Understanding the Cost of Hiring a Personal Tax Advisor in London
Many London taxpayers are surprised to learn how widely the cost of a personal tax advisor can vary. After more than two decades advising individuals, business owners, landlords, non-domiciled clients, and high-income employees across the UK, I’ve learned that price is never one-size-fits-all. It hinges on the complexity of your tax affairs, the level of support you require, and crucially, the calibre and experience of the adviser helping you.
Why Choosing a Personal Tax Accountant in London Often Comes at a Premium
London tends to sit at the higher end of UK pricing because it hosts a concentration of chartered tax advisers, ex-HMRC inspectors now in private practice, and specialist firms dealing with high-income and international cases. But this doesn’t mean every Personal Tax Accountant in London offers or charges for premium services. In reality, costs are typically aligned to the risk, responsibility, and expertise required to handle your position correctly under HMRC rules.
Below, I break down the real-world pricing I have seen consistently across London practices ranging from small independent tax consultants to Big Four accountancy firms and I explain why those numbers make sense based on actual client needs.

What Drives the Cost of a Personal Tax Advisor in London?
Clients often assume that price is based simply on how long it takes the accountant to prepare their return. In practice, time is only one factor. What really drives fees are four things:
1. Complexity of Your Tax Affairs
HMRC’s Self Assessment system touches on multiple UK tax rules, including:
• Income Tax
• Dividend Tax
• Capital Gains Tax
• UK property tax rules (including “Section 24” interest restrictions)
• International tax rules (double taxation treaties)
•Inheritance Tax reporting  for certain lifetime gifts
• Employment benefits and P11D adjustments
• Trust and estate income
• Deemed domicile and remittance basis claims
• UK pension allowances, annual allowance tapering, and lifetime allowance protections (legacy protections now still relevant)
The more categories you fall into, the more specialist knowledge your adviser must apply. That is reflected in the fee.
2. Your Required Level of Support
Some London clients simply want their annual return filed. Others need year-round guidance such as:
• Tax planning before selling a property
• Help claiming Gift Aid optimally
• Advice around pensions and annual allowance tapering
• Guidance on allowable expenses for self-employed individuals
• Record keeping
• Dealing with HMRC enquiries or compliance checks
• Amending historic returns dating back up to four years
• Reviewing PAYE coding notices for errors
• Managing overseas income and foreign tax credits
Your adviser’s involvement outside the annual return will influence cost significantly.
3. The Experience Level of the Adviser
There is a measurable difference between:
• A bookkeeper offering basic Self Assessment support
• A qualified accountant handling standard tax affairs
• A Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) the UK’s highest tax qualification
• A former HMRC specialist providing investigation defence or complex advisory work
• A Big Four tax consultant
You pay not just for the time spent but for the expertise behind the work. A seasoned adviser can often save clients thousands simply by structuring income correctly, identifying under-claimed reliefs, or preventing HMRC penalties.
4. Risk Level and Scope of Liability
Advisers must carry professional indemnity insurance, and cases involving:
• Large property portfolios
• High-risk capital gains transactions
• Overseas income streams
• Share schemes and RSUs
• Complicated partnership allocations
• Trust or estate distributions
…increase exposure. The fee reflects the adviser’s risk as well as the complexity of getting things right first time.
Typical London Tax Advisor Price Ranges (Realistic & Up-To-Date)
To give you a clear picture, the table below summarises realistic London pricing for personal tax services. These are based on actual fee ranges seen across reputable London practices, including independent specialists, mid-tier firms, and FTSE-facing tax departments.
Typical Personal Tax Advisor Costs in London (Approximate)
Type of Service Typical London Cost Range Who This Applies To
Basic Self Assessment (simple income) £180–£350 Employees with PAYE income, occasional interest/dividends
Self-Employed Sole Trader Return £300–£650 Freelancers, contractors, small sole traders
UK Landlord Tax Return £300–£700+ Single UK rental property, with mortgage interest & expenses
Multiple Property Landlord £600–£1,200+ Landlords with 2–5 properties
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Calculations £350–£1,500+ Sale of shares, second homes, crypto, business assets
60-Day UK Property CGT Return £350–£900+ Required for UK residential disposals
High-Income Individuals with Benefits, RSUs, P11D £450–£1,000+ Senior employees, directors, expatriates
Non-UK Resident / Non-Domiciled Return £800–£2,500+ Overseas income, remittance basis, foreign tax credit claims
HMRC Enquiry / Compliance Check Support £150–£450 per hour, or £1,500–£10,000+ fixed PAYE enquiries, property tax checks, offshore matters
These ranges reflect actual market positioning as of current UK tax practice, though each case will differ depending on what must be reviewed, prepared, and defended.

