Fees
What a fee should include
Two quotes with the same price can cover different work. This checklist helps you see what a fee includes and what may cost extra.
The short answer
There is no standard list of what an accountancy fee must include. What you get is whatever you agree with the firm, and that should be in writing, normally in an engagement letter. Some basic packages we checked covered the yearly accounts and the main tax return only. VAT returns, payroll for staff, bookkeeping done for you and management accounts were extras or higher tiers at some firms.
The engagement letter sets the scope
The work a fee covers is set by what you agree with the firm. For members of ACCA and the ICAEW, that should be in writing:
- ACCA: "Letters of engagement are mandatory." The letter "should set out the work that is to be performed and the basis on which the fees will be charged".1
- ICAEW: members must give fee quotes, or the basis of fees, in writing, normally in the engagement letter. "If a firm sets a fixed fee, it will be expected to honour it," and the firm "must be clear as the extent of the work that is covered by a fixed fee".2
These rules apply to members of those bodies. Not every accountant is a member of one. Whoever you use, ask for the list of work in writing before you start.
Checklist: what is in the fee?
Use this to compare quotes. Each line can be included in a basic fee or charged extra, depending on the firm. The right-hand column gives examples from firms' own pricing pages on 12 October 2026, to show the difference. They are examples, not a recommendation, and not a survey of what is typical.
| Item | Can be in a basic fee | Examples we saw |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly accounts | Yes | In Fixed Fee Accountant's cheapest sole trader and limited company packages. Not in GoForma's cheapest limited company bundle, which is software and a support inbox. |
| Main tax return | Yes | Self Assessment in Helpbox's and Fixed Fee Accountant's cheapest sole trader packages; Corporation Tax return in Helpbox's cheapest limited company package |
| Director's own tax return | Can be | In Fixed Fee Accountant's cheapest limited company package. At GoForma, only from its third limited company tier up. |
| Confirmation statement | Can be | In Helpbox's cheapest limited company package. At GoForma, only from its third limited company tier up. |
| VAT returns | Can be | In Clever Accounts' limited company package. A monthly extra on sole trader packages at GoForma and Dolan Accountancy. Osome lists VAT filing with its own monthly price. |
| Payroll | Can be, sometimes for directors only | Director payroll in Fixed Fee Accountant's cheapest limited company package. Osome charges per extra employee. |
| Bookkeeping | Can be | Osome says its packages include bookkeeping. At YF Accounting, "bookkeeping done for you" is in its Growing Business tier, not its Limited Company tier. |
| Support and advice | Can be | Fixed Fee Accountant and Helpbox include unlimited questions or support. GoForma's cheapest tiers have a general support inbox; a dedicated accountant starts from its second tier. |
| Management accounts | Can be | Osome lists management reports in its packages. YF Accounting includes management accounts in its Growing Business tier. |
| Registered office address | Can be | A yearly extra at Osome. |
| Cover for an HMRC enquiry | Can be | Aardvark Accounting adds fee protection cover free for 3 months, then charges for it unless you opt out. |
| Catch-up work on old records | Can be | Aardvark says it catches up the current year's accounts free when you switch, and quotes for earlier years. Osome charges for historical bookkeeping and filing. |
Some firms price every client individually and publish no package. For the packages we checked, see Online fixed-fee accountants compared.3
Things that can push the fee up
- Records that are late, incomplete or need tidying before the accounts can start.
- More transactions than the package allows, where it sets a limit.
- Turnover moving into a higher band, or becoming registered for VAT.
- Taking on staff.
- Urgent work close to a deadline.
The ICAEW says that where a firm charges an additional fee for work it believes is not covered by a fixed fee, "this should be made clear".2 ACCA's guidance says that if a fee is higher because of extra work, the reason "should be explained in writing".1
Monthly payments
Paying monthly by direct debit spreads the cost. It does not always mean every piece of work is covered. The ICAEW says monthly payments "may also raise an expectation in the client that the payments on account will cover the entire cost of the firm's services (even though this may not actually be the case)".2 Ask whether your monthly fee covers everything, or is a payment towards a bill.
Before you sign
- Can I have the list of work this fee covers, in writing?
- Which items on the checklist above are not included, and what would each cost?
- Is this a fixed fee, an estimate or a quote?
- What happens to the fee if my turnover, transactions or staff numbers change?
- Does my monthly payment cover all the work, or is it a payment on account?
Sources
- ACCA, "Obtaining professional work" guidance factsheet, issued 1 July 2025 (letters of engagement; fees). accaglobal.com. Checked 12 October 2026.
- ICAEW, "Fee information" ethics helpsheet (ICAEW Code of Ethics R330.5; fixed fees; standing orders and direct debits). icaew.com. Checked 12 October 2026.
- Package contents from the firms' own pricing pages, checked 12 October 2026, as listed on Online fixed-fee accountants compared.