HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

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

"Tax adviser" is unprotected, but HMRC registration and the Standard for Agents apply. Here are the checks and questions.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a tax adviser in five steps

  1. Describe the tax questionThe transaction, the dates and the amounts involved, in a short note.
  2. Check the adviser's bodyMembership of a tax or accountancy body, checked on its own list.
  3. Check HMRC registrationAn agent services account if they will deal with HMRC for you.
  4. Get the advice and fee in writingAn engagement letter with the scope, the fee and the deadlines.
  5. Keep control of disclosuresYou approve anything sent to HMRC in your name.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

"Tax adviser" is not a protected title in any UK nation, and giving tax advice is not reserved work. Membership of a professional body is voluntary but tells you who sets their standards.

Ask which body the tax adviser belongs to and check the name on its list. regulated-professions.service.gov.uk →

HMRC agent services account

From 18 May 2026, anyone paid to contact HMRC about another person's tax counts as a tax adviser and must register, even if tax is not their main business; registration is staged by type of adviser.

Ask whether the tax adviser has an agent services account and authorise them through HMRC. gov.uk →

HMRC Standard for Agents

HMRC's Standard for Agents covers integrity, professional competence and compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations for every tax agent, and HMRC can refuse to deal with agents who fall below it.

Ask which professional code or standard the adviser follows. gov.uk →

Anti-money-laundering supervision

A tax practice offering accountancy services must be supervised under the Money Laundering Regulations by a professional body or HMRC.

Ask the tax adviser for the name of their supervisor. gov.uk →

VAT

Tax advice is standard-rated, so a registered tax adviser adds 20% to the fixed fee or hours, including work dealing with HMRC on your behalf. Registration becomes compulsory once a tax adviser 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 tax adviser for the VAT number with the engagement letter and for the fee and VAT on separate lines. gov.uk →

“Which body are you a member of as a tax adviser?”

A good answer: A named body and membership you can check.

“Will you deal with HMRC for me, and are you registered to?”

A good answer: If yes, an agent services account and an authorisation request.

“What is the scope of the tax adviser's work?”

A good answer: The question to be answered, in writing, with what is outside it.

“Is it a fixed fee or hourly, plus VAT?”

A good answer: A basis and an estimate; most tax advisers add VAT at 20%.

“What will the written advice from the adviser cover?”

A good answer: The position, the options, the tax under each, and the risks.

“How would the adviser handle an HMRC enquiry?”

A good answer: A clear process and who speaks to HMRC.

“Is anything you suggest aggressive or untested?”

A good answer: An honest view; a good tax adviser explains risks plainly.

Getting the quote right

  • Scope of the advice and what is excluded
  • Who actually attends to your advice: the tax adviser who signs the engagement letter, an employee, or a subcontracted specialist
  • Fixed fee or hourly rate with an estimate
  • Dealing with HMRC: included or extra
  • Deadlines for advice and any filings
  • Engagement letter signed by both of you
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% on the advice fee

Walk away if

  • Schemes promising to make tax disappear
  • No engagement letter
  • Asks for your HMRC login
  • No agent registration but offers to deal with HMRC
  • Fees linked to tax "saved" with no explanation
  • Will not put advice in writing
LOW
£70
TYPICAL
£150
HIGH
£300

What a tax adviser costs: £70–£300 per hour

Tax advisers charge by the hour or quote a fixed fee for a defined piece of advice, usually plus VAT. Tax Advisor 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

Tax advisers 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. Initial reviewYour situation and goals reviewed and the work scoped.
  2. EngagementLetter of engagement signed and HMRC authorisation set up.
  3. AnalysisThe tax position worked out for each option.
  4. Written adviceAdvice and calculations sent to you.
  5. HMRCReturns, enquiries or disclosures handled where agreed.

Agent services account
HMRC's account for registered tax advisers.
Standard for Agents
HMRC's rules for the conduct of tax agents.
Voluntary disclosure
Telling HMRC about past errors before it asks.
HMRC enquiry
HMRC's formal check of a return.
Engagement letter
The agreed scope and fee for the advice.
Capital gains
Tax on the profit from selling an asset.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the written adviceWith the engagement letter; it explains why you took each step.
Check what was filedCopies of any return or disclosure sent to HMRC.
Diary follow-up datesPayments, elections and deadlines the advice depends on.
Review the jobSay what the tax adviser did well and what could be better, once the work is finished. A problem goes through the make-it-right step first, so they can put it right.

STEP 1Set it out for the tax adviserA short, dated message works best: the problem, the proof and the remedy you want from the tax adviser. Your rights come from the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which requires a trader to use reasonable care and skill and gives you repeat performance or a price cut where they did not.
STEP 2Locufy's make-it-right stepGive the tax adviser fewer than four stars and Locufy offers to pass the complaint on first. The make-it-right step is followed through before you publish.
STEP 3The adviser's body, or HMRCReport misconduct to the tax adviser's professional body. HMRC can act against an agent who falls below its Standard for Agents. For a fee dispute, ring Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133), Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) or Consumerline (0300 123 6262).
STEP 4A small claim for the moneyFor money the tax adviser owes you, the small claims courts handle claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 through simple procedure in Scotland and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a tax adviser: questions people ask

If they are paid to deal with HMRC about your tax, yes: since 18 May 2026 they must register for an agent services account.

No. Check membership of a professional body and HMRC registration instead.

HMRC's published standard of integrity, competence and compliance for all tax agents.

£70–£300 per hour, with a typical figure of £150. Chartered or senior advisers, complex planning and HMRC enquiries cost more per hour. Read the tax adviser price guide for the factors, or search your town above for tax advisers nearby.

No. Authorise the adviser as your agent through HMRC.

An hour for a simple question; several weeks for planning or an HMRC enquiry.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in business & professional

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

Tax advisers near you

Tax advisers in LondonTax advisers in ManchesterTax advisers in BirminghamTax advisers in GlasgowTax advisers in BelfastAll tax advisers 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 — the HMRC Standard for Agents
  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