Why London Prices Are Higher Than the UK Average
There are several reasons London advisors usually charge more:
1. Higher overheads and regulatory costs
London firms face increased operating expenses office space, compliance, insurance, and administrative costs. These naturally filter into fees.
2. Greater concentration of high-complexity cases
Many London taxpayers are:
• Higher-rate or additional-rate taxpayers
• Company directors
• Landlords with portfolios inside and outside the UK
• Expatriates working under complex employment packages
• Investors with gains across multiple platforms
The nature of work often demands deeper tax expertise.
3. Availability of specialist advisers
Specialists such as Chartered Tax Advisers, international tax experts, and former HMRC inspectors tend to be London-based. Their advanced expertise commands a premium for good reason: they reduce risk dramatically.

Client Scenario: What a Typical London Tax Return Really Costs
Below is a real-world style example based on thousands of assessments over two decades:
Scenario
A client lives in Kensington, works as a senior project manager, earns £85,000 through PAYE, receives:
• A company car benefit (reported on P11D)
• £12,000 of dividend income
• £3,500 of rental profit from a single UK flat
• £350 of interest income
• Pension contributions near the annual allowance taper threshold
Likely Fee
Most London advisors would charge £450–£650 for such a return.
Why this cost makes sense
The adviser must:
1. Review PAYE coding notices for accuracy

2. Enter employment income and benefits

3. Assess dividend tax liabilities

4. Calculate rental profits and allowable expenses

5. Check pension tapering and avoid excess annual allowance charges

6. Consider Gift Aid interactions with higher-rate relief

7. File the return and provide a pre-submission review

This is not a simple return, nor is it highly complex it sits in the middle, where London pricing tends to fall.

How London Tax Advisors Typically Structure Their Pricing
The pricing model varies by firm, but three structures dominate:
1. Fixed Fee for Standard Services
Most reputable London advisers quote a fixed fee for:
• Basic returns
• Landlord returns
• High-income PAYE returns
• Sole trader accounts + tax return
This allows predictable budgeting.
2. Hourly Billing for Complex Advisory Work
Hourly rates in London usually range from:
• £80–£150/hr for junior staff
• £150–£350/hr for senior accountants
• £250–£450/hr for chartered tax specialists
• £400–£600/hr for former HMRC specialists
This structure is common for:
• HMRC tax enquiries
• International tax advice
• CGT planning before selling a business
• Non-domicile remittance calculations
3. Hybrid Pricing
Some firms charge:
• A fixed fee for the core tax return
• Additional fees for advisory support, planning, or complex schedules
This hybrid model is very common in Central London.

When Paying More Can Save You More
I’ve had countless clients insist on “the cheapest option” only to face:
• Incorrect returns
• HMRC enquiries
• Underpaid tax + interest + penalties
• Missed allowances (worth far more than the fee)
• Overpaid tax that was never reclaimed
A seasoned adviser doesn’t just file numbers they protect you.
A strong example involves pension annual allowance tapering. An inexperienced adviser might miss the taper’s interaction with taxable income, leading to a nasty tax charge months later. A knowledgeable London tax specialist will catch this quickly and structure contributions accordingly often saving far more than the advisory fee.