BlackpeakCFO™ Bookkeeping & finance systems
Send my details → See prices Client Portal
Hero ACMA CGMA · CIMA chartered since 2013
Legal

Terms of Service

Last updated: 19 October 2026

Plain English: These are the rules for using our website and hiring us. We are a chartered management accountancy practice for UK businesses, not your lawyer and not your auditor. We stand behind our work with a 30-day guarantee and expect to be paid on time. If something goes wrong, we fix it. Read the details below, or email legal@blackpeakcfo.com with questions.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the BlackpeakCFO™ website ("Site") at blackpeakcfo.com or engaging our services, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use our Site or services.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("Client," "you") and BlackpeakCFO™, operated by Stuart Wilson ("we," "us," "our"). For active service engagements, a separate Engagement Letter will govern the specific scope, deliverables, and fees of your engagement. In the event of a conflict between these Terms and your Engagement Letter, the Engagement Letter prevails.

2. Our Services

Plain English: We do fixed-price bookkeeping, management accounts, overdue accounts catch-ups, system migrations and dashboards, plus the UK filings listed in your engagement letter. We are not registered auditors and do not perform statutory audits.

BlackpeakCFO™ provides fixed-price bookkeeping and finance systems services, including but not limited to:

  • Finance Systems Audit (fixed-price written report)
  • Monthly bookkeeping, reconciliation and management accounts
  • Overdue accounts catch-up and bookkeeping clean-up
  • Accounting system migrations and finance-data migration for ERP projects
  • Finance dashboards and their monthly refresh
  • UK compliance work (year-end accounts, confirmation statements, VAT and Making Tax Digital returns, Self Assessment, payroll) where set out in your Engagement Letter

All services are delivered remotely to businesses in the United Kingdom.

3. Professional Disclaimer

Plain English: This is important. We are management accountants, not solicitors and not auditors. Our work supports your decision-making, but it is not a substitute for legal advice or an independent audit. Consult your own qualified professionals for those things.

Not legal advice. Nothing on this website or in our deliverables constitutes legal advice. We are not solicitors and do not provide legal advice. Consult a qualified solicitor for legal matters.

Tax and statutory filings. Where your Engagement Letter includes filings (for example VAT returns, Self Assessment, MTD for Income Tax updates, confirmation statements or year-end accounts), we prepare and submit them as set out in that letter, using the information you provide. You remain responsible for the accuracy and completeness of that information. Filings not listed in your Engagement Letter remain your responsibility or your tax adviser's.

Not an audit. Our services do not constitute a statutory audit or an assurance engagement. Our management accounts and financial reports are prepared for internal management use and are not intended to be relied upon by third parties as audited or reviewed financial statements.

Not investment advice. Any financial analysis, modelling or scenario planning we provide is for informational and management decision-making purposes only. It is not investment advice and is not a regulated activity under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

Professional qualifications. Stuart Wilson holds the ACMA and CGMA designations and has been a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) since 2013. These are management accounting qualifications; we are not registered auditors.

4. Engagement Terms

Active service engagements are governed by a separate Engagement Letter that specifies:

  • Scope of services and specific deliverables
  • Reporting frequency and deadlines
  • Fees, payment terms, and billing cycle
  • Access requirements (accounting software, bank feeds, etc.)
  • Points of contact and communication channels
  • Term and termination provisions

No services will commence until both parties have signed an Engagement Letter. The consultation and assessment phase is provided at no charge.

5. Fees & Payment

Plain English: Our prices are listed on our website in pounds and exclude VAT. You pay monthly. Invoices are due within 15 days. We accept bank transfer, Direct Debit and card payments.

Fees for our services are set out in your Engagement Letter and on our Pricing page. Unless otherwise agreed:

  • Invoices are issued on the 1st of each month for that month's services
  • Payment is due within 15 days of invoice date
  • Accepted payment methods: bank transfer (BACS or Faster Payments), Direct Debit, card
  • Late payments may incur a fee of 1.5% per month on outstanding balances
  • Annual billing is available at a discounted rate, payable in advance

We reserve the right to suspend services if payment is more than 30 days overdue, after providing written notice.

6. 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

Plain English: If you're not happy after month one, you get a full refund. No questions, no arguments, no hard feelings.

We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on all new engagements. If you are not satisfied with our services within the first 30 days of your engagement, you may request a full refund of fees paid for that first month. To request a refund:

  • Email support@blackpeakcfo.com within 30 days of your engagement start date
  • We will process your refund within 10 business days
  • No reason required — though we appreciate feedback so we can improve

The guarantee applies to the first month's fee only. It does not apply to one-time cleanup or project-based engagements unless specifically stated in your Engagement Letter.

