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How Much Does an Accountant Cost in Glasgow?
Accountancy fees are quoted so inconsistently that comparing two quotes is often harder than doing the work. This explains what Glasgow firms actually charge, what moves the price, and which questions expose a quote that will grow after you sign.
Quick answer
What are the key takeaways?
Countify's fixed-fee packages start from around £35/month for sole trader Self-Assessment and around £95/month for a small limited company.
Key takeaways
Countify's fixed-fee packages start from around £35/month for sole trader Self-Assessment and around £95/month for a small limited company.
The limited company fee typically covers year-end accounts, the CT600, the director's Self-Assessment and the confirmation statement.
VAT, payroll and bookkeeping are usually priced separately because they scale with transaction and employee volume.
The biggest cost driver is the state of your records, not your turnover — disorganised bookkeeping can double a fee.
Fixed fees agreed upfront are more predictable than hourly billing, where the final figure is unknown until the work is done.
What does an accountant cost for a sole trader?
For a straightforward sole trader — one trade, manageable expense volume, records kept in reasonable order — Countify's fixed-fee Self-Assessment support starts from around £35 per month. That covers preparing and filing the tax return, confirming what is payable and when, and answering questions through the year rather than only in January.
Fees rise from there with complexity rather than with income. Multiple income sources, rental property, CIS deductions, capital gains, or a first year that needs opening figures reconstructed all add work. A sole trader turning over £30,000 with clean records can cost less to serve than one turning over £15,000 across three untidy income streams.
What does an accountant cost for a limited company?
For a small limited company, Countify's fixed-fee packages start from around £95 per month. That typically covers year-end accounts, the CT600 corporation tax return, the director's Self-Assessment and the confirmation statement — the compliance floor every trading company has to clear.
Where companies differ is in what sits on top. Payroll for a growing team, VAT returns under Making Tax Digital, monthly management accounts, or a second director each add cost. A company with one director, a handful of invoices a month and no VAT registration sits at the bottom of the range; one with six employees, quarterly VAT and monthly reporting sits well above it.
What actually drives the price up?
Record quality is the single largest factor, and it is the one most people underestimate. A year of reconciled cloud bookkeeping costs far less to turn into accounts than a carrier bag of receipts and an unreconciled bank feed. Firms that quote cheaply and then raise the fee are usually discovering this after the engagement starts.
Transaction volume, employee headcount, VAT registration, the number of income sources and whether you are behind on filings all move the number. So does urgency: work delivered against an imminent HMRC deadline costs more than the same work planned three months earlier, because it displaces other jobs.
Fixed fee or hourly — which is better value?
Hourly billing looks transparent and often is not. You cannot know the total in advance, the incentive runs the wrong way, and clients respond by avoiding contact with their accountant — which is exactly when problems compound. A quick question that would have taken ten minutes gets left until it is a correction.
A fixed fee agreed before work starts puts the estimating risk on the firm rather than the client, and makes the cost a budgetable monthly line. The trade-off is that the scope has to be defined properly, so ask what is explicitly excluded. A fixed fee with vague scope is just an hourly arrangement waiting to be renegotiated.
What should you ask before accepting a quote?
Ask what the fee covers and, more usefully, what it does not. Ask whether ad-hoc questions during the year are included or billed. Ask who actually does the work and who you will speak to. Ask what happens to the fee if your records arrive late or incomplete.
Also ask whether the firm is regulated, and by whom. Anyone can call themselves an accountant in the UK — the title is not protected. An ACCA-regulated firm carries mandatory professional indemnity insurance, a complaints procedure and practice assurance review; an unregulated bookkeeper offering the same service at a lower price does not.
Questions
What do people ask about accountant costs?
These answers cover the practical points clients commonly raise before asking Countify to review their own position.
Ask a different questionCountify's fixed-fee packages start from around £35 per month for sole trader Self-Assessment and from around £95 per month for a small limited company covering accounts, the CT600, the director's Self-Assessment and the confirmation statement. VAT, payroll and bookkeeping are priced as add-ons based on volume.
In cash terms, yes — filing your own Self-Assessment is free. Whether it is cheaper overall depends on what you miss. Unclaimed allowable expenses, an incorrect tax code, missed capital allowances or a penalty for a late or wrong return frequently exceed the fee. For genuinely simple affairs, self-filing is reasonable; for anything with property, dividends, CIS or multiple income sources, it usually is not.
Because they are rarely for the same work. One quote may cover only the year-end filing while another includes bookkeeping, VAT, payroll and year-round support. Differences in regulation, professional indemnity cover and who performs the work also drive real cost differences. Compare scope line by line, not headline price.
Often, yes. A first year usually involves company or trade registration, setting up bookkeeping and VAT or PAYE where needed, and establishing opening figures. That is genuine additional work, and it is better priced openly upfront than discovered as a surprise invoice later.
Yes. Countify's packages are quoted and paid monthly, which spreads the cost across the year instead of a single invoice at year end and makes the fee a predictable budget line rather than a lump sum.
Fees incurred wholly and exclusively for the business are generally an allowable business expense. Fees relating to personal matters — a personal tax return with no business element, for example — are not deductible against business profits.
Related advice
Which advice should you read next?
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Check the accountant's qualifications, experience and regulatory position.
Accountant vs bookkeeper
Bookkeeping is the ongoing recording of transactions; accountancy is the interpretation, filing and advice built on top of it.
Switching Accountants
There is no legal requirement to give your current accountant notice before switching.
Related tools
Which calculator can help you estimate the numbers?
Use these tools for quick estimates before asking Countify to review the facts.
Related reading
Where can you read more UK tax updates?
Countify's blog covers practical updates for individuals, landlords and business owners.
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