How Much Does a Bookkeeper Cost in the UK? Monthly Fees Explained
"How much does a bookkeeper cost?" is usually the first question a business owner asks, and the honest answer is that it depends on how much work your books generate each month. Here's what actually drives the price, with real figures.
What drives the cost of bookkeeping
The biggest factor is transaction volume: the number of bank lines, sales invoices and supplier bills each month. After that come the number of bank and card accounts to reconcile, whether you're VAT registered, whether payroll is included, how many currencies you trade in, and whether you need monthly management reporting or just clean records.
Catch-up work is priced separately. If your books are months behind, bringing them up to date is a one-off project before the regular monthly fee starts.
Typical monthly fees for outsourced bookkeeping
As a reference point, here's how our own fixed monthly packages are priced. Essential starts from £350 a month for around 100 to 150 transactions, covering day-to-day bookkeeping, bank and card reconciliations, invoice processing and receivables and payables support. Growth starts from £650 a month for around 150 to 300 transactions and adds MTD-compliant VAT returns, weekly or monthly supplier payment processing and cash flow summaries. A Full Finance Function starts from £1,200 a month and adds monthly management accounts, year-end accounts preparation and process automation.
Fixed monthly fees are easier to budget than hourly billing, and they remove the temptation to avoid asking questions because the clock is running.
The cost of hiring in-house instead
In the UK, typical hourly costs for in-house finance staff run from around £12.71 to £20 an hour for an accounts executive, £30 to £45 for a senior accountant, £50 to £70 for an accounts manager and £80 to £130 for a CFO. On top of salary come employer's National Insurance, pension contributions, recruitment, training, software and holiday cover. One hire also rarely covers every skill, from reconciliations to VAT to management reporting.
How to compare quotes properly
Ask what's included: reconciliations, VAT returns, payroll, management accounts and year-end support are often priced differently. Ask how the fee changes as volume grows, how quickly month-end is closed and who reviews the work. A cheap quote that leaves you with unreconciled accounts at year end usually costs more in accountancy fees and missed deadlines than it saved.
Getting an accurate price
The quickest way to an exact figure is to share a recent bank statement or your accounting software access so the provider can see your real volume. That turns a range into a fixed monthly quote you can rely on.
Key takeaway
Bookkeeping costs depend mainly on monthly transaction volume, plus VAT, payroll and reporting needs. Our fixed packages start from £350 a month, often well below the true cost of an in-house hire once employment costs are included.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a bookkeeper cost per month in the UK?
It depends on transaction volume and scope. Our outsourced bookkeeping packages start from £350 a month for around 100 to 150 transactions, from £650 a month with VAT returns included, and from £1,200 a month for a full finance function.
Is it cheaper to outsource bookkeeping or hire in-house?
For most small and growing businesses outsourcing is cheaper, because you avoid salary, employer's National Insurance, pension, recruitment and cover costs, and get a wider range of skills.
Do bookkeepers charge hourly or a fixed fee?
Both exist. Fixed monthly fees based on your transaction volume are easier to budget and avoid surprise invoices, which is why we price every package that way.
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