7. Cancellation

Either party may cancel an engagement with 30 days' written notice. Upon cancellation:

  • We will complete any work in progress for the current billing period
  • We will deliver all completed work product to you
  • We will provide a transition summary to facilitate handoff to your next provider
  • Outstanding fees for services already rendered remain due and payable
  • No cancellation fees or penalties apply — we don't believe in lock-in contracts

8. Your Obligations

To enable us to deliver our services effectively, you agree to:

  • Provide timely access to your accounting software, bank feeds, and relevant financial documents
  • Respond to reasonable information requests within 5 business days
  • Ensure that the financial information you provide is complete and accurate to the best of your knowledge
  • Maintain appropriate internal controls over your financial operations
  • Notify us promptly of any material changes to your business operations, structure, or financial position

Delays in providing access or information may impact our ability to meet agreed deadlines. We will communicate proactively if delays affect deliverables.

9. Intellectual Property

Your data: All financial data, business information, and records you provide to us remain your property. We claim no ownership over your data.

Our deliverables: Work product created specifically for you (management accounts, reports, models) becomes your property upon payment. You have full rights to use, distribute, and modify deliverables as you see fit.

Our tools and methods: Our proprietary templates, methodologies, AI automation processes, reporting frameworks, and internal tools remain our intellectual property. We grant you no license to use, reproduce, or distribute our tools, templates, or methods outside the scope of your engagement.

Website content: All content on this website — including text, graphics, logos, images, sample reports, and code — is the property of BlackpeakCFO™ and is protected by UK copyright law (the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988). You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from our website content without written permission.

10. Confidentiality

Plain English: We keep your financial information confidential. Always. This is a professional obligation, not just a policy. We don't share your data with other clients, competitors, or anyone who doesn't need it to serve you.

We treat all client information as confidential. Specifically:

  • We will not disclose your financial data, business information, or engagement details to any third party without your written consent, except as required by law or professional standards
  • We maintain confidentiality obligations consistent with the CIMA Code of Ethics
  • All team members and contractors are bound by confidentiality agreements
  • Confidentiality obligations survive the termination of any engagement

You acknowledge that we may use anonymized, aggregated data (from which no individual client can be identified) for benchmarking, research, or marketing purposes.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

  • Our total liability for any claim arising from our services shall not exceed the total fees paid by you to us in the 12 months preceding the claim
  • We shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages, including but not limited to lost profits, lost revenue, or business interruption
  • We are not responsible for the actions, decisions, or omissions of your solicitor, auditor, tax adviser, or any other professional adviser
  • We are not liable for errors or omissions in information provided to us by you or your agents

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless BlackpeakCFO™ and its principal from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

  • Your breach of these Terms
  • Your use of our deliverables in a manner inconsistent with their stated purpose
  • Inaccurate or incomplete information provided by you
  • Any third-party claims related to your business operations

13. Disputes & Governing Law

Plain English: If we have a disagreement, let's talk it out first. If that does not work, the courts of England and Wales decide it under English law.

Governing law: These Terms and any dispute arising from them are governed by the law of England and Wales.

Informal resolution: Before initiating formal proceedings, both parties agree to attempt resolution through good-faith negotiation for a period of 30 days.

Jurisdiction: Any dispute not resolved informally shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Small claims: Either party may bring qualifying claims through the small claims track.

14. Electronic Communications

By using our Site or services, you consent to receiving electronic communications from us (email, notifications via our client portal). These electronic communications satisfy any legal requirement that communications be in writing.

For marketing communications, you may opt out at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or emailing support@blackpeakcfo.com. Service-related communications (invoices, deliverables, engagement updates) are not considered marketing and cannot be opted out of during an active engagement.

15. Website Use

When using our Site, you agree not to:

  • Use the Site for any unlawful purpose
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems or data
  • Interfere with or disrupt the Site's functionality
  • Scrape, copy, or reproduce the Site's content without permission
  • Submit false or misleading information through our forms
  • Use automated tools to access the Site (except standard search engine crawlers)

We reserve the right to restrict access to the Site at our discretion.

16. Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites or services (for example, scheduling tools). These links are provided for convenience only. We do not endorse, control, or assume responsibility for the content, privacy practices, or terms of any third-party sites. Your use of third-party sites is at your own risk.

17. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, for active clients, provide notice via email at least 30 days before changes take effect. Your continued use of the Site or services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

18. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect. The invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

19. Contact Us

Questions about these Terms? Reach out: