HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

How to hire a bookkeeper in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Bookkeeping is unregulated as a title, but anti-money-laundering supervision and HMRC registration still apply. Here are the checks.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a bookkeeper in five steps

  1. Ask who supervises them for money launderingA professional body or HMRC, by name.
  2. Check HMRC registration if they file for youVAT returns, payroll or HMRC letters need an agent services account and your authorisation.
  3. Agree the software and accessWhich accounting software, in whose name, and who can see the records.
  4. Write down what is includedBank reconciliation, invoicing, VAT, payroll, credit control: in or out.
  5. Agree hours and a monthly reviewEstimated hours a month, and a short report on where the business stands.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Bookkeeping is not restricted work and the title is unprotected in all four UK nations; qualifications such as AAT are voluntary. The legal duties are supervision and, for HMRC work, registration.

Ask about qualifications, membership and a client you can contact. regulated-professions.service.gov.uk →

Money Laundering Regulations supervision

Accountancy service providers, which includes bookkeeping practices, must be supervised for anti-money laundering by a professional body or by HMRC. Trading unsupervised is a criminal offence.

Ask the bookkeeper which body supervises them, and check it. gov.uk →

HMRC agent services account

If the bookkeeper is paid to interact with HMRC on your tax, such as sending VAT returns or payroll submissions, they must register for an agent services account under the staged rules that began on 18 May 2026; payroll-only providers register from 18 November 2026.

Ask whether they hold an agent services account, and authorise them through HMRC. gov.uk →

Your financial and staff data

Bookkeeping records include personal data on customers, suppliers and staff. Data protection rules require it to be kept secure, and most businesses processing it must pay the ICO fee.

Keep the accounting software in your business's name and give the bookkeeper a user login. gov.uk →

VAT

Bookkeeping is standard-rated, so a registered bookkeeper adds 20% to the monthly fee or hours and to catch-up work priced separately. Registration becomes compulsory once a bookkeeper 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 bookkeeper for the VAT number before the first month and for VAT on the bookkeeping fee as its own figure. gov.uk →

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

A good answer: A named body or HMRC; the bookkeeper should answer at once.

“Do you have an HMRC agent services account?”

A good answer: Yes, if they will deal with HMRC for you, or their registration date.

“Which software will you use, and who owns the subscription?”

A good answer: Software in your name, with the bookkeeper as a user.

“What is included in the bookkeeping hours?”

A good answer: Transactions, bank reconciliation, invoices, VAT, payroll: each named.

“How many hours a month do you expect?”

A good answer: An estimate, and notice before going over.

“What qualifications and insurance do you hold?”

A good answer: Named qualifications and professional indemnity cover.

“What will you need from me each month?”

A good answer: A list and a date for receipts, invoices and bank access.

Getting the quote right

  • Hourly rate and expected hours a month, or a monthly fee
  • Who actually attends to your records: the bookkeeper you met, an employee, or a subcontracted bookkeeper
  • Tasks included and excluded
  • Software subscription and who pays it
  • Catch-up work priced separately
  • VAT returns and payroll: included or extra
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on the monthly bookkeeping fee

Walk away if

  • No anti-money-laundering supervisor
  • Files VAT returns for you with no agent registration
  • Keeps the software in their own name
  • Asks for your HMRC login
  • No record of hours
  • Records returned late every month
LOW
£20
TYPICAL
£25
HIGH
£50

What a bookkeeper costs: £20–£50 per hour

Bookkeepers usually charge by the hour or a monthly fee for an agreed set of tasks; catch-up work is priced separately. Bookkeeper 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

Bookkeepers 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. SetupSoftware access, supervision checks and HMRC authorisation.
  2. RecordingSales, purchases and expenses entered.
  3. ReconciliationBank lines matched to invoices and receipts.
  4. Invoices and billsSales invoices raised and supplier bills tracked.
  5. Monthly reportProfit and cash figures, and questions for you.

Bank reconciliation
Matching the bank statement to the records so they agree.
Ledger
The record of transactions in each account.
Accounts receivable
Money customers owe you.
Accounts payable
Money you owe suppliers.
Catch-up bookkeeping
Bringing months of missing records up to date.
Agent services account
HMRC's account for advisers acting for clients.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check the monthly reportBank balance, money owed to you and by you, against your own view.
Look at the reconciliationEvery bank line matched; unexplained items followed up.
Keep access tidyRemove the bookkeeper's login when the arrangement ends.
Your reviewReviews on Locufy can only follow a booking, so the bookkeeper is judged on real work. If something is wrong, the make-it-right step comes first and they are asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Tell the bookkeeper, in writingKeep it factual: what the bookkeeper agreed to do, what you got, and what you want now. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 builds reasonable care and skill into every trader's service; if it was missing, ask for a repeat of the work or a reduction.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepScore the bookkeeper below four stars and you choose whether they see the problem before the review goes up. We follow it through; then you review.
STEP 3Their supervisor or bodyA bookkeeper who is a member of a professional body can be reported to it; the anti-money-laundering supervisor handles supervision failures. Consumer advice: Citizens Advice 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland 0808 800 9060, Consumerline 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Claim the money backYou can sue the bookkeeper for the money without a lawyer: small claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, small claims up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a bookkeeper: questions people ask

The title is unprotected, but bookkeeping practices must be supervised under the Money Laundering Regulations, and those dealing with HMRC for you must register for an agent services account.

Yes. Trading as an accountancy service provider without anti-money-laundering supervision is a criminal offence.

A bookkeeper keeps the day-to-day records; an accountant usually prepares year-end accounts and tax returns from them.

£20 to £50 per hour, around £25 for a typical job. Volume of transactions, extra tasks such as payroll and VAT, and catch-up work move the hours. The bookkeeper price guide explains what moves it; enter your town above to see bookkeepers near you.

Yes. You keep the records if the bookkeeper changes.

A few hours a month for a small business; longer for catch-up work.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in business & professional

How to hire: AccountantHow to hire: VAT ReturnsHow to hire: Payroll ServiceHow to hire: Self-Assessment HelpHow to hire: Tax AdvisorHow to hire: Company Formation ServiceHow to hire: AuditorHow to hire: Business ConsultantAll 701 hiring guides →

Bookkeepers near you

Bookkeepers in LondonBookkeepers in ManchesterBookkeepers in BirminghamBookkeepers in GlasgowBookkeepers in BelfastAll bookkeepers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — Money Laundering Regulations: who needs to register
  2. gov.uk — check if and when you need to register as a tax adviser with HMRC
  3. gov.uk Regulated Professions — Chartered Accountant
  4. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  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