The Dilemma: In-House Hire or Outsource Accounting Work?
Hiring locally feels comfortable, but recruitment lead-times stretch to 4 – 6 months, and UK accountant salaries keep rising. Meanwhile, specialist outsourcing providers or offshore partners can onboard talent in weeks.
- See our Offshoring vs Outsourcing guide for model definitions.
- Dive into some of the issues with traditional outsourcing
2025 Cost Breakdown (Industry Cost Benchmarks): Salary, NI, Pension & Overheads vs Outsourcing Fees
Annual cost
In-house
Offshore
Outsourced
Base salary
£31,605 average UK salary
£16,000 (50 % lower)
£13.33 × 1,600 h = £21,328
Employer NI (15%)
£4,741 (rate rises Apr 2025)
£0 (not subject to UK NI)
Included
Auto – enrolment pension (3%)
£948
n/a
Included
Office / software / overhead
£5,000 (desk, licence, utilities)
£2,000 (remote tooling & provider admin)
Included
Total annual cost
£42,294
£18,000
£21,328
Saving vs UK hire
/
– 57%
– 49%
“Figures compiled from 2025 ONS Salary Survey, Hays Salary Guide and publicly-available outsourcing/offshoring rate cards. Remote Professionals provides bespoke quotes—contact us for an exact proposal.”
Quality & Expertise: Local Employee vs Specialist Outsourced Team
- Specialisation on tap. Reputable providers deliver ACCA/CA-qualified staff versed in UK GAAP – often ex-Big 4 alumni.
- Process controls. You keep review rights: assign work in Xero, lock files, and approve journals just as you would with an in-house hire.
- Cultural fit. South Africa’s near-shore time-zone (GMT +2) gives 6 hours of overlap for live reviews, erasing the “midnight email lag”.
Flexibility & Scalability
Scenario
In-house hire
Outsourcing / Offshoring
Busy season spike
Overtime or temp agency fees
Add hours or an extra seat for 3 months
Slow quarter
Full salary still due
Scale down retainer or hours
New service line
Recruit & train
Plug in a specialist from partner bench
Growth & Client Service Impact
With bookkeeping and compliance off your plate, partners reclaim ~10 hrs/week for advisory calls—clients notice, retention lifts, and you up-sell strategic projects.
Verdict: When Outsourcing Wins
If your firm:
Has <50 staff and fights deadline backlogs.
Faces salary + NI inflation.
Wants predictable margins ahead of the 2026 MTD crunch.
Outsourcing or offshoring a dedicated accountant beats hiring—by £20k+ a year.
Keep Your Firm Growing!
Make sure you’re on the right track and spending you’re teams valuable time where it matters most… on your clients! Check out other parts of our website to get some more value for your firm and feel free to book a call if you ever have any questions.
Start with our comparison of outsourcing and offshoring for UK accounting firms:
