Farming has never been a nine-to-five job. Long days are shaped by weather, livestock and machinery – not office hours. So, when the working day finally ends, the last thing most farmers want is to sit down and wrestle with bookkeeping or VAT deadlines.
That’s why more farming clients are outsourcing their bookkeeping and VAT to their accountant. It removes a time-consuming, ongoing task and gives you something far more valuable in return: clear, up-to-date financial insight you can use, without the hassle of producing it yourself.
VAT is often a constant pressure point. With monthly submissions common in farming, it can feel like you’re always working towards the next deadline – often at the busiest times of the year. When the books are handled externally, that pressure disappears. At Burgis & Bullock, our team keeps everything up to date behind the scenes, so VAT returns are prepared and submitted smoothly and on time, without the last-minute scramble or risk of errors when things get busy on the farm.
Trevor Day, Head of Client Services at Burgis & Bullock, commented: “For many farmers, the challenge isn’t understanding their business – it’s finding the time to manage the financial side. Outsourcing removes that burden. Instead of rushed records and looming deadlines, clients have accurate, up-to-date figures they can rely on. It’s not just about compliance – it’s about giving farmers back their time, reducing stress and helping them stay in control all year round.”
What often surprises clients most is how much easier it becomes to understand their numbers. Rather than a pile of paperwork or a set of figures produced once a year, you have a live, accurate picture of how the farming business is performing. That makes a real difference when you’re making day-to-day decisions – whether it’s managing input costs, planning capital expenditure or simply keeping an eye on cash flow.
It also transforms the year-end process. When bookkeeping is kept up to date throughout the year, there’s no chasing missing records or reconstructing transactions months later. Year-end accounts can be prepared quickly and with minimal disruption. And if you need interim figures for tax planning or capital investment decisions, these can be produced just as efficiently. Everything flows better because the groundwork has already been done properly.
Here at Burgis & Bullock, we already provide outsourced bookkeeping, VAT and payroll services to a wide range of farming clients, and the feedback is consistently positive. It’s not just about saving time – it’s about reducing pressure and having confidence that everything is being handled properly.
A big part of making this work is using Xero accounting software. It keeps everything simple and accessible, giving you a real-time view of the business without needing to be an expert. We take care of the detailed processing behind the scenes – you just get clear, reliable information when you need it.
If the administrative side of the farm is starting to take up too much time or create unnecessary stress, outsourcing is well worth considering. A simple change can make a meaningful difference – freeing up your time, reducing pressure and giving you better control over your business.
If you’d like to explore what this could look like for your farm, we’d be happy to talk it through. www.burgisbullock.com/services/farming-agriculture/
Trevor Day, Head of Clients Services at Burgis & Bullock
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