How Much Does a Restaurant Accountant Cost UK? Honest Pricing Guide | LOYALS
Transparent Pricing — No Hidden Fees

How Much Does a Restaurant Accountant Cost in the UK?

The honest answer — with real price ranges, what to expect at each level, and what to watch out for. From the chartered accountants who believe you deserve to know exactly what you're paying for.

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UK Market Rates

What You'll Actually Pay — Real Numbers, No Fluff

We surveyed the market so you don't have to. Here's what restaurant accountants across the UK are charging in 2025/26, broken down by business size and complexity.

Sole Trader Takeaway or Cafe
Not VAT registered, no employees, straightforward books
£50 – £150/month
Single-Site VAT-Registered Restaurant
Limited company, 5-15 staff, standard complexity
£200 – £500/month
Single-Site with Payroll, VAT, Tronc & Management Accounts
Full-service needs including tip distribution and reporting
£300 – £800/month
Multi-Site Operations
Multiple venues, consolidated reporting, group structures
£800 – £2,000+/month
⚠ Budget Online-Only Providers
Basic bookkeeping only — no proactive advice, no phone support, no industry knowledge. Often costs more in missed savings than you save on fees.
From £25/month
Where LOYALS sits: Our transparent fixed-fee plans start from £150/month and include services that most firms charge £300-£500 for — including 7-day availability, WhatsApp support, and professional debt recovery.
Price vs Value

What You Should Expect at Each Price Level

Not all accounting packages are equal. Here's what you genuinely get at each price point — so you can spot when you're being overcharged or underserved.

Basic
£50 – £150/month
  • Annual accounts preparation
  • Self assessment or corporation tax return
  • Basic bookkeeping support
  • No proactive tax advice
  • Limited communication channels
  • Slow response times (48-72 hours)
  • No industry-specific knowledge

Suitable for very small sole trader operations with simple needs.

Most Common
Standard
£200 – £500/month
  • Everything in Basic
  • Quarterly VAT returns
  • Monthly or weekly payroll
  • Management accounts
  • Some tax planning advice
  • Response times vary (often 24-48 hours)
  • Tronc management may cost extra

Where most single-site restaurants sit. Quality varies hugely between firms.

Premium
£500 – £800+/month
  • Everything in Standard
  • Tronc scheme setup and management
  • Delivery platform reconciliation
  • Proactive tax planning
  • Business advisory support
  • Extended availability and fast response
  • HMRC correspondence handled

What a growing restaurant with complex needs should expect.

Our Plans

What LOYALS Charges — And What You Actually Get

We don't hide our pricing because we don't need to. Every plan includes 7-day availability, WhatsApp support, and dedicated account management as standard.

Premium Accounting
£150/month
+ VAT · No hidden extras
  • Full annual accounts & tax returns
  • VAT returns (quarterly or MTD)
  • Bookkeeping & bank reconciliation
  • Professional invoice management
  • Persistent debt recovery support
  • WhatsApp & phone support, 7 days
  • HMRC correspondence handled
Get Started → Market equivalent: £300-£500/month
Best Value
Business Mentor
£250/month
+ VAT · Everything you need to grow
  • Everything in Premium Accounting
  • Monthly business mentoring sessions
  • Growth strategy & action plans
  • Tax optimisation & planning
  • Tronc scheme guidance
  • Legal & business consultancy on demand
  • Priority response times
Get Started → Market equivalent: £600-£900/month
Business Growth
£2,000/month
+ VAT · Your complete business team
  • Everything in Business Mentor
  • Dedicated accountant & advisor
  • Full payroll management
  • Digital presence & marketing support
  • Client cross-connection programme
  • Same-day response guarantee
  • Quarterly board-style review meetings
Book a Call → Replaces multiple hires & agencies
Annual company accounts preparation
Corporation tax returns (CT600)
Director's personal tax returns (SA100)
Quarterly or monthly VAT returns (MTD compliant)
Full payroll processing with RTI submissions
Tronc scheme setup guidance & NIC savings
Tax planning and compliance advice
Delivery platform income reconciliation
EPOS & cloud accounting integration
Annual confirmation statement (Companies House)
Pensions auto-enrolment & declarations
HMRC correspondence handling
Professional invoice & debt recovery support
Unlimited email & phone support (7 days/week)
Buyer Beware

Hidden Costs Most Accountants Don't Tell You About

That £99/month quote looks tempting — until the extras start adding up. Here are the charges that catch most restaurant owners off guard.

📞

Per-Call Charges

Some firms charge £30-£75 every time you ring with a question. Three calls a month and your "cheap" accountant just got expensive.

📋

Year-End Overtime Fees

Your monthly fee covers "routine work." But year-end accounts? That'll be an extra £500-£1,500, often invoiced without warning.

✉

HMRC Correspondence

Got an enquiry letter from HMRC? Many accountants charge separately for handling any HMRC communication — exactly when you need support most.

👥

Payroll as a Bolt-On

Payroll is often quoted separately at £5-£15 per employee per month. With 15 staff, that's up to £225/month on top of your accounting fee.

📜

"Ad Hoc Advice" Surcharges

Thinking about changing your VAT scheme? Want to discuss a new site? That "quick question" becomes a £100+ advisory charge.

⏰

Late Filing Penalties

Slow-to-respond accountants who miss deadlines cost you real money. HMRC penalties start at £100 and escalate quickly — and most firms won't cover them.

