The cheapest way to cover your finance work is to split it. Keep the work that needs a UK qualified accountant, such as tax returns and statutory accounts, with a UK practice. Then give the daily work, such as bookkeeping, credit control and payroll prep, to the most cost-effective person who can do it well. That could be a part-time bookkeeper, an outsourced service or a remote employee.
Most small firms pay too much because they hire one person to do everything. A senior accountant then spends their week matching receipts. This guide shows you how to split the work, what must stay in the UK, what can be done remotely and what each option costs. It ends with a scoring sheet to help you choose.
What finance work does your business actually need?
Before you hire anyone, list the finance work you have. It usually falls into layers. Each layer needs a different level of skill, so each one has a different fair price.
| Layer | Typical tasks | How often | Skill level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping | Bank feeds, coding costs, sales and purchase invoices, receipts | Daily or weekly | Trained bookkeeper |
| Credit control | Chasing unpaid invoices, aged debtor reports, payment plans | Weekly | Clerk or bookkeeper |
| Payroll | Starters and leavers, hours, payslips, pension uploads | Weekly or monthly | Payroll specialist |
| Management accounts | Month-end close, profit and loss, cash flow, budget vs actual | Monthly | Management accountant |
| Compliance | VAT returns, statutory accounts, Corporation Tax, Self Assessment | Quarterly or yearly | Qualified accountant or tax adviser |
| Finance leadership | Funding, pricing, forecasts, board reporting, big decisions | As needed | Finance director (FD) |
Most businesses under 50 staff do not need all six layers full time. You might need 30 hours a week of bookkeeping, a few days a month of management accounts and a few days a year of compliance work. Once you can see the hours, the cheaper options become clear.
If you are not sure where bookkeeping ends and accounting starts, see bookkeeper vs accountant: which does your business need?.
Your five options for finance staff
There are five common ways to get this work done. Many firms use two or three of them together.
| Option | What you get | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time UK employee | A dedicated person in your team | Larger firms with steady, varied work | The highest cost; hard to fill senior roles |
| Part-time UK employee | A set number of hours each week | Small firms with light, steady bookkeeping | Still an employee, with UK employer costs |
| Outsourced practice or bookkeeper | A firm does the work for a fee | Compliance work and small volumes | Less control; you may be one of many clients |
| Fractional FD | A senior person a few days a month | Funding rounds, pricing, forecasts | Costs more per day; not for routine work |
| Remote employee abroad | A full-time team member in another country | Steady daily work, such as bookkeeping and credit control | You must train them on UK rules and check their work |
Full-time UK employee
A full-time hire makes sense when you have enough work at one level to fill a week. The cost is more than the salary. You also pay employer's National Insurance, pension and holiday. For the full picture, read how to calculate the true cost of hiring an employee in the UK.
Part-time UK employee
A part-time bookkeeper suits a small firm with a few days' work a week. You pay for fewer hours, but the same employer rules apply. Part-time staff can also be hard to find when you need extra cover at year end.
Outsourced practice or bookkeeper
An accountancy practice is the usual home for your tax and compliance work. Many also offer bookkeeping and payroll. This can work well for small volumes. As your business grows, monthly fees can rise fast. You may also wait in a queue at busy times, such as January.
Fractional FD
A fractional FD is a senior finance person who works with you part time. You might book two days a month. They help with funding, pricing and forecasts. It is a good way to get senior advice without a full-time salary. If you are weighing this up, see fractional finance director or full-time FD: a cost guide.
Remote employee abroad
A remote employee works full time for your business from another country. This suits steady daily work, such as bookkeeping, credit control and payroll prep. You get one person who knows your business, at a lower cost than a UK hire at the same level. The trade-off is that you must train them on UK rules and set clear checks.
What should stay with a UK accountant?
Some finance work carries legal duties in the UK. In most cases, it is safest to keep this work with a UK qualified accountant or tax adviser, even if the daily work happens elsewhere.
Statutory accounts and Corporation Tax
Your company must prepare yearly statutory accounts. GOV.UK says you must send copies to Companies House and HMRC, as part of your Company Tax Return. The deadlines are strict. A private limited company must file annual accounts with Companies House 9 months after its financial year ends*. The Company Tax Return is due 12 months after the accounting period ends*.
