The Story Behind Taxara: From a Simple Need to a Powerful Solution

Taxara didn’t come from a corporate idea session or a VC-backed plan. It came from real life, real struggles, and a personal mission to solve a problem that too many people silently face.

It started far from the UK - in Syria.

Before everything changed, I ran a stationery and office supply business. Life was stable. Then came the war, and like many others, I had to start over. I left it all behind and came to the UK with hope, determination, and no clear path.

I learned barbering and opened my first barbershop on Great Western Street in Manchester, and later a second one. I loved the work, but the numbers side of the business? That filled me with stress every year. Like many small business owners, I would collect a mountain of receipts, scribbled income notes, and drop it all off to an accountant. I paid more than I should have, but I didn’t have any other choice. No one explained it. No one made it easier.

That frustration drove me to make a change. I enrolled in university to study accounting. I wanted to understand the numbers behind my business. During my foundation year, I tried QuickBooks. It was powerful, sure—but incredibly complex. That was the moment I realised: there’s a massive gap in the market.

What about the people who don’t work behind a desk?

Barbers, taxi drivers, builders, beauticians. The self-employed who spend more time with their hands than with a keyboard.

I began sketching out what would become Taxara. I didn’t have a tech background, and I was learning accounting as I built this idea. Money was tight. I borrowed from family. I took out a personal loan. I drove taxis to support my wife and kids while developing this app from scratch. It wasn’t easy, but the vision was clear.

Eventually, I connected with Omar Khan, a talented developer who helped bring the early version of Taxara to life. I also reached out to my good friend Bashir Al-Badawi, an accounting student at the University of Manchester. He became a partner and shaped many of the app’s features. Along the way, I received support from Mike Holmes at GM Business Growth Hub, who shared guidance and mentorship at the perfect time. And when it came time to bring the brand to life visually, the highly appreciated UX/UI designer Lauri from Xfiner gave the website the magic touch it needed.

By March 2025, we launched the beta version of Taxara and invited friends and students in Manchester to try it. Their feedback was honest, and exactly what we needed. We fixed bugs, improved the experience, and kept building.

Now, in May 2025, Taxara is officially live. The app is ready, polished, and built for the very people it was inspired by. We’re even showcasing Taxara at Accountex in London, the world’s largest accounting and finance expo, with over 11,000 professionals in attendance. It’s a proud moment, but we’re just getting started.

Taxara is more than software. It’s a tool created by people who’ve lived the problem, for people who deserve a better solution. No long courses. No financial jargon. Just an AI-powered assistant that helps you manage receipts, VAT, taxes, and invoices, all in one place.

We built it so you can focus on your craft, not your calculations.

‍Download Taxara today and see how easy finance can feel.

Cheers!
Ahmad Shyban
Founder & CEO