In short: How much does an accountant cost for a UK small business? It depends on turnover, the state of your records and the services you need. MTA Accountants publishes starting prices: from £120 to file a self assessment return, from £500 for limited company accounts and from £60 a month for sole trader packages.
Last reviewed: 7 October 2026 · Written by the MTA Accountants team
How much does an accountant cost for a small business?
There is no single figure, because fees follow the work involved rather than a standard rate card. A sole trader with one tax return to file has very different needs from a limited company with staff, VAT and a year of untidy records.
We have not quoted a market average here, because averages hide the details that actually move a quote. Instead, here are our own published starting prices, so you have real numbers to hold other quotes against.
| Service | MTA Accountants price |
|---|---|
| Self assessment tax return | starting from £120 |
| Limited company accounts | starting from £500 |
| Bookkeeping | starting from £50 per hour |
| Corporation tax return | starting from £120 |
| Payroll | starting from £15 per payslip |
| Management accounts | starting from £90 per month |
| VAT return | starting from £100 |
| Tax planning | starting from £300 |
| Confirmation statement | starting from £50 |
| Pension auto-enrolment | starting from £5 per employee |
| Tax and business advice | starting from £150 per hour |
| CIS returns | starting from £35 per return |
| Package for sole traders and partnerships | starting from £60 per month |
| Package for limited companies and LLPs | starting from £180 per month |
Every figure is a “from” price. Typically they cover compliance work only and leave out setup fees; what you finally pay turns on the scope of work and how tidy your records are. Our full services list shows what each line involves.
What affects the price of an accountant?
Three things move a quote more than anything else: how complex the business is, how tidy the records are and which recurring obligations you carry.
Turnover, structure and complexity
Higher turnover usually brings more transactions and more judgement calls to check. A limited company must also produce statutory accounts and a company tax return, which a sole trader does not. If you are still deciding, our business structure guide weighs up the options.
The state of your bookkeeping
Up-to-date records are the cheapest thing you can hand over. When invoices, receipts or bank entries are missing, someone has to rebuild them first, and that time is billed. Our bookkeeping services start from £50 per hour, which gives a useful picture of what a clean-up could add.
VAT, payroll and CIS
Each extra obligation adds a recurring filing. Registration for VAT becomes compulsory once taxable turnover passes the £90,000 VAT threshold. Employees add payslips and pension duties, while construction subcontractors add CIS returns. These are normally priced per item, for example from £100 per VAT return, from £15 per payslip and from £35 per CIS return. Our payroll and CIS services cover both.
Other cost drivers
- Transaction volume: hundreds of small sales take longer to reconcile than a few invoices.
- Software: working in a package your accountant supports (for example Xero, QuickBooks or Sage) avoids manual re-keying.
- Timing: records handed over early leave room to plan, which keeps surprises out of the bill.
- Advice: questions about profit extraction, expansion or reliefs are normally charged on top of compliance work.
Which pricing models do accountants use?
Accountants usually charge a fixed fee, an hourly rate or a monthly package, and many firms mix them. Repeatable items such as payslips are often priced per unit.
| Model | How it works | Suits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed fee | One agreed price for a defined job, such as a tax return | One-off, predictable work | Extras outside the agreed scope are quoted separately |
| Hourly | You pay for time spent; we charge from £50 per hour for bookkeeping and from £150 per hour for advice | Clean-ups and specific questions | The total depends on hours, so ask for an estimate |
| Monthly package | A set monthly fee for a bundle of services | Regular, ongoing needs | Check exactly what the bundle covers |
| Per unit | A price for each payslip, VAT return or CIS return | Payroll, VAT and CIS | The bill grows with headcount and volume |
What is included in an accountant’s fee, and what costs extra?
A fee normally covers the compliance work named in the quote and nothing beyond it, so ask for the inclusions and exclusions in writing.
Our comprehensive packages include:
- accounts preparation
- tax return submission
- the confirmation statement
- tax and business advice
- payroll for a single employee
- ongoing support and tax planning
Across the profession, items that are often priced separately include catch-up bookkeeping, VAT returns, extra employees on the payroll, management accounts and one-off advice. Whichever firm you pick, check each of these against your own situation. Year-end work sits on our accounts preparation page.
Illustrative examples: how much does an accountant cost in practice?
These illustrative examples add up our published “from” prices using round numbers. They show how a bill is built, not what your own fee will be.
| Illustrative scenario | Work involved | Total, from |
|---|---|---|
| Sole trader, records up to date | One self assessment return | £120 a year |
| Sole trader, messy year | Return plus ten hours of catch-up bookkeeping | £620 (£120 + 10 × £50) |
| Limited company, no staff, no VAT | Accounts, corporation tax return, confirmation statement | £670 a year (£500 + £120 + £50) |
| Same company with VAT and one employee | Add four quarterly VAT returns and twelve payslips | £1,250 a year (£670 + £400 + £180) |
| Same company on a monthly package | Limited company package for twelve months | £2,160 a year (12 × £180) |
The package looks dearer on paper because it also bundles advice, planning and ongoing support, whereas itemised pricing buys only the filings. Which suits you depends on how often you will lean on your accountant, so ask whether VAT is covered before comparing.
Is it cheaper to do your own accounts?
Doing it yourself costs less in cash but more in time and risk. You pay for software and your own hours, and you carry responsibility for every figure submitted.
Deadlines are unforgiving: HMRC’s Self Assessment deadlines apply whether or not you used an agent, and an initial £100 penalty applies to a late return. Simple trades with few transactions can manage; see cloud accounting and bookkeeping for how software can shrink the workload. For help choosing an app, read our cloud accounting app guide.
