A good accountant is one of those relationships you only appreciate the worth of at the worst possible moment, the week the tax return is due or the month the business hits a wall. Get the right one and the figures, the deadlines and the stress all quietly take care of themselves. Get the wrong one and you find out the hard way.
So which of Portsmouth’s accountants do local people and businesses actually rate? To answer that we looked at the firms serving the city that carry a real body of customer feedback and went on their Google ratings and review counts rather than the size of their letterhead. Each was judged against one set of criteria, the client reviews carrying the most, and we noted what every firm is strongest at, because the sole trader after a simple tax return wants something different from the growing company after a finance director in all but name.
A word on fees, because accountancy is rarely a fixed price. Simple self-assessment returns can start somewhere around a hundred and fifty to three hundred pounds, while full accounts and tax for a limited company more often run as a fixed monthly fee that depends on the size and tidiness of the business. The sensible move is always to ask for a fixed quote up front. Treat the figures below as a guide, read the order as our editorial view rather than advice, and take the list best first, strongest at the top.
1. BC&A Chartered Accountants
No accountant in the city carries a book like BC&A, a 4.9 across close to two hundred reviews from its base on Landport Terrace near the Guildhall. That is a different order of evidence from the rest of this list, because a near-perfect average held over a tally that size is simply not possible without doing right by client after client, year in and year out.
As a chartered firm it covers the full span, from company accounts and corporation tax to self-assessment, payroll and the planning advice that saves money before the year closes rather than after. Reviewers return to the same themes, clear advice in plain English, deadlines met without drama and a sense of being looked after rather than processed. “They turned my shoebox of receipts into a proper set of accounts and saved me money doing it,” is the kind of line that recurs. Fees are quoted to the work, usually as a fixed arrangement, and the only thing to weigh is that a firm this much in demand is best approached in good time rather than the week before a deadline.
What earns the trust
- By far the deepest book here, a 4.9 from close to 200 reviews;
- a full chartered service, from company accounts to tax planning;
- praised for plain-English advice and met deadlines;
- a settled city-centre firm, not a passing concern.
Worth checking first
- In demand, so approach well before a deadline;
- a fuller chartered service may be more than a very small trader needs.
The standout on the evidence, and the safe first call for a business of any size.
2. Neon Numbers
Neon Numbers has built a strong modern reputation out on Copnor Road, a 4.9 from more than fifty reviews. It is the sort of forward-looking practice that has grown its name on cloud bookkeeping and a friendly, approachable manner rather than a wood-panelled front office, and the rating reflects a steady run of happy small businesses and sole traders.
The appeal is exactly that fresh, digital feel, a firm comfortable with the likes of Xero and QuickBooks that keeps you on top of the numbers in real time rather than once a year. Reviewers rate the clear communication and the sense that nothing is a silly question, which matters most for people running their first business. Pricing tends to the tidy fixed monthly package, often somewhere from around thirty to a hundred and fifty pounds a month by the size of the job, so you know the cost in advance. For a newer or smaller business it is a very easy firm to recommend.
What earns the trust
- A 4.9 from more than 50 reviews;
- strong on cloud bookkeeping and real-time figures;
- approachable, with clear fixed monthly pricing;
- a natural fit for sole traders and small firms.
Worth checking first
- A smaller book than the leader;
- a very large or complex company may want a bigger team.
The pick for a small or new business that wants a modern, fixed-fee accountant.
3. Square Accounting
From its office on Albert Road in Southsea, Square Accounting holds a 4.9 from more than forty reviews, which puts it right among the best-rated in the city. It is a well-liked independent practice that has earned its standing the honest way, one satisfied local business at a time.
The draw is the balance it strikes, a proper rounded accountancy service with the personal feel of an independent that knows the Southsea business scene. Reviewers point to responsiveness, a firm that answers the phone and gets back to you, and to advice that is tailored rather than off the shelf. Fees are quoted to the job, with fixed arrangements available, and the practice handles the familiar run of accounts, tax and bookkeeping that most local firms and self-employed people actually need. The only caveat is simply the scale of an independent, so a check on availability for a big piece of work is worth a call.
What earns the trust
- A 4.9 from more than 40 reviews;
- a well-regarded Southsea independent;
- praised for being responsive and tailored;
- a full everyday service, fixed fees available.
Worth checking first
- A smaller practice, so check capacity for a large job;
- fees quoted case by case rather than published.
A strong Southsea independent for a personal, responsive service.
4. TaxAssist Accountants
TaxAssist on London Road in North End is the local branch of a national network, and it holds a 4.8 from getting on for forty reviews. The model is deliberately approachable, a high-street shopfront you can walk into rather than a formal firm you need an introduction to, aimed squarely at the self-employed and small business.
That accessibility is the selling point, a familiar brand with local faces, set up for sole traders, landlords and small limited companies who want the basics done properly without any mystery about it. Reviewers value the clear, jargon-free service and the walk-in convenience of a shop on a main road. Pricing is geared to that market, with self-assessment returns often in the region of a hundred and fifty to three hundred pounds and business work quoted to a package. The trade-off is the one that comes with any branded network, a little less of the bespoke feel than a small independent, but for straightforward needs it is a dependable and easy choice.
