This is probably the most Googled question about accountants in the UK, and it rarely gets a straight answer. Most accountancy websites either list vague "from" prices that bear no relation to what you actually pay, or they refuse to show any pricing at all.
This guide gives you honest, current figures for every common accountancy service in 2026, explains what drives the price up or down, and helps you work out whether you are getting good value from your current accountant.
Self Assessment Tax Returns
Self Assessment is the most common accountancy service for individuals and the self-employed.
What drives the price up:
A simple Self Assessment return for a sole trader with a single source of income, no employees, and straightforward expenses might take an accountant an hour to prepare. That is at the cheaper end.
The price rises when your situation is more complex. Multiple income sources (employment plus self-employment, for example), rental income from multiple properties, CIS deductions, capital gains from property sales, higher earner tax calculations, foreign income — each of these adds time and therefore cost.
Typical 2026 price ranges:
Simple sole trader return (single income, clean records): £150 to £250
Sole trader with rental income as well: £200 to £350
CIS subcontractor with expenses: £200 to £350
Higher earner (over £100,000) with complex position: £350 to £600
Landlord with multiple properties: £300 to £500 per year
Director Self Assessment (part of a company package): Often included in the company package, or £150 to £250 standalone
Our pricing: At Your Tax Help Accountants in Stanmore, Self Assessment returns start from £150 for straightforward cases. We include all correspondence with HMRC and amendment if HMRC queries the return.
Limited Company Accounts
A limited company has more compliance obligations than a sole trader — statutory accounts at Companies House, a Corporation Tax return at HMRC, and usually the director's own Self Assessment return on top.
Typical 2026 price ranges:
Small limited company, turnover under £50,000: £600 to £900 per year
Small limited company, turnover £50,000 to £150,000: £900 to £1,500 per year
Growing company, turnover over £150,000: £1,500 to £3,000+ per year
Monthly packages (becoming the most common model): £50 to £150 per month, which typically covers accounts, Corporation Tax, Companies House filing, payroll for one director, and director Self Assessment. This gives you a predictable monthly cost rather than a large annual invoice.
What is included varies significantly. Always check whether payroll, VAT returns, and director Self Assessment are included in the quoted price or charged on top.
CIS Tax Refunds
CIS subcontractors often overpay tax because contractors deduct 20% (or 30% for unregistered subcontractors) from every payment. Your actual tax liability is almost always lower.
Typical fee structures:
Fixed fee: £200 to £400 for the Self Assessment return that includes the CIS refund claim
Percentage of refund: Some accountants charge 10% to 15% of the refund amount. If your refund is £3,000, this means they charge £300 to £450. This sounds attractive because you only pay when you get money back, but it can be significantly more expensive than a fixed fee for larger refunds.
Our recommendation: Always use a fixed fee for CIS. If an accountant charges a percentage, the incentive is misaligned — they benefit from a larger refund whether or not they have done extra work to achieve it.
VAT Returns
VAT preparation involves pulling together your sales and purchase figures, reconciling with your bookkeeping, and submitting the MTD-compliant return to HMRC.
Typical 2026 price ranges:
Simple quarterly VAT return (prepared from clean bookkeeping): £100 to £200 per quarter
Monthly VAT return: £75 to £150 per month
Where the accountant also does the bookkeeping: Often included in a monthly bookkeeping package
Payroll
Processing payroll involves calculating gross pay, deductions, employer NI, pension contributions, and submitting Real Time Information (RTI) to HMRC each pay period.
Typical 2026 price ranges:
1 to 3 employees: £20 to £40 per month
4 to 10 employees: £40 to £100 per month
11 to 20 employees: £100 to £200 per month
What Makes One Accountant More Expensive Than Another?
Price differences between accountants are not always about quality. They reflect several factors:
Location: London and South East accountants typically charge 30% to 50% more than those in other parts of the UK for equivalent work. However, with everything now done remotely, there is no reason to pay a central London premium.
Qualifications: Chartered accountants (CA, ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA) typically charge more than unqualified bookkeepers or AAT-qualified technicians. For complex tax positions, the chartered premium is usually worth it.
Firm size: Large firms carry high overheads. A one-partner practice with low overheads can often deliver the same quality of work for less.
Software and technology: Well-organised accountants using efficient software can complete your return faster than those working manually. Their costs are lower, and they can pass that on.
Your own records: If you arrive with a shoebox of receipts and no bookkeeping, your accountant will charge significantly more than if you provide clean, organised records. Spending 30 minutes per month on your bookkeeping app can save you hundreds per year in accountancy fees.
Are Cheap Accountants Worth It?
The cheapest option is rarely the best, but the most expensive is not either. What matters is whether you are getting value for what you pay.
Red flags that suggest poor value regardless of price:
A very large firm handling your account as a low-priority client, meaning you cannot reach anyone who knows your file. No review of your expenses to find what you might have missed. No proactive advice — just annual filing with no contact between return dates. Being charged hourly with no cap, meaning the final bill is always uncertain.
What good value looks like at any price point: fixed fees agreed in advance, a single point of contact who knows your situation, prompt responses to queries, and proactive advice when your circumstances change.
A Real-Life Example
Client A came to us after leaving a large Harrow accountancy firm. He was paying £1,800 per year for his limited company package. When we reviewed what he was getting, his accounts were filed every year with minimal communication, he had never been advised on the salary and dividend split despite being a higher rate taxpayer, and he had been claiming no employer pension contributions despite being eligible.
We moved his package to £900 per year, restructured his salary and dividends to save approximately £3,200 in personal tax, and set up an employer pension contribution saving a further £760 in Corporation Tax. His total saving in year one was over £5,000 — not from paying less for accountancy, but from getting advice that actually made a difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need help with your tax position?
At Your Tax Help Accountants in Stanmore, we work with clients across Harrow, Wembley, Edgware and London. Fixed fees, expert advice, no jargon.
Or email info@yourtaxhelp.co.uk | yourtaxhelp.co.uk