It also helps to know that the fee may be claimable. GOV.UK lists hiring accountants for business reasons among allowable expenses for the self-employed.
How do you compare accountant quotes properly?
Compare quotes for the same scope and the same twelve months, not the headline monthly figure.
- Write down your scope: structure, VAT status, staff, software and rough transaction numbers.
- Ask every firm for a written quote listing inclusions and exclusions.
- Find out the pricing model and what happens if your needs change mid-year.
- Ask about setup or onboarding fees and when prices are reviewed.
- Confirm who prepares and files your work, which deadlines they track and how you reach them.
- Add up the full annual cost for each quote and compare like with like.
Red flags in accountant pricing
The warning signs are usually about vagueness rather than price. Be cautious when you see any of these:
- a very low headline price with no written scope
- reluctance to say what is excluded
- a quote given without asking about turnover, VAT status or staff
- no written terms of engagement
- pressure to sign up on the day
- big tax-saving promises with no explanation of how
- no clear answer on who is responsible for deadlines
Also ask which professional body, if any, the firm belongs to, and check that claim yourself.
Do deadlines and Making Tax Digital change what you pay?
They can, because more frequent reporting means more frequent work, and that may favour regular monthly support over a single annual job. These are the dates and thresholds worth knowing for tax year 2026/27:
- The 2025/26 Self Assessment return is due online by 31 January 2027, or by 31 October 2026 if filed on paper, according to GOV.UK.
- A private limited company files accounts with Companies House 9 months after its financial year ends. Its company tax return is due within 12 months of the period end, and Corporation Tax is payable 9 months and 1 day on, per GOV.UK company accounts guidance.
- Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax began on 6 April 2026 for qualifying income above £50,000; the limit then falls to £30,000 on 6 April 2027 and £20,000 on 6 April 2028, according to GOV.UK guidance. Affected taxpayers send quarterly updates.
Our Making Tax Digital preparation guide and the self assessment checklist go deeper, and our tax services page lists what we file.
Where does MTA Accountants work, and how do you get a quote?
MTA Accountants works from a London SW11 office and supports clients throughout England, face to face or entirely online. Our areas we serve page lists every location, and you can read more about our firm or browse our accountants overview.
Local pages include Croydon, Sutton, Bromley and Merton in London, plus Dorking and Redhill in Surrey.
We offer a free non-advisory consultation. To make a quote quicker, bring:
- your business type and rough turnover
- whether you are VAT registered
- the number of employees or subcontractors
- the software you use
- last year’s accounts or tax return, if you have them
Planning a brand-new company? Business start-up services may suit you better.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an accountant cost per month in the UK?
It depends on your structure and the work involved. Our comprehensive packages start from £60 per month for sole traders and partnerships and from £180 per month for limited companies, including LLPs. These are compliance-only starting prices that exclude setup fees, and the final monthly fee depends on scope and how well your records are kept.
How much will an accountant charge to file a tax return?
Pricing begins from £120 when filing a self assessment return, and from £120 for a corporation tax return. The final fee depends on the number of income sources, how many records need sorting and any extra schedules. Accountants who quote a flat fee should tell you in writing what falls outside it.
What do accountants charge by the hour?
Our bookkeeping begins from £50 per hour, while advice on tax and business matters begins from £150 per hour. Hourly work suits clean-ups and specific questions, while fixed fees suit predictable filings. Ask any firm for an estimate of hours before you agree, so the final bill holds no surprises.
Why do accountants charge more for limited companies?
A limited company has extra statutory duties: annual accounts, a company tax return and a confirmation statement, and often payroll for directors. That explains why our limited company accounts start from £500, against self assessment returns from £120. More filings and more rules mean more preparation and checking time.
Do I need an accountant if I am a sole trader?
You are not obliged to hire one, but the responsibility for a correct, on-time return stays with you either way. Many sole traders choose an accountant for peace of mind, tax planning and help with Making Tax Digital. If your affairs are very simple, doing it yourself in good software can work.
Are accountant fees tax deductible?
For the self-employed, GOV.UK lists hiring accountants only for business reasons as an allowable expense. The key test is that the work relates to the business. Your accountant can confirm how a particular invoice should be treated in your return, because the answer depends on what the fee covered.
Is an accountant worth the cost for a small business?
Often, yes, when the fee buys time, accuracy and early warning of deadlines. A missed Self Assessment filing date triggers an initial £100 penalty, before any interest or daily charges. An accountant also frees you to run the business. Whether the value justifies the price depends on how complex your affairs are.
Are there setup or onboarding fees?
Our published from prices exclude setup fees, so ask any firm, ourselves included, to state them in writing before you agree. A good quote names the one-off charges, the recurring fee and the date of the first review. Comparing total first-year cost is fairer than comparing monthly figures alone.
Do online accountants cost less than local firms?
Not automatically. Scope, record quality and service level move the price far more than whether you meet face to face. We support clients throughout England, face to face or entirely online, so you can choose the style you prefer. Judge any quote by what it includes rather than by where the firm sits.
Can I get a free quote or consultation from MTA Accountants?
Yes. We offer a free non-advisory consultation, where we talk through your business and explain what the work would involve. Book through our contact page, call 020 3488 8635 or email office@mtaaccountants.co.uk. Having your turnover, VAT status and staff numbers to hand helps us give a realistic starting point.
Ready to talk numbers? Book a Consultation and talk it through with our team at International House, 66 Lavender Hill, London, SW11 5RQ. Call 020 3488 8635 or email office@mtaaccountants.co.uk. Hours: Saturday 9am to 1pm, plus Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm.
Think of this guide as general reading, not guidance fitted to your own case. The prices shown are those published by MTA Accountants, your own fee will turn on your circumstances, and the rules should be checked on GOV.UK or with us before you act.