How much does a bookkeeper cost in the UK? (2026 prices, honestly)
If you're a sole trader, having a bookkeeper on your side costs less than most people expect.
With me, it's £40 a month to have your books checked and your Self Assessment done, or from £100 a month to hand the whole lot over. Every price is fixed, agreed upfront and paid monthly, so there are no surprise bills.
That's the short answer. Here's the longer one, including what pushes the price up or down and the questions to ask any bookkeeper before you sign anything.
Why is it so hard to find a straight answer?
Let's face it, most bookkeeping websites say "get in touch for a quote". I get why. Every business is different, and nobody wants to put a number out there and then have to explain why yours is higher.
But when you're new to self-employment and already a bit nervous about the whole tax thing, "get in touch" can feel like walking into a shop where nothing has a price tag. So I put my prices on my website, and I'm putting them here too.
What actually changes the price?
A bookkeeper's fee mostly comes down to how much time your books take. These are the things that make the biggest difference:
- What kind of business you run. A consultant sending a few invoices a month is much simpler than an e-commerce business, where there's stock, platform fees, refunds and payouts from places like Shopify or PayPal to match up.
- How many transactions you have. A cleaner with 30 payments a month is a very different job to a busy café with 300.
- Whether you're VAT registered. VAT returns add work every quarter.
- Whether you're caught by Making Tax Digital. If you are, there are quarterly updates to send to HMRC as well as your yearly return.
- How you keep your records. Bank feeds and a receipts app are quicker to work with than a carrier bag of paper receipts (no judgement, I've seen plenty of carrier bags!)..
- Whether your books need catching up first. If you're a few months (or years) behind, there's a one-off catch-up before the monthly package starts.
My prices for 2026
Quick bit about me first: I'm an AAT Licensed Accountant, Xero certified and FreeAgent accredited, so I can do your bookkeeping and your Self Assessment. No need to find a separate accountant.
Your Books: Checked (from £40 a month) For when you're happy doing the day-to-day and want someone checking it's right. You get a monthly or quarterly review of your books, a profit report and tax estimate, your Self Assessment, payment reminders, and help with any questions by WhatsApp or email.
Bookkeeping & Tax: Covered (from £100 a month) For when you want to hand it all over and stop thinking about it. £100 is the price if you already have your own software, or use FreeAgent through a Mettle account.
Xero: Set Up & Sorted (£220 on its own, or £180 with Your Books: Checked) Xero set up properly for your business, with a 2-hour training session and a 30-minute follow-up.
Power Hour (£97) An hour of 1:1 help with MTD or your software.
Catch-up bookkeeping (price agreed before I start) This is the one price I can't give you in advance, because it depends on how much needs catching up. Once I've had a look at what you've got, I'll tell you exactly what it'll cost, and nothing starts until you're happy with it.
Prices correct as of November 2026.
Monthly packages are paid by Direct Debit, and they're rolling with 30 days' notice, so you're not tied into a long contract. You can also add things like VAT returns and MTD filing to Checked as and when you need them.
Just starting out and money's tight? Ask me about my budget-friendly options.
Get your own price in two minutes
My instant quote tool takes all of the things above into account, so the price you see is for your business specifically. You don't need to enter your name, email or phone number to use it. I know what it's like to ask for a price and then get hounded for weeks afterwards, so I'm not going to do that to you.
If you're happy with your quote, you've got two options:
- Book a call to have a chat about it
- Send me an email straight from the tool. It's already filled in with the quote you've just done, so you won't have to go through it all again
Hourly rate or fixed fee?
Some bookkeepers charge by the hour, others charge a fixed monthly fee. Hourly can look cheaper at first, but it's hard to budget for, and it can make you think twice before asking a quick question.
I only work on fixed fees. You know what's leaving your account each month, and you can message me without worrying that the meter is running.
The hidden extras to ask about
Whatever bookkeeper you go with, ask these before you sign up. A good one won't mind.
- Can you submit my Self Assessment, or will I need to find an accountant for that?
- Is the software subscription included, or do I pay for it separately?
- Is there a set-up or onboarding fee?
- If I'm caught by Making Tax Digital, is the quarterly filing included?
- What happens if I have a quick question? Is that charged?
- How much notice do I need to give if I want to leave?
Is a bookkeeper worth it?
I'm biased, obviously. But here's the thing: you don't know what you don't know. Most of the people I work with weren't doing anything badly. They just didn't know which expenses they could claim, or they were losing evenings to a spreadsheet they hated.
If your bookkeeping is taking up time you'd rather spend on your business, your family, or the things you actually enjoy (let's face it, bookkeeping isn't most people's idea of fun!), it's probably worth at least getting a quote.
Want this off your plate? Get your price in two minutes with my instant quote. No judgement, flexible support, and a fixed fee that fits a small business budget.
Not sure which package is right for you? Book a quick call and we can work it out together. Or if you'd like to see what working with me actually looks like, have a look at my becoming a client page.
And if you're wondering how any of this works when we never sit across a desk from each other, I've written a plain-English guide to how remote bookkeeping works: receipts, questions, calls and all.
FAQs
Can I claim my bookkeeper's fees as a business expense? Yes. Fees for bookkeeping and accountancy for your business are an allowable expense, so they reduce the profit you pay tax on.
Do I need accounting software to work with a bookkeeper? Not always. I work with Xero, FreeAgent and spreadsheets. If you're caught by Making Tax Digital you'll need compatible software, and I can help you choose and set it up.
My books are a mess. Will that cost a fortune? It depends how far behind you are, but you'll always know the cost upfront before any work starts. Have a read of Behind on your bookkeeping? A no-judgement catch-up plan.
Do you only work with businesses in Stoke-on-Trent? No. I'm based in Stoke-on-Trent but work remotely, so I can support you wherever you are in the UK.
One thing that changes the maths from April 2026: Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. If you're a sole trader, here's when you'll need to comply.