Hong Kong Accounting Fees, Explained Transparently

"How much does a year of accounts cost?" is the first question almost every Hong Kong SME owner asks — and the answers range from a few hundred dollars to five figures. Here is how the pricing actually works, and where the traps are.

Three pricing models

1. By transaction volume

The most common and the fairest. The fee is banded by how many bank receipts and payments you generate each month. More activity means more work, so more cost — and a low-activity start-up pays little. Our own plans work this way, from HK$200 a month.

2. Fixed monthly or annual retainer

Predictable for budgeting, and suitable where volume is stable. Read the scope carefully: the risk is "outside the package, charged separately".

3. Per project

Used for one-off work — catching up prior years, reconstructing lost records, preparing special reports. Flexible, but prices vary widely, so agree the fee in writing first.

What actually drives the price

• Transaction count — the single biggest factor.
• Number of bank and platform accounts — each one needs its own reconciliation.
• Currencies — multi-currency means translation and revaluation work.
• Stock — inventory valuation and cut-off testing add hours.
• Employees — payroll, MPF, and accruals.
• Record quality — the one you control. Disorganised documents can double the time.
• How late you start — rush work at year end costs more everywhere.

Market ranges in 2026

Six hidden charges to ask about

1. Year-end statements charged separately from monthly bookkeeping.
2. Audit schedules billed as extra work rather than included.
3. Per-document surcharges once you exceed an unstated threshold.
4. Catch-up years quoted only after you have signed for the current year.
5. Software licence passed through at a markup.
6. Correspondence with the IRD billed hourly when a query arrives.

A single question filters most of this out: "What is the total I will pay for a full year, including year-end statements and audit schedules, if my volume stays as described?" A transparent provider can answer it in one line.

Why the cheapest quote often is not

A very low bookkeeping fee usually means the work is minimal — transactions posted, nothing reviewed. The cost then reappears in the audit, because the auditor spends the hours tidying up instead. Judge the combined bookkeeping + audit cost, not either alone.

Send three months of bank statements to our enquiry form and we will quote a fixed monthly fee, with the year-end work included in writing. Or call 3687-1127.