HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire an accountant in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
An accountant in Ireland costs €40–€150 per hour, typically around €90. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring an accountant in five steps
- Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers accountant work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — consultation and Advisory — accountants often offer consulting services to help businesses improve financial efficiency.
- How does their experience change the price?A provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does complexity of your financial situation change the price?No two bespoke jobs take the same time, so quotes run higher. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does specific services required change the price?Finish quality is where most of the price difference lives. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Bookkeeping Services — regular bookkeeping is crucial for maintaining accurate financial records — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a accountant job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No register applies
THE TERM 'ACCOUNTANT' IS NOT PROTECTED — anyone may use it, which surprises most people. What is checkable is membership of a professional body (Chartered Accountants Ireland, ACCA, CPA Ireland), each of which maintains a searchable member list, requires professional indemnity insurance and gives you a complaints route. An agent filing on your behalf also needs an agent registration with the tax authority.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
Which professional body, and their member number — then check it on that body's own register; Professional indemnity insurance and its limit; Their agent registration, if they will file for you; Who does the work and who reviews it; The fee basis: fixed, hourly, or per return, and what is outside it; What you are responsible for providing, and by when.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Insurance
Expect professional indemnity insurance, which the professional bodies require. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 23%, the standard rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: No register covers accountant work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — consultation and Advisory — accountants often offer consulting services to help businesses improve financial efficiency.
A good answer: A provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: No two bespoke jobs take the same time, so quotes run higher. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Finish quality is where most of the price difference lives. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Bookkeeping Services — regular bookkeeping is crucial for maintaining accurate financial records — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a accountant job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect professional indemnity insurance, which the professional bodies require — financial Reporting — accountants provide detailed financial reports that help businesses understand their financial health.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the accountant starts, and an itemised invoice after — tax Preparation Services — accountants assist individuals and businesses in preparing and filing their tax returns accurately.
Getting the quote right
- Their experience — a provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in.
- Complexity of your financial situation — no two bespoke jobs take the same time, so quotes run higher.
- Specific services required — finish quality is where most of the price difference lives.
- Volume of transactions — the first few are the slowest; the rest go faster.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They will not talk about it: their experience — a provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in
- They will not talk about it: complexity of your financial situation — no two bespoke jobs take the same time, so quotes run higher
- They will not talk about it: specific services required — finish quality is where most of the price difference lives
- A price for the accountant before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
- No written quote, or one that moves once the accountant has begun
What an accountant costs: €40–€150 per hour
Most accountants quote the job rather than the hour; the hourly rate is what the small jobs are priced from. Tax preparation and Bookkeeping each carry their own band. Accountant price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Accountants near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.
- Look firstTheir experience — a provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in — that is what the accountant is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneComplexity of your financial situation — no two bespoke jobs take the same time, so quotes run higher — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfSpecific services required — finish quality is where most of the price difference lives — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherVolume of transactions — the first few are the slowest; the rest go faster — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the accountant is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, size of your business — size is the single number most quotes are built from.
- Tax Preparation Services
- Accountants assist individuals and businesses in preparing and filing their tax returns accurately.
- Financial Reporting
- Accountants provide detailed financial reports that help businesses understand their financial health.
- Bookkeeping Services
- Regular bookkeeping is crucial for maintaining accurate financial records.
- Consultation and Advisory
- Accountants often offer consulting services to help businesses improve financial efficiency.
- Tax Preparation
- Involves compiling financial information and filing tax returns accurately and on time.
- Bookkeeping
- Maintains accurate financial records, tracking income and expenses for businesses or individuals.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring an accountant: questions people ask
The cost of hiring an accountant can vary based on their experience, the complexity of your financial situation, and the specific services required. For example, tax preparation may be less expensive than comprehensive financial consulting.
The duration for accounting tasks can vary widely. Simple tax returns may take a few hours, while more complex financial audits could take several days or weeks, depending on the volume of information involved.
While general accountants can handle many tasks, hiring a qualified accountant may be necessary for complex financial issues or regulatory compliance. This is particularly true for businesses in regulated industries.
Same-day services are typically available for urgent needs, but they may come at a premium rate. It's advisable to check with the accountant for their availability and any additional fees that may apply.
Yes, many accountants offer package deals or discounts for booking multiple services simultaneously. This could include tax preparation and financial consulting, which can be beneficial for comprehensive financial management.
Accountants usually do not provide legal advice or services outside their professional training. Additionally, tasks such as financial investment management or unregulated business consulting may fall outside their typical scope of work.
MORE GUIDES