When prospective clients compare accountants, they typically compare two numbers: the monthly fee on one side and the monthly fee on the other. That comparison almost always misleads. The headline cost of a £150 a month bookkeeper and a £450 a month full-service firm tells you almost nothing about what each one will deliver across a year, let alone across a decade. The honest comparison requires unpacking what is actually inside each engagement.
This is the breakdown we walk clients through.
What a "Cheap" Accountant Typically Delivers
At the very low end of the UK accountancy market — sub-£100 a month — the typical engagement is built around the bare regulatory minimum:
- Annual statutory accounts prepared from the records you provide.
- An annual confirmation statement filed at Companies House.
- A corporation tax return based on the accounts.
- One director's self-assessment, if included.
- Email-based contact, often with multi-day response times.
That is genuinely what some businesses need, particularly very early-stage dormant or minimal-activity companies. For anything more complex, the gap between this and a real advisory engagement is wider than the headline price suggests.
What a Fixed-Fee PushDigits Engagement Typically Includes
Our standard limited company package, depending on size and complexity, includes most or all of the following inside the monthly fee:
- Annual statutory accounts prepared, reviewed under a two-reviewer model, and signed off at partner level.
- Corporation tax return prepared and submitted, with planning input on capital allowances, R&D where applicable, group reliefs, and remuneration policy.
- Monthly or quarterly management accounts reconciled and reviewed, with a written commentary on trends and variances.
- VAT returns prepared and submitted under MTD-compliant workflows.
- Director self-assessments for one or more directors, with personal tax planning input.
- Payroll services for the director group and small teams, including RTI submissions and pension auto-enrolment compliance.
- Bookkeeping on Xero or QuickBooks at our Platinum/Elite partner standard, with software subscriptions included.
- Quarterly planning meetings with your client manager and a partner-level reviewer present.
- Direct partner access on matters that warrant it, with same-day response standards on time-sensitive items.
- App access to the PushDigits iOS app, including the AI Receipt Scanner, mileage tracker, contract safeguard, and dashboard features.
- Pre-budget and post-budget client briefings tailored to your specific business position.
- Unlimited routine queries — no clock-watching, no hourly meter, no surprise invoices.
The Cost Comparison That Actually Matters
The right way to compare two accountants is not "what does each one cost?" but "what does my business look like after a year with each one?" That comparison usually goes:
- Tax position. Higher-value engagements consistently identify reliefs and planning opportunities that low-cost engagements miss. The annual saving from one well-structured remuneration plan often exceeds the entire fee differential.
- Decision quality. Real-time financial visibility leads to better pricing decisions, better hiring decisions, and better investment decisions. None of these appear on the invoice; all of them appear in the year-end profit.
- Compliance risk. Late filings, incorrect returns, missed registrations, and director's loan account issues all generate penalty exposure. A managed engagement materially reduces this.
- Time recovered. Owners on cheap engagements spend hours per month chasing their accountant, organising paperwork, and managing process. Owners on full engagements get those hours back to run their business.
When the "Cheap" Option Is Actually Right
To be fair to the lower end of the market: there are situations where a basic compliance-only engagement is genuinely the correct choice. A dormant company holding a single asset; a sole director PSC turning over £30,000 with no employees, no VAT, and no complexity; a personal investment company with one transaction a year. Paying premium fees for premium service in those situations is not value-for-money. We will tell you that honestly if it is your situation.
The mismatch arises in the middle — a business turning over £400,000 to £4m with multiple employees, growing complexity, and real planning opportunities, still using an entry-level engagement model. That is the gap our service is built to fill.
The Honest Conversation
If you would like to know which model genuinely fits your business, the easiest path is a 30-minute discovery call. We will look at your current setup and tell you honestly whether you are over-served, under-served, or appropriately served. Book a slot here, or read more on the business advisory service page.