Late accounts cost money. GOV.UK's page on penalties for late filing shows a penalty of £150 for up to 1 month late*, rising to £1,500 for more than 6 months*. The penalty is doubled if your accounts are late 2 years in a row.
Directors stay responsible
This is the point many owners miss. GOV.UK's guide to running a limited company says you can hire people to manage some of these tasks, such as an accountant. But you are still legally responsible for your company's records and accounts. So whoever does the work, you need someone you trust to check it.
Making Tax Digital
Making Tax Digital (MTD) changes how records reach HMRC. For VAT, GOV.UK says all VAT-registered businesses should now be signed up for MTD for VAT.
MTD for Income Tax affects sole traders and landlords. According to HMRC's guide on when you need to use MTD for Income Tax, people with qualifying income over £50,000 for 2024 to 2025 should have started from 6 April 2026*. The threshold drops to £30,000 from April 2027* and £20,000 from April 2028*.
Under MTD for Income Tax, you must send quarterly updates to HMRC every 3 months for each business, using compatible software. This matters even if you run a limited company. You may own rental property, or your clients may be sole traders. Good digital records make these updates easy, and keeping digital records is work that can be done remotely.
Tax advisers dealing with HMRC
If someone deals with HMRC about your tax and is paid for it, the rules have tightened. HMRC's page on registering as a tax adviser says that if you do this, you must register with HMRC as a tax adviser. They must apply for an agent services account and get your authorisation before they act for you.
HMRC's guide to agent services accounts also says advisers need approved anti-money laundering supervision in place before they apply. Separately, accountancy service providers not supervised by a professional body must register with HMRC for money laundering supervision.
In practice, this is a good reason to keep your UK accountant as the one who files and talks to HMRC for you. Your own staff, wherever they are, keep the records and prepare the figures. The rules are being brought in stages and depend on each case, so ask your accountant how they apply to you.
What can be done remotely?
A lot of finance work happens inside cloud software, such as Xero or QuickBooks. If the work is in the software, the person doing it can be almost anywhere. Here is a simple split.
| Task | Keep with your UK accountant | Can be done by a remote team member | Shared |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank reconciliations and coding | Yes | ||
| Sales invoices and purchase ledger | Yes | ||
| Credit control and debt chasing | Yes | ||
| Payroll prep (hours, starters, leavers) | Yes | You approve before payday | |
| Month-end close and management accounts | Yes | You or your FD review | |
| VAT return | Files and signs off | Prepares the figures | Yes |
| MTD quarterly updates | Files, or checks before you file | Keeps the digital records | Yes |
| Statutory accounts and Corporation Tax | Yes | Supplies the trial balance and schedules | |
| Approving payments | You do this | Prepares the payment run |
The rule of thumb is simple. A remote team member does the daily work and prepares the figures. A UK accountant files and signs off. You approve anything that moves money.
What does each option cost?
Costs vary a lot by region, experience and hours. Practice fees and fractional FD day rates are set by each firm, so get at least three written quotes for your own scope. For employees, you can compare like with like.
Flink's savings calculator gives an indicative yearly cost for finance roles hired in South Africa through Flink. It also shows a typical UK salary for the same role and level. The table below adds UK employer's National Insurance to the UK salary. For 2026 to 2027, GOV.UK's rates and thresholds for employers show a rate of 15%* on earnings above £5,000 a year* for most employees.
| Role and experience | Typical UK salary (calculator) | UK salary plus employer's NI | Indicative annual cost through Flink (+ VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper, up to 2 years | £27,600* | £30,990 | £19,364* |
| Bookkeeper, 2 to 5 years | £36,000* | £40,650 | £24,545* |
| Bookkeeper, 5+ years | £45,600* | £51,690 | £31,669* |
| Credit control or clerk, 2 to 5 years | £36,000* | £40,650 | £23,250* |
| Payroll, 2 to 5 years | £45,600* | £51,690 | £25,840* |
| Management accountant, 2 to 5 years | £54,000* | £61,350 | £34,907* |
| Management accountant, 5+ years | £74,400* | £84,810 | £47,860* |
The Flink figures are indicative, from Flink's savings calculator (September 2026). They are + VAT. A once-off setup fee also applies. Your exact quote depends on the role. Ask for an itemised quote so you can see what each figure includes.
