What drives monthly accounting fees, and what to ask before you get a quote
Accounting fees vary with documents, VAT, staff, inventory and backlog. See what affects price, what to ask before a quote, and what is often separate.
Monthly accounting fees depend on document volume, VAT registration, staff numbers, inventory and backlog, not just company size. Before comparing prices, ask what each price includes, because a lower quote may simply cover less work.
This article does not give a market figure, since each business starts from different work. To see our pricing, go to the pricing page.
What makes fees differ?
- Document volume: more sales bills, purchase bills and bank items mean more checking and recording
- VAT registration: tax invoices, input and output reports, and PP 30 every month
- Withholding tax: several recipient types must be separated onto the correct forms
- Payroll and social security: staff numbers and monthly changes affect the work
- Inventory: trading or manufacturing businesses usually have more items to check
- Multiple branches or sales channels: platform and POS data must be reconciled
- Document condition: documents complete at the start of the month take less time than chasing backlog
What should you ask before accepting a quote?
- Does this price include bookkeeping, monthly tax and payroll?
- Does it include PND 51, PND 50 and DBD submission?
- Are audit fees included or separate?
- How is backlog work charged?
- At what document volume does the price change?
- How and by when must documents be sent?
- If a deadline is missed because of one side, who is responsible for what?
If an answer is unclear, ask for it in writing in the quote or contract rather than relying on a verbal statement.
Which costs are often separate?
Firms divide these differently, so ask clearly about:
- Audit fees
- Company registration or amendment work
- Several months of backlog bookkeeping
- Tax you pay yourself, including penalties and surcharges under the applicable conditions
A service fee is not tax. Your business's tax remains money your business pays under the returns filed.
How do you judge a higher or lower price?
Compare scope and who is responsible, not just the number. Put the quotes side by side and check whether the same work is included or costs extra, and who checks the work before filing.
If your business is very small, has only a few documents and the owner can manage them, you do not need a large package. You can start with what is necessary. For choosing between a firm and an in-house person, see this comparison.
What should you prepare for a more accurate quote?
- Business type and approximate revenue
- Whether you are VAT-registered
- Monthly sales and purchase document counts
- Number of employees
- Whether you hold inventory
- How many months of backlog you have
If you are unsure about documents, the monthly accounting documents checklist can help you count, or describe the overall picture to our bookkeeping team first.
Frequently asked questions
Do you pay accounting fees with no sales?
It depends on the contract, but a business still has certain accounting and tax duties, and a company must still close its books. Ask about the conditions for months with no transactions.
How is a mid-year firm change priced?
It usually depends on the state of the work and any backlog. See the steps in changing accounting firms.
Why is there no single price for every business?
Because workload and responsibility differ. A quote should be able to explain what changes the price.
Sources
Checked on November 3, 2026
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