Do I need an accountant as a sole trader in the trades?

It's not a legal requirement, but the trades have a specific complication most self-employed people don't: CIS deductions taken at source, which mean you're often owed a refund rather than owing tax, and that refund only comes back correctly if every deduction statement is tracked and claimed.

Add in the mix of tools, van and materials expenses, mileage between sites, and — for many tradespeople — Making Tax Digital's quarterly reporting starting to apply, and the admin adds up quickly around jobs that already keep you busy. An accountant who works with tradespeople regularly will know to ask for your CIS statements as a matter of course, know which of your costs are genuinely deductible, and get your refund back to you sooner rather than at the last possible moment. If you're currently doing this yourself and haven't checked whether your CIS refund matches what you're actually owed, it's worth a second look.