How much does an accountant cost in Australia in 2026? For a straightforward individual return, most people pay somewhere between $150 and $400. For a small business running quarterly BAS, payroll and an annual return, a fixed fee package commonly lands between $300 and $1,200 a month. A company or trust return with financial statements usually adds $700 to $2,500 a year. The range is wide because the work is not the same, and the honest answer is that the price follows the complexity.
How much does an accountant cost? The 2026 ranges
The figures below are drawn from Australian industry pricing guides published in 2026. They are indicative, not quotes, and they move with the firm’s location, specialisation and how much work you hand over.
| Service | Indicative 2026 range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Qualified accountant, hourly | $200 to $350 per hour | Arbour Advisory, 2026 |
| Bookkeeper, hourly | $50 to $100 per hour | Arbour Advisory, 2026 |
| Sole trader tax return | $200 to $500 | Arbour Advisory, 2026 |
| Company or trust return with financials | $700 to $2,500 | Arbour Advisory, 2026 |
| Monthly compliance package, small business | $300 to $1,200 per month | Business Wise, 2026 |
| Full service, bookkeeping plus BAS plus return | $3,000 to $15,000+ per year | Sleek, 2026 fee guide |
| Standalone BAS preparation and lodgement | $75 to $450 per quarter | Lawpath, 2026 |
Ranges are reproduced as published by each source. They are not Verus fees. For our fee, we quote after a short scope conversation, in writing, before any work starts.
Hourly rates versus fixed fees
Hourly billing is transparent in theory and uncomfortable in practice. You cannot budget for a phone call, so you stop making it. That is the real cost of hourly pricing: not the invoice, but the advice you avoid asking for.
Fixed fees reverse that. You know the annual number, you can call when something changes, and the accountant is motivated to work efficiently rather than to lengthen the job. For recurring compliance work, fixed fees are almost always the better structure. Hourly still makes sense for genuinely unpredictable work: an ATO audit, a reconstruction of three years of records, or due diligence on an acquisition.
Ask for both. A firm that cannot give you a ballpark before starting is telling you something useful.
What actually drives the price
- Structure. A sole trader is one return. A company with a trust and a corporate trustee is three entities, three sets of financials and intercompany reconciliations.
- Record quality. Reconciled software records take less time than a box of receipts. This is the single biggest lever you control.
- Employees. Payroll, super, single touch payroll and now payday super all add recurring work.
- GST and BAS frequency. Quarterly is standard. Monthly costs more.
- Property, investments and crypto. Each adds schedules and evidence requirements.
- Deadlines. A request in October is cheaper than the same request in the last week before a due date.
- Advisory. Tax planning, structuring, valuations and virtual CFO work are priced separately from compliance.
What a good small business package includes
A fair package should tell you exactly what is inside it. At minimum, look for annual financial statements, the company or trust return, quarterly BAS preparation and lodgement, and a planning conversation before 30 June. Payroll, bookkeeping and ASIC annual reviews may sit inside or outside the fee, so confirm which.
Ask what happens when you call in March with a question. If the answer is “that is billed separately”, the headline fee is not the real fee.
What cheap accounting can cost you
A low fee is not a problem. A low fee with no engagement letter, no scope and no contact is. The common failure pattern is a return prepared from whatever was uploaded, with no questions asked. Missing a legitimate deduction, misclassifying a distribution or lodging late usually costs more than the difference in fees.
The other hidden cost is time. If you spend six hours a year chasing your accountant, that is a real cost, and it does not appear on any invoice.
Seven questions to ask before you sign
- What exactly is included, in writing?
- Is the fee fixed, hourly, or a hybrid?
- Who will actually do the work, and are they qualified?
- What do you need from me, and by when?
- How do you handle questions during the year?
- What happens if the ATO reviews my return?
- Can you show me a sample of what I will receive?
Are accounting fees tax deductible?
Generally yes. Fees for managing your tax affairs, including preparing and lodging returns and BAS, are usually deductible in the year you pay them. Fees for initial business setup or restructuring advice may need to be treated as capital, which is one reason to ask for those invoices to be separated. Check the treatment with us before you assume the deduction.
How we price work at Verus
We scope first, quote in writing, and hold the fee for the agreed scope. If something changes materially, we tell you before we do the work rather than after. You can see what each service covers on our taxation and accounting and bookkeeping and payroll pages.
If your books are behind, start with our guide to bookkeeping services for small business. Cleaner records lower the cost of everything that follows, including the return itself.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an accountant cost for a small business in Australia?
A fixed fee compliance package commonly sits between $300 and $1,200 per month, depending on structure, payroll and transaction volume. Annual returns with financial statements are usually quoted separately at $700 to $2,500 for a straightforward company or trust.
Is it cheaper to use a bookkeeper or an accountant?
Bookkeepers charge less per hour, typically $50 to $100, because the work is transactional. Accountants charge more because they prepare financial statements, lodge returns and give advice. Most growing businesses need both functions, sometimes from the same firm.
Why do quotes for the same return vary so much?
Scope. One quote may assume you will deliver reconciled software records; another may assume three years of catch up work. Ask each firm what they have assumed about your records before you compare the number.
How much does a tax return cost if I am an employee?
A straightforward individual return with salary and a few deductions generally falls between $150 and $400. Rental properties, share portfolios and business income push it higher.
Are accounting fees tax deductible?
Fees for managing your tax affairs are generally deductible in the year they are paid. Setup and restructuring advice may be capital in nature. Ask for those items to be invoiced separately so the treatment is clear.
Can I negotiate the fee?
You can always ask what is driving it and whether the scope can be reduced. A firm that will not explain the fee is a bigger red flag than a firm that will not discount it.
What is the cheapest way to get good accounting?
Keep clean digital records, lodge on time, and use a fixed fee for compliance. The savings come from reducing the work, not from finding the lowest hourly rate.
Get a number, not a range
Published ranges are useful for budgeting. They are not a quote. Send us your structure, your software and roughly how many transactions you process a month, and we will give you a fixed annual figure with the scope written down.
For context on what sits behind the fee, see our guide to what to take to your accountant for a tax return and our comparison of accountants and bookkeepers. Independent 2026 pricing surveys from Lawpath and Sleek are useful cross checks.
Want a fixed fee in writing?
Tell us your structure and how your books are kept. You will get a scope and a number, not a range.
Prefer to talk it through
973 Pacific Hwy, Pymble NSW 2073. Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