The UK column is not the full cost. It leaves out pension, holiday cover, recruitment fees, software and desk space. Add those for your own business. For a step-by-step way to compare the two sides, read how to compare the total cost of UK and South African hires.
Why some UK firms hire finance staff in South Africa
Cost is one reason, but not the only one. South Africa has a large, English-speaking graduate talent pool, as Flink's homepage notes. It also runs on UTC+2. That means it is 2 hours ahead of the UK in winter and 1 hour ahead in summer. A bookkeeper there can have your bank feeds coded before your UK day starts. For the wider case, read why UK businesses hire in South Africa: 7 reasons beyond cost.
The same maths works for other roles. If you are also hiring for tech, see what a software developer costs in South Africa. For support teams, see the true cost of a UK customer support team vs a South African one.
South African accounting qualifications
The main professional body is the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). SAICA offers three designations. These are Accounting Technician AT(SA), Associate General Accountant AGA(SA) and Chartered Accountant CA(SA).
The CA(SA) route is long. SAICA's page on how to become a CA(SA) lists a degree and postgraduate study, a first exam and a formal training programme. The final exam, the APC, needs at least 20 months of that training first. SAICA also describes the AGA(SA) as its mid-tier designation.
You can check a candidate's membership on SAICA's verify a member page. Search by name or member number, and pick the designation. For most bookkeeping and credit control roles, you do not need a CA(SA). A trained bookkeeper with strong software skills is often a better fit. For more detail, see South African accountants: qualifications explained for UK employers.
One point matters more than any title. A South African qualification does not teach UK VAT, PAYE or MTD in depth. So test for UK knowledge, or plan to train it. Your UK accountant can help set the rules, such as VAT codes and month-end steps.
How to vet and control a remote finance hire
Finance staff see money and personal data. So vet them with care, and set up checks from day one. For a full process, see how to vet remote candidates.
Test the real work
Give each shortlisted person the same short, paid task. Use made-up data. Good tests include these:
- Reconcile a sample bank statement against a ledger and explain any gaps.
- Code 20 sample costs, including a few with tricky VAT.
- Write a polite but firm email to a customer who is 60 days late.
- Build a simple aged debtor report from a list of invoices.
Then talk through the answers on a video call. Ask why they made each choice. A good finance hire will flag what they were unsure about.
Set controls before day one
- Split the duties. Your remote hire prepares the payment run. You, or another person, approve it in your bank.
- Use their own logins. Never share passwords. Give access only to what they need.
- Review monthly. Look at the bank reconciliation and aged debtors each month. Ask about anything odd.
- Protect personal data. The UK GDPR still applies when staff abroad can see your data. The ICO's guide to international transfers says every restricted transfer must be covered by a transfer mechanism, such as appropriate safeguards. Ask a data protection adviser to check your set-up.
Which option fits you? A scoring sheet
Answer each question for the work you want to hand over. Add up the points in each column.
| Question | If yes, add 1 point to |
|---|---|
| Is there more than 25 hours a week of this work? | Remote employee or full-time UK |
| Is the work mostly daily tasks in cloud software? | Remote employee |
| Does it involve filing with HMRC or Companies House? | Outsourced practice |
| Do you need senior advice on funding or pricing? | Fractional FD |
| Must the person be in your office? | Full-time or part-time UK |
| Is there less than 10 hours a week of this work? | Part-time UK or outsourced practice |
| Do you want one person who learns your business deeply? | Remote employee or full-time UK |
| Is keeping cost down your top priority? | Remote employee |
The column with the most points is your starting point. Many firms end up with a mix, such as a remote bookkeeper for daily work and a UK practice for year-end and tax.
Example (hypothetical): a 30-person firm pays its UK practice for bookkeeping, payroll and year-end accounts. The owner scores the bookkeeping. It is 30 hours a week, all in cloud software, with no filing. The owner wants one person who learns the business, and cost matters. It scores 4 for a remote employee. The year-end work scores for the practice. So the owner hires a remote bookkeeper for the daily work and keeps the practice for the accounts and tax. The practice now gets clean records each month, which may also cut its year-end time. The owner asks the practice for a new quote on the smaller scope before deciding.
