How much does payroll cost through an accountant?

If you employ anyone - including yourself as a company director on a salary - you need to run payroll and report it to HMRC in real time. Here is what outsourcing payroll to an accountant typically costs in 2025-26.

Typical cost: GBP 5-15 per employee/month

Typical cost, in context

Typical UK accountant fees by service
Service	Typical cost
PayrollUsually a minimum monthly fee of GBP 50-100 regardless of headcount.	GBP 5-15per employee/month
Limited company accounts + Corporation TaxStatutory accounts filed at Companies House plus the CT600. Small company.	GBP 750-2000per year
Full company service (accounts, CT, director tax, payroll)Complete package for a director: company accounts, Corporation Tax and personal Self Assessment.	GBP 800-1500per year
BookkeepingOr roughly GBP 25-60 per hour. Scales with transaction volume and software.	GBP 100-500per month

Indicative ranges, excluding VAT unless noted. Figures compiled July 2026; individual quotes vary with complexity and location. Related services shown for comparison.

What changes the price

Headcount: priced per payslip, so cost scales with the number of employees.
Pay frequency: weekly payroll costs more to run than monthly for the same headcount.
Pension auto-enrolment: assessing and filing workplace pension contributions adds a small per-employee cost.
Extras: starters, leavers, statutory pay (sick, maternity) and year-end P60s/P11Ds can add to a basic per-payslip fee.

How payroll is usually priced

Most firms charge a small per-employee, per-run fee - roughly GBP 5-15 a payslip - on top of a minimum monthly charge of about GBP 50-100 regardless of headcount. So a single-director company paying itself a salary pays close to the minimum, while a ten-person team pays the per-head rate. Auto-enrolment pension administration is sometimes inside the fee and sometimes a small add-on.

What running payroll involves

Each pay run means calculating gross-to-net pay, PAYE and National Insurance, submitting a Full Payment Submission to HMRC on or before payday (Real Time Information), assessing pension auto-enrolment, and issuing payslips. Get the RTI timing wrong and HMRC penalties follow, which is why even single-director companies commonly outsource it rather than risk the deadlines.

Check the firm is actually regulated

Price is only half the decision. "Accountant" is not a protected title in the UK, so the cheapest quote is not always from a qualified, accountable firm. Any business doing accountancy work is legally required to be supervised for anti-money-laundering, and the strongest firms are also members of a body such as ICAEW, ACCA or AAT. Before you pay, confirm the firm is AML-supervised and on the public record.

Find a verified, AML-supervised accountant near you →

Frequently asked questions

How much does payroll cost per employee?

Typically GBP 5-15 per employee per month, on top of a minimum monthly fee of around GBP 50-100. So cost scales with headcount but rarely drops below the minimum even for one director.

Do I need payroll for a one-person limited company?

If you pay yourself a salary through the company, yes - it must be reported to HMRC under Real Time Information. Many directors run a small salary plus dividends, and the salary element still needs a payroll scheme.

Is pension auto-enrolment included in payroll fees?

Sometimes. Some firms include workplace pension assessment and filing in the per-payslip fee; others charge a small add-on per employee. Confirm which when you get the quote.