Define the service before the price
“Accountancy” can mean annual accounts alone or a wider combination of bookkeeping, tax, payroll and reporting. Ask for each service to be listed. Confirm whether preparation, review, submissions and meetings are included, and what the client is expected to do. A clear boundary is useful to both sides.
Understand the preparation involved
Incomplete or inconsistent records can add work before the requested accounts or return can be prepared. The number of transactions matters, but so does their complexity and the quality of the explanations. Be open about outstanding periods and known issues so the proposal is based on the actual task.
Compare a realistic scenario
Illustrative comparison: a business with reconciled monthly records may need a different scope from one with the same turnover but missing invoices and an unreconciled bank account. Turnover alone does not describe the preparation work. Share a realistic picture and ask what would trigger a change in the quoted scope.
Make changes explicit
Ask how additional work, urgent requests and out-of-scope questions are priced. The engagement should explain the fee basis and any applicable VAT. A recurring arrangement should also identify the review process when the business changes. This site does not publish a universal price because the scope must be understood first.