Where Flink fits
Flink Remotely helps UK businesses hire skilled remote staff in South Africa, including finance roles. We act as recruitment partner and employer of record. We find the person, then employ them in South Africa and handle the contract, payroll and benefits there. You manage the daily work. To see how that works from brief to first payslip, read how an employer of record works, step by step.
Every candidate is pre-vetted through video interviews, psychometric tests and reference checks. You can still run your own finance test and interview the shortlist. Our talent pages show the kind of people we place, such as this finance professional with 4+ years in finance administration and Xero skills.
There is no upfront cost to engage Flink. A once-off setup fee covers sourcing, onboarding, equipment and testing. Flink handles IT and VoIP setup, and many clients onboard their new hire within a few weeks.
This route tends to suit a business with steady daily finance work, such as bookkeeping, credit control, payroll prep or management accounts. It works best when you have a UK accountant for filing and someone in the UK who reviews the figures. It may not suit you if you only have a few hours of work a month. A part-time bookkeeper or a practice is likely to fit better then. It is also not a replacement for your UK accountant's tax and filing work.
Before you decide, compare the full yearly cost on both sides, what the setup fee covers, notice terms and what happens if a hire leaves. You still own the tasks, approvals and controls. We handle the employment side in South Africa.
What this means for you
Start by listing your finance work by layer and by hours. You will probably find that most of the hours are routine daily work, not senior advice.
Then match each layer to the cheapest option that can do it well. Keep statutory accounts, tax filing and HMRC contact with a UK accountant. Put daily work with a bookkeeper who can give it full attention, whether in the UK or remote. Book senior help only when you need it.
Finally, compare full costs, not salaries, and set your controls before anyone starts. Remember that, as a director, you stay responsible for the accounts whoever prepares them.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in the UK?
It depends on the role and level. Flink's savings calculator shows a typical UK salary of £54,000 for a management accountant with 2 to 5 years' experience, before employer's NI and pension. Practice fees vary by firm and scope, so get at least three written quotes.
Can a remote bookkeeper file my VAT return?
In most cases, it is safest for your remote bookkeeper to prepare the figures and for your UK accountant to file. Anyone paid to deal with HMRC for you as an adviser may need to register with HMRC first. Ask your accountant how the rules apply to your set-up.
Do I still need a UK accountant if I hire a remote finance team?
For most limited companies, yes. Your statutory accounts, Corporation Tax and HMRC contact are best handled by a UK accountant. A remote team member can do the daily work, which often makes the accountant's job quicker.
Is it safe to give a remote finance hire access to my bank?
Give view access and the ability to prepare payments, but keep approval with you or another trusted person. Use separate logins, review the bank reconciliation each month and remove access on their last day.
Are South African accountants qualified to UK standards?
SAICA runs three designations, from AT(SA) to CA(SA), and you can check membership online. A South African qualification will not cover UK tax in depth, so test for UK VAT and payroll knowledge, or plan to train it.
If you have steady finance work to hand over, see how Flink helps UK businesses hire remote operations and finance staff.
Correct at the time of writing (October 2026). Rates and rules change, so check the linked source.
Sources
- Prepare annual accounts, GOV.UK, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Accounts and tax returns for private limited companies, GOV.UK, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Penalties for late filing, GOV.UK, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Running a limited company: directors' responsibilities, GOV.UK, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Making Tax Digital for VAT, HM Revenue and Customs on GOV.UK, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Find out if and when you need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, HM Revenue and Customs on GOV.UK, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: send quarterly updates, HM Revenue and Customs on GOV.UK, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Find out how to register as a professional tax agent with HMRC, HM Revenue and Customs on GOV.UK, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Apply for an agent services account, HM Revenue and Customs on GOV.UK, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Money Laundering Regulations: who needs to register, HM Revenue and Customs on GOV.UK, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Flink savings calculator, Flink Remotely, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027, HM Revenue and Customs on GOV.UK, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Flink Remotely homepage, Flink Remotely, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Chartered Accountant CA(SA), South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- How to become a Chartered Accountant CA(SA), South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Associate General Accountant AGA(SA), South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Verify a member, South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- A brief guide to international transfers, Information Commissioner's Office, (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Available Lion: Account Administrator, Flink Remotely, (accessed 24 October 2026)
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Talk to us about the role you need. Flink helps UK businesses hire skilled remote employees in South Africa, with recruitment, contracts and payroll handled for you.
Or book a call and we will talk it through.