What earns the trust
- A 4.8 across nearly 40 reviews;
- a walk-in high-street office on London Road;
- built for the self-employed and small business;
- clear, jargon-free and approachable.
Worth checking first
- A network branch, so a little less bespoke than an independent;
- best suited to straightforward rather than complex affairs.
The easy, walk-in choice for the self-employed and small traders.
5. The John Doyle Partnership
The John Doyle Partnership holds a flawless 5.0 from a smaller book of around twenty reviews, every one pointing the same way, which for an accountant is about the best early sign there is. It is an established Southsea practice with the feel of a firm that keeps its clients for the long haul.
The strength here is the sense of a genuine partnership that takes the time to understand a business rather than simply filing its paperwork. Reviewers describe a proactive, personal service and the reassurance of advice they can trust, the kind of relationship that pays off across years rather than a single return. A perfect score on a solid book marks a firm doing things properly, and the slightly smaller tally than the leaders is the only thing to note, worth a quick read of the most recent reviews for your particular need. Fees are quoted to the work.
What earns the trust
- A perfect 5.0 across its reviews;
- an established, long-term Southsea partnership;
- praised for a proactive, personal service;
- trusted advice built on lasting relationships.
Worth checking first
- A smaller review book than the leaders;
- fees quoted privately rather than listed.
The choice for a lasting partnership that knows your business.
6. MO Accounting and Bookkeeping
Run by Magdalena Olczyk and based on Norman Road in Southsea, MO Accounting and Bookkeeping rounds off the list with a perfect 5.0 from around twenty reviews. It is a personal, owner-run practice where the person you speak to is the person doing the work, which for a small business is often exactly the reassurance it wants.
The focus is squarely on the bookkeeping and self-assessment that keep a sole trader or small firm on the right side of the taxman, handled with evident care. Reviewers rate the patience and the clarity, particularly for people who find the whole business of figures daunting, and the direct, one-to-one contact that a bigger firm cannot always offer. Charges suit the small-business market, with modest monthly or per-job fees rather than a corporate retainer. As with any owner-run practice the book is smaller than the city’s biggest names, so it rewards a look at recent feedback, but as a friendly, hands-on choice for the smaller end it is a fine one.
What earns the trust
- A perfect 5.0 from around 20 reviews;
- a personal, owner-run practice;
- strong on bookkeeping and self-assessment;
- patient and clear with the figures-averse.
Worth checking first
- A smaller book than the leaders;
- pitched at the small end rather than large companies.
The friendly, hands-on pick for a sole trader or small business.
The six firms compared
| # | Firm | Area | Google rating | Typical fee | Score (out of 10) | % (out of 100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BC&A Chartered Accountants | Landport Terrace | 4.9 (197) | Fixed, quoted to the work | 9.2 | 92% |
| 2 | Neon Numbers | Copnor Road | 4.9 (57) | ~£30-150 a month | 9.0 | 90% |
| 3 | Square Accounting | Albert Road, Southsea | 4.9 (42) | Quoted to the job | 8.8 | 88% |
| 4 | TaxAssist Accountants | London Road, North End | 4.8 (38) | Self-assessment ~£150-300 | 8.5 | 85% |
| 5 | The John Doyle Partnership | Southsea | 5.0 (22) | Quoted to the work | 8.3 | 83% |
| 6 | MO Accounting and Bookkeeping | Norman Road, Southsea | 5.0 (21) | Modest monthly or per job | 8.1 | 81% |
Where each firm scores out of ten
What the numbers tell you
The clearest signal is the gap in review volume. BC&A sits on nearly two hundred reviews while the rest of the field counts theirs in the dozens. A perfect five from twenty clients is a fine start, but a 4.9 from almost two hundred is a track record that money cannot fake.
The second theme is how neatly the field splits by who it serves. The modern, fixed-fee practices and the walk-in high-street branch are built for sole traders and small firms, while the chartered and partnership names reach up to the larger company that needs real planning. For most people the good news is that the quality runs deep, so the choice is less about finding a safe pair of hands than about matching the firm to the size of the job.
How the order was reached
Each firm earned a mark out of ten from a single scorecard. The client reviews and a firm’s standing did the most, a little over a third. The breadth and quality of the service took a quarter, the value and openness of the fees fifteen per cent, the steadiness of the picture across the review book another fifteen, and accessibility and responsiveness the small remainder.
The figures are the public Google ratings and review counts as they stood in late October 2026, lined up against one another rather than drawn from any work we commissioned. Accountancy fees vary so much by the size and state of a business that we have given broad guides rather than invented precise prices.
Ratings and fees both move, so read this as a snapshot, not a settled table, and always ask for a fixed quote before you sign up. A business rarely stops at the books, so our pick of the best estate agents and the city’s most trusted plumbers are both worth a look when the next job lands on the desk.
