Sole trader accountant fees

A sole trader does not file company accounts, so the core of the work is preparing figures for the self-employment pages of a self assessment return and submitting it. You need to register for self assessment once trading income is over £1,000, and online returns for 2025 to 2026 are due by 11:59pm on 31 January 2027.

The main things that push a sole trader's fee up or down are:

• turnover and the number of transactions, since a busy shop needs more work than a freelancer with a handful of invoices
• whether you keep your own records or need bookkeeping
• whether you are registered for VAT, which applies once taxable turnover goes over £90,000
• other income on the same return, such as a rental property or capital gains
• whether you are within Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, which adds quarterly updates to the year

That last point is changing fees now. MTD applies to sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 from 6 April 2026, over £30,000 from 6 April 2027 and over £20,000 from 6 April 2028. Qualifying income means gross self-employment and property income before expenses.

The table shows sole trader prices from providers' own pages, and from comparison sites where that is the only place we found a figure. Providers are listed alphabetically and are not ranked, and their inclusion is not a recommendation. Where a provider's own page and a comparison site disagree, we show both. Bytestart's comparison page was modified in April 2026 but says its data was last checked in February 2025, so its figures may be older than its date suggests. Gorilla Accounting's price comes from Sleek, a competitor, and Mazuma's own pricing page could not be fetched.

Price guides that describe the wider market tend to quote higher figures than budget online plans. Zmartly, updated 28 August 2026, gives £600 to £1,500 a year for sole trader accounts plus a tax return. Unbiased, updated 23 July 2026, gives £50 to £150 per month, and myPOS, updated 20 April 2026, gives £50 to £100 per month, saying it can fall below £50. Bark's 2025 figures put sole traders at £100 to £150 a month. VAT is not stated by any of these four.

At the other end, ExpertSure, verified September 2026, says a fuller sole trader service is available from £150 a year (VAT not stated). Airtasker's marketplace data, updated 26 June 2026, gives £120 to £250 per task for a sole trader or freelancer tax return, VAT not stated.

The only South East figure we found is from accountingfirms.co.uk, published 18 May 2026, which gives £600 to £2,000 a year for a sole trader in South East England. It gives no method and does not state VAT, so it should not be treated as a reliable local price.

A sole trader plan usually includes your self assessment return and help with the self-employment figures. Some plans, such as The Accountancy Partnership's, say the self assessment return is included in the monthly price. Things that are often extra include:

• bookkeeping, listed by The Accountancy Partnership from £20.00 a month excluding VAT
• VAT returns, listed by GoForma at £24 a month and by The Accountancy Partnership from £35.00 a month excluding VAT
• Making Tax Digital quarterly updates, listed by GoForma at £24 a month and by The Accountancy Partnership from £35.00 a month excluding VAT
• CIS returns for construction subcontractors, listed by The Accountancy Partnership at £6.00 per statement or subcontractor, excluding VAT
• accounting software, if the plan does not include it

A TaxCalc survey of 215 accountancy professionals, reported by MoneyWeek on 23 February 2026, found that nearly half (47%) of accountants say they plan to increase prices for MTD clients, and that people who hire late could pay 5%-10% higher fees in the lead up to April.

• Use the trading allowance where it suits you. The first £1,000 of trading income a year is tax free, and if you earn more you can deduct up to £1,000 instead of claiming expenses, which can make a very small side business simpler.
• Keep a running record of income and expenses, ideally in software, so your accountant is not rebuilding the year from bank statements.
• If you are joining MTD, sort out software and an agent well before your start date rather than at the last minute.
• Compare quotes on the same basis, adding 20% where one price excludes VAT and another includes it.
• Check whether a plan already includes things you would otherwise pay for separately, such as software or MTD updates.

• Does the monthly fee include my self assessment return, and is there an extra charge if I also have rental or other income?
• Will you submit my Making Tax Digital quarterly updates, and what does that add?
• Is software included, and which package do you use?
• What happens to the fee if my turnover grows or I register for VAT?
• Are your prices shown before or after VAT?
• Who will do the work, and who supervises you for anti-money laundering?

Get the answers in writing. Our page on accountants for sole traders explains the work in more detail, and our page on self assessment tax returns explains the return itself. For a rough figure based on your own situation, try the accountant fee estimator.