How much does an accountant cost in London?
How much an accountant costs for a sole trader in London depends on the work: a Self Assessment return only, or bookkeeping, VAT and Making Tax Digital updates as well. IB&Co Accountants in Canary Wharf does not use a price list. After a no-obligation Discovery Call we send a fixed, written proposal, agreed before any work starts.
For sole traders, our monthly fee starts from £59.99. Your exact fee depends on how complex the work is and is set out in your fixed, written proposal.
Limited company accounts, payroll and catch-up work are priced the same way, so you know the cost upfront.
Why don't you publish prices?
Because a published price is only useful if it matches your situation, and most people’s situation is not average. Two sole traders with the same turnover can need very different amounts of work: one sends tidy digital records every quarter, the other has a year of receipts in a box and two years of returns outstanding. A low “from” price that rises once the work starts helps nobody.
Instead, we look at what you actually need and put a fixed figure on it in writing. That is what “Fixed Fees” on our home page means: the fee for the agreed scope is set out in writing before any work starts, and anything outside that scope is agreed with you first.
What affects the cost of an accountant?
These are the things we look at when we prepare your proposal.
Your business structure. A sole trader’s Self Assessment return is a smaller job than a limited company’s statutory accounts, Corporation Tax return and director’s personal return.
What you want us to do. Year-end accounts and tax returns only, or ongoing bookkeeping, payroll, VAT Returns and management accounts as well.
The volume of transactions. How many sales, purchases, bank accounts and payment platforms there are to reconcile.
The state of your records. Records already kept in QuickBooks or Xero with bank feeds take less time than spreadsheets or paper.
Extra obligations. VAT, payroll, Construction Industry Scheme returns, Making Tax Digital quarterly updates, rental properties or overseas income each add specific work.
Catch-up work. Late or missing returns from earlier years are priced separately from your ongoing service, so you can see each part clearly.
Advice. One-off tax planning, such as how to take money out of your company or what happens when you sell a property, is scoped on its own.
What does a proposal from IB&Co include?
Every proposal sets out:
- the services included, and what is not included
- the fee for each service, and whether it is billed monthly or annually
- what we need from you, and by when, for us to meet the deadlines
- the deadlines we will work to, such as your tax return or accounts filing date
- how any extra work outside the scope would be agreed before it starts
Nothing is charged until you have agreed the proposal.
What happens after I accept?
We follow the same five steps for every client.
- Discovery Call: a short call at a time that suits you.
- Your needs: we understand your circumstances, your business and your objectives.
- Proposal: we recommend the right service and agree the scope and fees with you in writing before any work starts.
- Onboarding: we send an engagement letter and complete the identity checks we are required to carry out.
- Delivery: we deliver the agreed work, with a named contact at IB&Co for your questions.
If you are moving from another firm, we also handle the handover with your previous accountant.
Is the cheapest accountant the best value?
Not always. A good accountant should help you avoid penalties, claim the expenses and reliefs you are entitled to, and plan ahead, not just file the forms. Questions worth asking any firm, including us:
- Is the fee fixed, and what exactly does it cover?
- Who will I deal with, and how quickly do you reply?
- Are you regulated, and by whom?
- What happens if I need advice during the year?
Our answers: the fee is fixed and written down, you have a named contact and we reply to every enquiry within 48 hours, and we are regulated by the Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA) and the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA). More than 950 clients have trusted Ishmael Bangura FFA and the team since the practice started.
If you are considering a move, read how switching accountants to IB&Co works.
Who do you work with?
Sole traders and freelancers, contractors, landlords and property investors, start-ups and growing limited companies. Browse our services for Contractors, Self-Employed & Freelancers, Small to Medium Enterprises, Start-ups and Property Owners, or read what clients say.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the work, not a list price. Our sole trader service starts from £59.99 a month, depending on how complex the work is. A Self Assessment return only is a smaller job than monthly bookkeeping, VAT Returns and Making Tax Digital quarterly updates, and your turnover, number of transactions and the state of your records also count. IB&Co Accountants in Canary Wharf sends a fixed, written proposal after a no-obligation Discovery Call, so you know the cost before any work starts. See how we work with sole traders.
A limited company needs year-end accounts, a Corporation Tax return and usually a director’s tax return, and may need payroll and VAT. We price the services you need as a fixed fee in your proposal.
For ongoing accounts, tax returns and bookkeeping, yes. The fee in your proposal is fixed for the agreed scope. If you later need something outside that scope, we agree it with you in writing before we start.
No. The Discovery Call is without obligation. Its purpose is to understand your situation so we can recommend the right service.
Monthly billing is available for some ongoing services, set out in your proposal. Your proposal shows whether each service is billed monthly or annually.
Bringing late returns or missing bookkeeping up to date is a one-off job, so we price it separately from your ongoing service. That way you can see clearly what each part costs.
Get your written proposal
Book a Discovery Call, or tell us what you need and we will send a proposal.
Call 020 7164 0225 or visit us at Level 37, 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AA. Open Monday to Friday 9:00 to 18:30 and Saturday 10:30 to 16:30.
Checked on 11 November 2026. This page is general information and is not advice for your circumstances.
