Ask three firms for a price and you will get three figures that are hard to compare. Not because they are opaque, but because they do not cover the same services.
What the headline fee covers
Usually: bookkeeping, VAT returns, the tax return and the annual accounts. Usually as well: not payroll, not interim statements, and not support in the event of an audit.
Item
Bookkeeping and returns — micro-business
- Annual range
- €600 to €1,200
Item
Bookkeeping and returns — company of 1 to 3 people
- Annual range
- €1,500 to €3,000
Item
Payslip
- Annual range
- €15 to €25 per payslip
Item
Interim statement
- Annual range
- €300 to €600 each
| Item | Annual range |
|---|---|
| Bookkeeping and returns — micro-business | €600 to €1,200 |
| Bookkeeping and returns — company of 1 to 3 people | €1,500 to €3,000 |
| Payslip | €15 to €25 per payslip |
| Interim statement | €300 to €600 each |
The cost nobody invoices
Gathering receipts, chasing, answering questions, correcting: between thirty and sixty hours a year for a simple company. Valued at the owner’s hourly rate, they often weigh more than the fee itself.
The lines that land during the year
- Taking over a financial year badly kept by the previous firm.
- A VAT adjustment covering several quarters.
- Support during an audit, billed by the hour.
- Late-filing penalties, which are not fees but still have to be paid.
How to compare fairly
Add up the annual fee, the excluded services you will need, and the value of your hours. The ranking often changes order. It is this full calculation, and only this, that tells you whether a firm is expensive.