HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

How to hire an accountant in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

"Accountant" is not a protected title. Here is how to check the body, the anti-money-laundering supervisor and HMRC registration, and what to ask.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an accountant in five steps

  1. Ask which body they belong toICAEW, ICAS, ACCA, or another, and check the name on that body's own member list.
  2. Ask who supervises them for money launderingA professional body or HMRC. Trading unsupervised is a criminal offence.
  3. Check their HMRC agent registrationAn accountant who deals with HMRC for you must hold an agent services account; you then authorise them.
  4. Get a letter of engagementThe work, the fee, the deadlines and who is responsible for what.
  5. Hand over tidy recordsDigital, totalled records cut the hours you pay for.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

The word accountant is unprotected, so anyone may use it. What the law protects are titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certified Accountant and registered auditor, which belong to members of particular bodies; only statutory audit is reserved work.

Ask which professional body the accountant belongs to and look them up on its member list. regulated-professions.service.gov.uk →

Anti-money-laundering supervision

Under the Money Laundering Regulations every accountancy service provider must be supervised, by a professional body or by HMRC; working without supervision is a crime.

Ask the accountant to name their anti-money-laundering supervisor. gov.uk →

HMRC tax adviser registration

Since 18 May 2026 anyone paid to deal with HMRC about someone else's tax must register for an agent services account, in stages: most advisers first, those who already had an HMRC agent code for Self Assessment or Corporation Tax from 18 August 2026, payroll-only providers from 18 November 2026.

Ask whether they hold an agent services account; you will be asked to authorise them before they can act. gov.uk →

HMRC Standard for Agents

HMRC's Standard for Agents applies to every tax agent, member of a body or not, and expects integrity, competence and compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations. HMRC can bar an agent who falls short.

Ask whether the accountant follows their professional body's code or HMRC's standard directly. gov.uk →

VAT

Accountancy is standard-rated, so a registered accountant adds 20% to the fixed fee or hours for the accounts, returns and HMRC correspondence. Registration becomes compulsory once an accountant has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the accountant for the VAT number with the letter of engagement and for the fee and VAT shown separately on each invoice. gov.uk →

“Which professional body are you a member of, and what is your number?”

A good answer: A body and a number you can check yourself. "I'm qualified" without a body is not an answer from an accountant.

“Who supervises your practice for anti-money laundering?”

A good answer: A named professional body or HMRC.

“Do you have an HMRC agent services account?”

A good answer: Yes, or a date by which their registration window requires one.

“Exactly what does the accountant's fee cover?”

A good answer: Accounts, tax return, VAT returns, payroll, HMRC letters: each named as in or out.

“Who is responsible for each deadline?”

A good answer: Written in the letter of engagement: what you must send and by when, and what they file.

“Is it a fixed fee or hourly, and does it include VAT?”

A good answer: A clear basis, with VAT at 20% shown if they are registered.

“What insurance does your practice hold?”

A good answer: Professional indemnity cover, named. Audit firms must have it; ask any accountant.

Getting the quote right

  • Each service listed: accounts, tax returns, VAT, payroll, advice, HMRC correspondence
  • Who actually attends to your books: the accountant who signs the engagement letter, an employed junior, or a subcontracted bookkeeper
  • Fixed monthly or yearly fee, or hourly rate with an estimate
  • What you must provide, and the date
  • Extra charges, such as late records or HMRC enquiries
  • The letter of engagement, signed by both of you
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% under the accountancy fee

Walk away if

  • Will not name a professional body or supervisor
  • No HMRC agent services account and no plan to register
  • No letter of engagement
  • Asks for your HMRC login instead of agent authorisation
  • Promises tax savings that sound too good
  • A fee that changes after the work is done
LOW
£35
TYPICAL
£80
HIGH
£150

What an accountant costs: £35–£150 per hour

Accountants charge by the hour for ad hoc work and quote fixed monthly or yearly fees for regular accounts and returns. 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.

  1. EngagementIdentity checks, the letter of engagement and HMRC agent authorisation.
  2. RecordsYour bank statements, invoices and receipts collected.
  3. PreparationAccounts and returns prepared and questions sent to you.
  4. Review and approvalYou check and approve the figures before anything is filed.
  5. FilingReturns filed with HMRC and Companies House, with the tax due explained.

Letter of engagement
The written agreement setting out the accountant's work and fee.
Agent services account
The HMRC account a tax adviser uses to act for clients.
Chartered Accountant
A protected title for members of the chartered institutes.
Anti-money-laundering supervisor
The body that oversees a practice's money laundering checks.
Payments on account
Advance payments towards next year's Self Assessment tax.
Making Tax Digital
HMRC's rules for keeping records and filing digitally.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the filed returns and accountsCopies of everything submitted, with HMRC's confirmations.
Check HMRC's online accountMake sure the return, payments and agent authorisation show as expected.
Diary next year's datesPayments on account, VAT quarters and filing deadlines.
Rate the workBooked work is the only kind reviewed on Locufy, which makes each review of the accountant worth reading. Use the make-it-right step first if anything is unresolved.

STEP 1Raise it with the accountantEmail the accountant with the facts, the evidence and a date for a reply. Reasonable care and skill is a term the Consumer Rights Act 2015 reads into every service a trader sells you, and a shortfall entitles you to have it redone or pay less.
STEP 2Ask Locufy to help put it rightRate the job under four stars and you can send it to the accountant through the make-it-right step. We keep track of it, then you post the review.
STEP 3The professional body, then adviceConduct complaints go to the body the accountant belongs to. HMRC can be told about a tax agent who breaks its Standard for Agents. For your rights in a fee dispute, Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 (England and Wales), Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060 or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 (Northern Ireland).
STEP 4Small claims courtWhen the accountant has had a fair chance and nothing has changed, small claims is built for you to use yourself: £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland under simple procedure, £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an accountant: questions people ask

No. Anyone may use it. Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certified Accountant and registered auditor are protected titles belonging to members of specific bodies.

Since 18 May 2026, anyone paid to deal with HMRC about your tax must register for an agent services account, with the registration windows staged by type of adviser.

Accountancy practices must be supervised under the Money Laundering Regulations by a professional body or HMRC; trading without it is a criminal offence.

Between £35 and £150 per hour, most often near £80. Business size, the type of work and the state of your records set the bill; chartered firms charge more. For the reasons behind the range, read the accountant price guide; for local accountants, enter your town above.

No. Authorise them as your agent instead, through HMRC's agent process.

The work, the fee, what you must provide, who meets each deadline and how to complain.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in business & professional

How to hire: BookkeeperHow to hire: Tax AdvisorHow to hire: Self-Assessment HelpHow to hire: VAT ReturnsHow to hire: Payroll ServiceHow to hire: AuditorHow to hire: Company Formation ServiceHow to hire: Financial AdvisorAll 701 hiring guides →

Accountants near you

Accountants in LondonAccountants in ManchesterAccountants in BirminghamAccountants in GlasgowAccountants in BelfastAll accountants on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk Regulated Professions — Chartered Accountant
  2. gov.uk — Money Laundering Regulations: who needs to register
  3. gov.uk — check if and when you need to register as a tax adviser with HMRC
  4. gov.uk — the HMRC Standard for Agents
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  7. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  8. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  9. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register