Enter the hours of work you need and the salary you would pay. The calculator compares a year of each option using 2026-27 employer National Insurance and pension rates and EarthOne’s published prices. Nothing you type leaves your browser unless you choose to send it to us.
Estimates only. In-house cost uses 2026-27 rates: employer National Insurance at 15% above £5,000 a year (GOV.UK) and the 3% minimum employer pension on earnings between £6,240 and £50,270 (DWP). It does not deduct the Employment Allowance, which some small employers can claim. EarthOne figures use our published prices, with no onboarding fee.
In-house hire: the salary you enter, employer National Insurance at 15% on earnings above £5,000, and the 3% minimum employer pension contribution on qualifying earnings, plus any recruitment fee and other costs you add. The salary also pays for 5.6 weeks of statutory paid holiday, sick days and training time, so the hours of productive work you get are fewer than the hours you pay for. The calculator does not adjust for that, which keeps the in-house figure on the low side.
UK outsourcer: your hours multiplied by the hourly rate you enter.
EarthOne: the cheapest combination of our published prices for your hours. That is ad hoc at £16.50 an hour for accounting or £12.50 for bookkeeping, a dedicated part-time professional (80 hours: £850 accountant, £750 bookkeeper) or full-time (160 hours: £1,450 accountant, £1,200 bookkeeper). There is no onboarding fee, and the dedicated model ends on one month’s notice.
| Need | EarthOne model | EarthOne a month | UK outsourcer at £30/hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 hours of bookkeeping | Ad hoc, 30 × £12.50 | £375 | £900 |
| 80 hours of bookkeeping | Dedicated part-time bookkeeper | £750 | £2,400 |
| 160 hours of accounting | Dedicated full-time accountant | £1,450 | £4,800 |
Price is only part of the decision. Client-facing work, judgement calls and sign-off belong with your own team. The work that moves well is preparation and production: bookkeeping, reconciliations, VAT returns, draft accounts. For the full trade-off, read in-house vs UK outsourcing vs offshore, our 2026 cost guide, and ten questions to ask any provider before you sign.
Send us your volumes, software and deadlines. We reply within one business day with the model that fits and what it costs.
Send an enquiry See published pricing