HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

How to hire a self-assessment accountant in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Anyone can help with a tax return, but whoever files it for you must be registered with HMRC. Here are the checks and deadlines.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a self-assessment accountant in five steps

  1. Register for Self Assessment on timeIf it is your first return, tell HMRC by 5 October after the tax year ends.
  2. Check their HMRC registrationAn agent services account, then you authorise them.
  3. Gather everything in one goP60s, bank interest, rental statements, invoices and expense receipts.
  4. Agree a fixed fee for the returnWhat is included: income sources, capital gains, payments on account.
  5. Approve the return before it is filedRead the figures and the tax due before you say yes.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Preparing a tax return is not reserved work and the title accountant is unprotected. The legal duties are HMRC registration for anyone filing for you and anti-money-laundering supervision.

Ask about their professional body and a client you can contact. regulated-professions.service.gov.uk →

HMRC agent services account

Since 18 May 2026, a paid adviser who sends returns or contacts HMRC about your tax must register for an agent services account; those already holding a Self Assessment agent code register from 18 August 2026.

Ask the self-assessment accountant whether they hold an agent services account. gov.uk →

Anti-money-laundering supervision

Accountancy service providers must be supervised under the Money Laundering Regulations by a professional body or HMRC.

Ask who supervises the practice. gov.uk →

Register by the HMRC deadline

HMRC says you must tell it by 5 October if you need to complete a return for the previous tax year and have not sent one before. Missing it can bring penalties regardless of who helps you.

Check your registration and Unique Taxpayer Reference before booking help. gov.uk →

VAT

Tax return preparation is standard-rated, so a registered self-assessment accountant adds 20% to the fee per return and to HMRC correspondence charged by the hour. Registration becomes compulsory once a self-assessment 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 self-assessment accountant for the VAT number with the engagement letter and for the return fee and VAT shown apart. gov.uk →

“Are you registered with HMRC to file self-assessment returns for clients?”

A good answer: Yes: an agent services account and an authorisation request to you.

“What does the fixed fee for my return include?”

A good answer: Each income source, any capital gains, the calculation and the payments on account explained.

“What records do you need from me, and by when?”

A good answer: A checklist and a date well before the January deadline.

“Will the accountant check the expenses I can claim?”

A good answer: A review of allowable expenses and allowances, with reasons.

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

A good answer: A named body or HMRC.

“Will I see the self-assessment return before you file it?”

A good answer: Yes, every time; you are responsible for what is filed.

“What if HMRC asks the accountant questions later?”

A good answer: Whether the self-assessment fee covers HMRC letters, or the hourly rate.

Getting the quote right

  • Fee per return and the income sources it covers
  • Who actually attends to your return: the self-assessment accountant who signs the engagement letter, an employee, or a subcontractor
  • Capital gains and property income priced in or extra
  • Payments on account explained
  • HMRC correspondence included or hourly
  • The records you must provide and the date
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on the fee per return

Walk away if

  • Files without showing you the return
  • No HMRC agent registration
  • Asks for your Government Gateway password
  • Promises refunds before seeing records
  • Fee only revealed after filing
  • No anti-money-laundering supervisor
LOW
£150
TYPICAL
£275
HIGH
£400

What a self-assessment accountant costs: £150–£400 per return

Self Assessment help is usually a fixed fee per return, set by the income sources and the state of the records. Self-Assessment Help 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

Self-assessment 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.

  1. EngagementFee agreed and HMRC agent authorisation set up.
  2. RecordsIncome and expense records gathered.
  3. PreparationReturn prepared and tax calculated.
  4. ReviewYou check and approve the return.
  5. FilingReturn filed online with HMRC and payments explained.

UTR
Unique Taxpayer Reference: your Self Assessment number.
Payments on account
Advance payments towards next year's tax bill.
Balancing payment
What is left to pay once the year's tax is worked out.
Allowable expenses
Business costs you can deduct from taxable profit.
Agent authorisation
Your permission for an adviser to act with HMRC.
Tax year
6 April to 5 April.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check HMRC's confirmationThe submission receipt and the tax calculation.
Pay by the deadlineBalancing payment and any first payment on account.
Keep your recordsHMRC can ask to see them; keep receipts and statements with the return.
Review the jobYour review of the self-assessment accountant can only follow a booking on Locufy. Below four stars, you can send the problem to them first and we follow it up before the review appears.

STEP 1Set it out for the self-assessment accountantSay what was agreed, what went wrong and the fix you want. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats a trader's service as including reasonable care and skill; where the self-assessment accountant fell short of that, you can ask for the work to be redone free or for money off.
STEP 2Locufy's make-it-right stepWhen you rate the self-assessment accountant under four stars, you decide whether the problem goes to them first. We follow it through, then the review is posted.
STEP 3Professional body and HMRCIf the preparer is a member of a professional body, complain to it. Tell HMRC if an agent filed something without your approval. Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133, England and Wales), Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) and Consumerline (0300 123 6262, Northern Ireland) advise on your consumer rights.
STEP 4A small claim for the moneyUnresolved money disputes with the self-assessment accountant fit the small claims routes: £10,000 is the limit in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland under simple procedure and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a self-assessment accountant: questions people ask

Yes, if they are paid: since 18 May 2026 tax advisers must register for an agent services account.

By 5 October after the end of the tax year, if you need to complete a return and have not before.

You are responsible for your return, which is why you should check it before it is filed.

£150–£400 per return, typically around £275. Each extra income source, self-employed accounts, capital gains and messy records push the fee up. The self-assessment accountant price guide has the full breakdown; enter your town above to compare self-assessment accountants near you.

No licence is needed, but the anti-money-laundering and HMRC registration rules apply.

One to three weeks from handing over records, depending on the accountant's workload.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in business & professional

How to hire: AccountantHow to hire: Tax AdvisorHow to hire: BookkeeperHow to hire: VAT ReturnsHow to hire: Payroll ServiceHow to hire: Financial AdvisorHow to hire: Company Formation ServiceHow to hire: AuditorAll 701 hiring guides →

Self-assessment accountants near you

Self-assessment accountants in LondonSelf-assessment accountants in ManchesterSelf-assessment accountants in BirminghamSelf-assessment accountants in GlasgowSelf-assessment accountants in BelfastAll self-assessment accountants on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

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