Pricing
An offshore accountant typically costs £800–£2,800 a month as a dedicated full-time hire, or £6–£20 an hour for task-based work. A UK employee in the same seat costs from about £31,000 a year (accounts assistant) to about £63,000 (finance manager) in salary, employer NICs and pension, before recruitment fees and overheads. On TalentDock’s own published fees, a mid-level qualified accountant at about £1,830 a month costs around 58% less than employing the same role in the UK.
£800–£2,800/mo
Dedicated full-time offshore accountant
£6–£20/hr
Task-based or ad hoc work
50–60%
Typical saving vs the UK cost to employ
The real cost
What a UK hire really costs
A UK accountant’s salary is only part of the cost. Once you add employer National Insurance Contributions, pension auto-enrolment, recruitment fees, equipment, software licences and management overhead, the true annual cost of a UK hire runs well above the advertised salary.
- Base salary: about £45,000 a year on average for a UK accountant and about £27,000 for an accounts assistant (CV Screen salary survey, 2025)
- Employer National Insurance: 15% on earnings above £5,000 (2026/27)
- Auto-enrolment pension: at least 3% of qualifying earnings
- Recruitment or agency fees, commonly a percentage of salary
- Equipment, software licences and desk space
- Sick pay, holiday cover and management time
TRUE ANNUAL COST
£31k–£63k
per year in salary, employer NICs and pension, before recruitment and overheads
Pricing models
Offshore accountant rates by pricing model
Offshore accounting is sold three ways: by the hour for ad hoc work, as a fixed fee per job, or as one dedicated full-time-equivalent (FTE) hire billed monthly. The FTE model is what TalentDock provides — one person working exclusively for you, not shared across other clients.
| Pricing model | Typical rate | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly – basic bookkeeping | £6–£12 / hour | Occasional, low-complexity data entry |
| Hourly – month-end / advanced bookkeeping | £9–£16 / hour | Reconciliations, management accounts prep |
| Hourly – tax preparation | £12–£20 / hour | One-off or seasonal tax work |
| Dedicated FTE – junior/executive level | £800–£1,800 / month | Ongoing bookkeeping, AP/AR, payroll support |
| Dedicated FTE – senior/manager level | £1,400–£2,800 / month | Management accounts, VAT/MTD, year-end prep |
| Per job – VAT return, payroll run, year-end accounts | £25–£300 per job | Low-volume or highly seasonal workloads |
Compare
UK hire vs freelancer vs offshore accountant
UK employee
Full salary, employer NIC, pension and overhead — about £31,000–£63,000 a year in salary, NICs and pension, plus recruitment and overheads. Fully dedicated, complete control, highest total cost.
UK freelance / contractor
Billed hourly or by the day, from around £25 an hour for bookkeeping-level work up to £75–£90+ an hour for complex or advisory work. Flexible, but no continuity guarantee and shared across other clients.
Recommended
TalentDock offshore accountant
One all-in monthly fee: qualified accountants from about £1,470 a month, accounts-support roles from about £790. Dedicated, full-time, with ACCA, CIMA or CA Sri Lanka qualification matched to the role. Typically 50–60% below the UK cost to employ.
Included
What's included in an all-in offshore fee
Salary & statutory costs
All salary and statutory employment costs in the delivery country.
Recruitment & vetting
Recruitment, screening and qualification verification.
Equipment & IT
Equipment and secure IT setup, ready before day one.
HR management
HR management and regular performance reviews.
Compliance
DPA, UK IDTA and data protection built into the agreement.
One invoice
One consolidated monthly invoice, no hidden extras.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to outsource an accountant?
Costs vary by scope and seniority. Freelance and contract accountants in the UK are commonly billed by the hour, while a dedicated offshore accountant is billed as one all-in monthly fee — typically £800–£2,800 a month across the market, which usually works out 50–60% below the cost of employing the same role in the UK.
How much does an offshore accountant cost per hour?
For task-based work, offshore rates typically run £6–£12 an hour for basic bookkeeping, £9–£16 an hour for advanced bookkeeping and month-end work, and £12–£20 an hour for tax preparation. Most ongoing engagements are cheaper as a dedicated monthly FTE rather than billed hourly.
What is the typical hourly rate for freelance accountants in the UK?
Rates vary widely by qualification, location and scope of work, and are commonly cited from around £25 an hour for bookkeeping-level work up to £75–£90 or more an hour for a fully qualified accountant handling complex or advisory work.
Is offshoring cheaper than hiring a UK-based freelancer?
For ongoing, high-volume monthly work, typically yes. A dedicated full-time offshore hire costs a predictable monthly fee and works exclusively for you, while freelance hourly rates can add up quickly for regular workloads and don’t guarantee dedicated capacity.
Are there hidden costs with offshore accounting providers?
Ask upfront. A reputable provider quotes one all-in monthly fee covering salary, HR, IT and compliance, with no separate placement fee, notice-period penalty or software licence surprise.
Does the cost change for more senior or specialist roles?
Yes. Pricing scales with seniority and specialism: a junior or bookkeeping-level hire typically runs £800–£1,800 a month, while a senior or manager-level accountant runs £1,400–£2,800 a month.
How much should I be paying for an accountant in the UK?
It depends on what you need. General UK benchmarks run from around £20–£60 a month for a simple sole trader return up to £250–£500+ a month for a VAT-registered limited company with payroll and bookkeeping included. A dedicated offshore accountant is usually the lower-cost option once your needs go beyond occasional filing.
How much should you pay someone to do your bookkeeping?
UK freelance bookkeepers commonly charge £22–£40 an hour, or £300–£1,100 a month for a packaged service depending on transaction volume. A dedicated offshore bookkeeper or accountant typically costs £800–£1,800 a month all-in for the same ongoing workload.
What are the disadvantages of outsourced accounting?
The most cited concerns are time-zone overlap, data security, and losing the informal day-to-day oversight of an in-house hire. A dedicated offshore FTE model addresses most of this: the person works your hours (not shared across clients), operates inside your own systems under a signed DPA and IDTA, and reports to you directly — unlike a shared BPO ticket queue.
How much do high-street UK accountants like TaxAssist charge?
High-street accountancy franchises don’t publish fixed national rates — pricing is set locally and varies by package. As a general UK benchmark, expect £20–£60 a month for a simple sole trader package rising to £250–£500+ a month for a VAT-registered limited company with bookkeeping and payroll included, broadly in line with independent UK practices.
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