How Much Does a UK Accountant Cost for Self-Employed People? (And How to Reduce It)

Published April 2026 · 7 min read · By Solofold

One of the most common questions new sole traders ask is "do I need an accountant?" — quickly followed by "how much will it cost?" The answer to the first question is: technically no, you can file your own Self Assessment. The answer to the second is: it depends almost entirely on how organised your records are when you hand them over.

This guide breaks down what UK accountants typically charge, what factors drive the price up, and — most importantly — what you can do to keep your fees as low as possible.

Typical UK accountant fees for sole traders

Accountant fees vary widely depending on your location, the complexity of your affairs, and the firm's size. But here are the ranges most UK sole traders will encounter:

London and South East firms tend to be at the higher end. Regional and online-only accountants are often cheaper. The critical insight is this: most accountants charge by time. The more time they spend sorting your records, the higher your bill.

What makes your accountant bill go up

Shoebox syndrome. Handing your accountant a bag of receipts, a messy spreadsheet, and a vague explanation of what you earned forces them to do basic data entry before they can start the actual accounting work. This is the single biggest fee driver. An accountant charging £80/hour who spends 3 extra hours sorting your records has just added £240 to your bill.

Missing information. If your accountant has to chase you for bank statements, missing invoices, or clarification on transactions, that's more time billed. Every email exchange costs you money.

Wrong categories. If your expenses are logged but in the wrong HMRC categories, your accountant has to re-sort them. See our guide to SA103S expense categories to get this right from the start.

Multiple income sources. If you're both self-employed and a landlord, or have employment income alongside freelance work, the return is more complex. Each additional supplementary page (SA103, SA105, etc.) adds time and cost.

Late filing. If you arrive in January asking your accountant to file urgently, expect premium rates. Accountants are busiest in December-January and many charge a rush fee — or simply can't take you on.

What makes your accountant bill go down

Organised records. If you hand your accountant a clear summary of income and expenses, already categorised into the correct HMRC categories, with supporting documents attached — they can complete your return in a fraction of the time. Some accountants will explicitly quote lower fees for "accounts-ready" clients.

Year-round tracking. Logging transactions as they happen (weekly or monthly) takes minutes. Reconstructing a year's records from bank statements in January takes hours — and those are hours your accountant charges you for.

Knowing what you can claim. If you understand which expenses are allowable and which aren't, you avoid wasting your accountant's time explaining why client entertainment can't be claimed, or confirming that yes, your professional membership is deductible.

Submitting early. Give your accountant your records by September or October and they'll have capacity to handle your return efficiently. Some firms offer early-bird discounts for records received before November.

Using an online accountant. Cloud-based practices like TaxScouts, Ember, or Coconut often charge fixed fees lower than traditional high-street firms. They work well for straightforward sole trader returns.

Do you even need an accountant?

If your affairs are genuinely simple — one income source, straightforward expenses, no property income — you can file your own Self Assessment through HMRC's online portal. It's free. Many sole traders do this successfully.

However, an accountant adds value in several ways that go beyond filling in boxes:

They catch deductions you missed. A good accountant will review your records and identify allowable expenses you didn't know about — pension contributions, capital allowances, overlap relief.

They give you peace of mind. If HMRC opens an enquiry, having professionally prepared accounts and an accountant to handle the correspondence is worth every penny.

They handle complexity. Payments on Account, capital gains, Section 24 for landlords, and overlap relief are areas where mistakes are expensive.

They save you time. Time spent figuring out your tax return is time not spent earning money.

Our recommendation: use an accountant, but do the preparation work yourself. You get the best of both worlds — professional oversight at the lowest possible cost.

The maths: how organised records save you money

Here's a realistic comparison for a sole trader with moderate complexity:

The difference: £420 saved — simply by handing over organised, categorised records instead of a bag of receipts. Over 5 years, that's £2,100.

Related resources

→ SA103S Expense Categories Explained

→ Payments on Account Explained

→ How Section 24 Affects UK Landlords

→ Free UK Rental Tax Calculator

→ All Solofold products