Choosing an accountant
Are online accountants any good?
By Kaiser Khan · Updated
Where do online accountants genuinely excel?
Routine compliance at scale: bookkeeping review, VAT, payroll, year-end accounts, and self assessment, built around cloud software and bank feeds. Pricing is usually fixed. If your business is digital-first, an online firm fits how you already work.
Onboarding is fast and everything is documented in an app rather than a filing cabinet. Sole trader packages start around £39/month and limited company from £83/month on our editorial benchmarks — often 10–20% below high-street equivalents.
When does a local firm still win?
Complex one-off work — business sales, restructuring, HMRC enquiries, inheritance planning — benefits from long meetings and local knowledge. Some sectors (hospitality, CIS, farming) reward an accountant who knows the local market.
Some owners simply want to sit across a desk once a quarter; that preference is worth respecting because you will engage more. Hybrid firms exist.
How do I vet an online accountant?
Apply the same checks as anywhere: verify the firm or named individuals on the ICAEW, ACCA or AAT registers, confirm professional indemnity insurance, read the engagement letter for what is included, and test response times during sales.
If pre-sales replies take a week, support will too. Check who owns your software subscription so you can leave cleanly. Distance makes no difference to HMRC agent authorisation.
People also ask
Is my data safe with an online accountant?
Reputable firms use the same cloud platforms as everyone else (Xero, QuickBooks) plus encrypted document portals, and are bound by UK GDPR. Ask where data is stored and whether they've had breaches — a professional firm will answer plainly.
Will an online accountant deal with HMRC for me?
Yes — agent authorisation works identically. Distance makes no difference to representing you in correspondence or enquiries.
Can I switch from local to online easily?
Yes — the standard professional clearance process applies. Online firms are particularly slick at onboarding switchers because it's most of their new business.
This article is general information for UK businesses, not tax, legal, or financial advice, and thresholds change — confirm current rules on GOV.UK or with a qualified accountant before acting. Fee figures are indicative benchmarks from ourmethodology.