profit is measured over a period, cash is a moment in time, and the two rarely line up. A rolling cash forecast shows you the pinch points before you reach them.
?Do you work with companies outside London?
Yes. We work with owner-managed businesses across the UK. Everything runs on Xero and cloud systems, and review meetings happen by video.
Related
Finance Operations Fractional CFO services Your first finance hire Fractional CFO vs in-house FD Cash Visibility Sprint Pricing FAQsLet’s talk about your numbers
A short call to understand where your finance function is now and what it needs to be. No pitch, and no obligation.
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