How much does an accountant cost in the UK? Fees run from around £150 for a self-assessment return to £3,500+ for limited company accounts and Corporation Tax. This guide sets out 2025/26 fee benchmarks service by service, shows why a £40,000 in-house hire costs closer to £51,450 fully loaded, and why outsourced capacity works out cheaper per FTE - plus how the Employer NI rise and Making Tax Digital are reshaping costs for UK firms through 2026.

By 2026, outsourcing has stopped being a side conversation for UK accounting firms and become a structural decision, on the same footing as hiring a manager or choosing a practice management platform. Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is now live for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income above £50,000, with the £30,000 threshold following in April 2027, and every quarter that passes brings another cohort of clients who move from one annual return to four quarterly

From Making Tax Digital to increasing compliance complexity, learn how outsourced tax compliance helps UK accounting firms improve capacity, accuracy, and profitability.

Learn how offshore bookkeeping helps UK accounting firms reduce costs, solve staffing shortages, and improve operational scalability while remaining HMRC compliant.