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Bookkeeper companies in the Portsmouth area

141 bookkeeper companies have a registered office in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes), and 15 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £7,031 in cash and owed £5,918 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Bookkeeping activities” (SIC 69202). Covers companies with a registered office in PO postcodes, including Portsmouth, Chichester, Isle Of Wight.

The numbers

Bookkeeper companies in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasurePortsmouthUK
Registered companies14112,190
Formed in 2025 or 202615 (11%)14%
Being struck off or in liquidation7 (5%)6.9%
Typical cash at year end£7,03143 accounts£6,073
Typical amount owed at year end£5,918100 accounts£6,739
Typical number of employees1101 accounts1

What this means if you’re starting one

You will be up against established operators

11% of the 141 bookkeeper companies in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) were formed in 2025–26, against 19% of all companies in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes).

Few new companies are entering, so your customers will compare you with businesses that have years of reviews and regulars.

You can start without much equipment

The typical bookkeeper company in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) carries £1,154 of equipment and other fixed assets after depreciation, lower than 100% of UK industries.

Most of the cost of entry is time and running costs rather than kit, so a small test is cheap.

Most of these businesses are run by one or two people

The typical bookkeeper company in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) reports 1 employee; the top quarter has 2 or more (101 filings).

You are mostly up against owner-operators. Your own hours are likely to be your biggest cost, and the easiest one to undercount.

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What these figures can’t tell you

Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.

Bookkeeper in other places

Other businesses in Portsmouth

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