The LOYALS Difference

Our fixed monthly fee covers everything — calls, HMRC letters, year-end accounts, advice, and 7-day WhatsApp support. No surprises, no add-ons, no awkward invoices. Just one clear number.

The Real Question

Is a Specialist Restaurant Accountant Worth the Extra Cost?

The short answer: a good restaurant accountant doesn't cost you money — they make you money. Here's what a specialist typically saves compared to a generalist.

£5,000 – £15,000
Tronc Scheme NIC Savings
Proper tip distribution structure eliminates employer NIC on staff tips at 15%. Read our tronc guide →
£2,000 – £10,000
Capital Allowance Claims
Kitchen equipment, fit-outs, and fixtures that generalist accountants routinely miss. See all restaurant deductions →
£1,000 – £5,000
VAT Scheme Optimisation
Choosing between flat rate, standard, and cash accounting can save thousands annually. Try our VAT calculator →
£1,000 – £5,000+
Penalty Avoidance
MTD compliance, correct VAT filings, and timely returns prevent costly HMRC penalties. MTD deadline guide →
£9,000 – £35,000+
Typical Annual Savings with a Specialist
That's 3-10x the cost of the accountant. The question isn't whether you can afford a specialist — it's whether you can afford not to have one.
Client Experiences

What Restaurant Owners Say About Working with LOYALS

We were paying our previous accountant £400 a month and getting basic annual accounts with a two-week response time. LOYALS gives us more for less than half that — and they actually answer on weekends when we need them.

Restaurant Owner
Single-site, Central London
★★★★★

Setting up the tronc scheme alone saved us over £12,000 in the first year. That's the thing about a specialist — they spot opportunities that generalists simply don't know exist.

Pub & Bar Group
Three venues, South London
★★★★★

I was worried about the cost of switching mid-year. LOYALS handled the whole transition — contacted my old accountant, sorted the professional clearance, and had everything running within a week. No stress at all.

Cafe Owner
Sole trader, East London
★★★★★

The WhatsApp support is a game-changer. When I got an HMRC letter on a Saturday, I messaged LOYALS and had an answer within the hour. Try getting that from a high-street accountant.

Takeaway Owner
VAT-registered, North London
★★★★★
Common Questions

Restaurant Accountant Pricing — Your Questions Answered

It depends on your business size and complexity. A sole trader cafe might pay £50-£150 a month for basic services. A single-site VAT-registered restaurant with staff typically pays £200-£500. If you need full-service support including tronc management and proactive advisory, expect £500-£800+ from most firms. LOYALS offers plans starting from £150/month that include services most competitors charge £300-£500 for.
This varies enormously between firms and is where most confusion lies. At a minimum you should get annual accounts and a tax return. Mid-range packages add VAT returns, payroll, and management accounts. Premium services include tronc management, delivery platform reconciliation, proactive tax planning, and extended availability. Always ask specifically whether HMRC correspondence, phone support, and year-end work are included or charged separately.
Unfortunately, yes — and they're common. Watch out for per-call charges (£30-£75 each), separate fees for HMRC correspondence, year-end account "overtime" charges, and additional costs for "ad hoc" advice. These extras can add 30-50% to your quoted monthly fee. Fixed-fee arrangements like those offered by LOYALS eliminate all of these surprises.
Almost always, yes. A specialist restaurant accountant typically saves 3-10 times their annual fee through opportunities that generalists miss: tronc scheme NIC savings (£5,000-£15,000/year), capital allowance claims on kitchen equipment, VAT scheme optimisation, and penalty avoidance. The hospitality sector has unique complexities — tips, variable hours, multiple VAT rates, delivery platform income — that require specific expertise to handle properly. Read more about specialist hospitality accounting →
As a standalone service, restaurant payroll typically costs £5-£15 per employee per month. Some accountants include it in their standard package while others charge separately. Restaurant payroll is more complex than most industries due to tronc tip distribution, variable hours across multiple roles, split shifts, and different pay rates for weekends or holidays. Make sure your accountant genuinely understands hospitality payroll.
If your turnover exceeds the £90,000 VAT registration threshold, you must be VAT registered — and restaurant VAT is particularly complex. Hot takeaway food, cold food, alcohol, and service charges all have different VAT treatments. Choosing between flat rate and standard schemes can save or cost you thousands annually. With Making Tax Digital arriving in April 2026, having specialist VAT guidance is more important than ever. Try our VAT calculator →
Absolutely. You can switch accountants at any point — your previous firm is legally obligated to provide a professional clearance letter and hand over your records. While year-end is the tidiest time to transition, mid-year switches are perfectly normal and a good new accountant will manage the entire process for you. At LOYALS, we handle the transition from start to finish so you don't have to deal with your old firm at all.
Online-only providers offer basic bookkeeping from around £25/month, but you get what you pay for — no proactive advice, no phone support, no industry expertise, and often no human contact at all. For most restaurant owners, this false economy costs far more in missed tax savings than the fee difference. A mid-range specialist at £150-£300/month who actively identifies savings on NIC, capital allowances, and VAT will almost always deliver significantly better value than the cheapest option.

Get a Personalised Quote — No Obligation, No Surprises

Tell us about your restaurant and we'll give you a clear, fixed monthly price. No sales pressure, no hidden fees — just an honest conversation about what you need and what it costs.

Book a Free Call → Call 07450 258975

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