Question 1

Will it give tax advice?

Accepted Answer

No. Ringmere never tells a caller what they can claim, what they owe or how to structure their affairs. It answers only what you have approved, such as your fees, the work you take on and the records you need, and passes any question about a person’s own tax to you as a message with their number.

Question 2

Does it take messages or book appointments?

Accepted Answer

You choose, in one setting. On enquiries, it never offers a time: it takes the caller’s name, number and what they need and sends it to you by text and email for a callback. Add a timed service, such as a free 30-minute initial consultation, and set it to offer times, and it books that into Google Calendar, Outlook or the built-in diary instead.

Question 3

How does it help with the January Self Assessment rush?

Accepted Answer

The online Self Assessment deadline is 31 January, and HMRC counted 475,722 people filing on the final day in 2026. Ringmere answers those late calls the same way at 9pm as at 9am: it gives your fee and the records you need, and takes the details for a callback. If you stop taking new returns in mid-January, change one line and it tells callers so.

Question 4

Can it tell a client whether we have received their records?

Accepted Answer

No. Ringmere does not connect to your accounting or practice software, so it cannot see what has arrived. It takes the client’s name, number and question and passes them to the right person, and your team answers from the file.

Question 5

Will it discuss a client’s affairs with whoever rings?

Accepted Answer

It cannot: it does not hold your client files, workings or returns. It takes the caller’s name, number and question, and you confirm who you are speaking to when you ring back.

Question 6

Can it handle bookkeeping, payroll and VAT enquiries?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Add those services with your fees, such as bookkeeping from £150 a month or payroll per payslip, and it quotes them exactly as you wrote them. What the caller tells it, such as how many staff they have or when their year end is, goes into the message to you.

Question 7

What does an AI receptionist cost for an accountancy practice?

Accepted Answer

Ringmere is £49 a month on Starter, with 150 call minutes and a UK number included, £99 on Growth and £249 on Pro, each with a 7-day free trial. For scale, an illustration only: if January brings ten extra calls a week, you miss half of them, and two of those would have become a £250 return, that is £500 a week of new work. Run your own numbers in the missed call cost calculator.

Question 8

Is Ringmere an answering service for accountants & bookkeepers?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and a virtual receptionist too. Like an answering service, it picks up your calls 24/7 under your business name. Like a virtual receptionist, it answers questions, takes the details of a new enquiry and arranges a callback from your team. Because it is an AI receptionist it costs from £49 a month, never puts a caller on hold, and on Growth and Pro replies on WhatsApp and text as well.

The call	What Ringmere does
A late filer in January: “Can you still do my return?”	Gives your Self Assessment fee and the records you need, as you have written them, and takes the caller’s name, number and situation for a callback, or books a consultation if you offer one. If you have closed to new returns, it says so.
A new sole trader or limited company looking for an accountant	Answers what you have approved, such as your fixed fees and what is included, and takes the type of business and what they need for you to quote. On Growth and Pro it replies on WhatsApp and text too.
An existing client: “Did you get my bank statements?”	Taken as a message with their name and number and passed to the right person. Ringmere does not see your files or your software, so it never guesses.
“Can I claim for my van?” or “how much will I owe?”	Never answered. A question about someone’s own tax is for a qualified person, so the caller is told you will ring them back and the question goes to you in their words.
A letter from HMRC, a penalty notice or a compliance check	Passed to you straight away with the caller’s number and what they say the letter is about, so you decide how quickly to call back. It does not interpret the letter.
“What do you charge?” and “what do I need to bring?”	Answered from your fee list and FAQs. If a fee depends on the work, it says you will quote after a conversation rather than inventing a figure.
Evenings and weekends in the run-up to 31 January	Answered on the first ring, with the details waiting for you in the morning.

The AI phone receptionist for accountants & bookkeepers.

Sound familiar?

Answer, book, and hand you the rest.

Answers your calls, 24/7

Takes the enquiry, or books the consultation

Escalates what matters

Every call an accountancy practice gets.

An example call

It only ever offers what you approve.

Good to know.

Stop losing new client enquiries.