How Much Does It Cost to Outsource Accounting to India? UK Pricing
The short answer
Outsourcing accounting to India typically costs £8 to £15 per hour for UK work, depending on your niche and how complex the work is. A managed offshore team member through Exuberant Global costs an estimated £17,500 a year, compared with roughly £48,250 for a UK in-house hire once the employer's National Insurance, recruitment and overheads are added. That is a saving of more than 60%.
Employer's National Insurance rose to 15% in April 2025, and Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is being phased in from April 2026, so both the cost of hiring and the compliance workload keep growing. This guide sets out the real numbers, what moves the price, and what to check before you sign with an offshore accounting provider.
£8–£15
typical hourly rate for outsourced UK accounting work
60%+
estimated saving compared with an in-house hire
15 hrs
free trial on any accounting task
What Does Outsourced Accounting Cost Per Hour?
Most offshore accounting providers charge either by the hour or for a dedicated team member. For UK work handled from India, hourly rates generally sit between £8 and £15. At Exuberant Global, the exact figure depends on your niche and the complexity of the work, which is why a short scoping conversation gives a far more reliable number than any price list.
What pushes the hourly rate up or down?
| Factor | Usually costs less when... | Usually costs more when... |
|---|---|---|
| Type of work | Routine bookkeeping, coding and reconciliations | Tax computations, year-end accounts and review-level work |
| Skill level | A trained bookkeeper handles the task. | A qualified, experienced accountant is needed. |
| Software | One mainstream package such as Xero, QuickBooks or Sage | Several systems, or an unusual setup |
| Volume | Steady, predictable monthly workload | Occasional, urgent or highly variable work |
Outsourcing vs Hiring In-House: The Real Cost Comparison
A salary is only part of what an in-house accountant costs you. Employer's National Insurance, recruitment and day-to-day overheads all sit on top. The table below compares one full-time UK accountant on a £40,000 salary with a managed full-time resource from Exuberant Global.
| Cost item (per year) | In-house UK accountant | Exuberant Global |
|---|---|---|
| Salary / service cost | £40,000 | £17,500 |
| Employer's National Insurance (15% above £5,000) | £5,250 | £0 |
| Recruitment | £1,000 | £0 |
| Other overheads | £2,000 | £0 |
| Total | £48,250 | £17,500 |
This is an estimated average price for a managed full-time equivalent, and the actual price depends on the complexity of the services. The in-house column leaves out employer pension contributions, holiday and sickness cover and training, so the real gap is usually wider.
Yearly cost of one full-time accounting resource
In-house UK accountant
Managed by Exuberant Global
Saving of £30,750 a year, about 64%
Why are in-house hiring costs more than they used to be?
From April 2025, the employer's National Insurance went up from 13.8% to 15%, and the point at which employers start paying it dropped from £9,100 to £5,000. Both figures are unchanged for 2026/27. On a £40,000 salary, that means the National Insurance bill has moved from about £4,264 to £5,250, roughly £986 more per employee every year.
Before April 2025
13.8% on earnings above £9,100
£4,264
on a £40,000 salary
Since April 2025 (same in 2026/27)
15% on earnings above £5,000
£5,250
on a £40,000 salary
What Is Included in the Price?
When you outsource accounting to India, the hourly or monthly cost normally covers the work itself rather than extras. At Exuberant Global, the services you can hand over include:
- Bookkeeping, accounts payable and accounts receivable
- Payroll processing
- VAT returns
- Year-end accounts and financial statement preparation
- Tax preparation and compliance work
- Audit support
- Reporting to authorities and management
Because the team works as an extension of your practice, you keep the client relationship and the sign-off, while the processing happens behind the scenes. You can read more about how this works on our page for accounting outsourcing for UK firms.
How Much Extra Profit Could Outsourcing Add? A Worked Example
Outsourcing is not only a way to cut costs. Many accountants and bookkeepers add a markup to outsourced compliance work, so it earns more without taking up their own time. Here is a simple example: you pay £12 per hour, which sits inside the £8 to £15 range, and you bill your client £40 per hour.
£12
You pay per outsourced hour.
£40
You bill your client per hour.
£28
You keep per hour.
Across 100 outsourced hours a month, that is £2,800 of added margin a month, or £33,600 a year, before your own review time. Your billing rate will differ, but the same arithmetic applies whatever your numbers are.
Hourly Rate or Dedicated Team: Which Pricing Model Fits?
| Model | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly | You pay from £8 to £15 per hour for the time used. | Variable workloads, busy seasons and practices testing outsourcing for the first time |
| Dedicated managed team member | A full-time resource works as part of your team, from an estimated £17,500 a year. | Steady monthly volume and firms that want consistency |
Either way, you can scale up or down as your workload changes, with no recruitment lag and no worry about losing a member of staff.
Hidden Costs to Ask About Before You Sign
A low headline rate means little if the extras are not spelt out. Before you commit to any offshore accounting provider, ask for written answers to these questions:
- Is there a minimum number of hours or a minimum contract length?
- Are there onboarding or setup charges?
- Who pays for accounting software licences and any extra user seats?
- Do peak periods such as year-end or self-assessment season carry different rates?
- How much of your own time will the review take, and is multi-level checking built into the price?
- What is the notice period if you want to scale down or stop?
- Do they have a data processing agreement, and which certifications can they evidence?
Is the Cheapest Provider Always the Best Value?
No. A rate that looks low can become expensive if your team spends hours correcting mistakes or explaining UK rules again and again. When you compare providers, weigh price against:
- UK experience: Exuberant Global has spent 12 years serving UK accountants, with 1,000+ projects completed for UK clients across bookkeeping, payroll, VAT, financial statements and tax compliance.
- Software knowledge: the team works across 20+ accounting software packages.
- Security and quality: ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 27001 for information security and GDPR compliance.
- Trial period: a free trial lets you judge the quality before paying anything.
If you are still comparing options, our guide to the top UK accounting outsourcing companies in India shows how different providers are positioned.
How to Get an Accurate Quote in 4 Steps
List the work you want to hand over.
Bookkeeping, VAT, payroll, year-end accounts or tax preparation. Start with the tasks that take the most time.
Estimate the hours for each task.
Use your timesheets from the last three months so the numbers come from real work, not guesses.
Note your software and special requirements
Tell the provider whether you use Xero, QuickBooks, Sage or something else, and any client-specific rules.
Run a trial on one real task.
Exuberant Global offers a complimentary 15-hour trial on any accounting task, so you can check the quality and turnaround first.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to outsource accounting to India?
For UK work, outsourcing accounting to India typically costs between £8 and £15 per hour, depending on your niche and the complexity of the work. A dedicated managed full-time team member through Exuberant Global is estimated at around £17,500 a year.
Is outsourcing accounting to India cheaper than hiring in the UK?
Yes. A UK accountant on a £40,000 salary costs roughly £48,250 a year once the employer's National Insurance, recruitment and overheads are added, before pension, holiday cover and training. Outsourcing typically saves more than 60%.
Are there hidden costs in offshore accounting?
There can be, which is why you should ask about minimum hours, onboarding charges, software licences, peak-period rates and notice periods before you sign, and get the answers in writing.
Is outsourcing worthwhile for a small accounting practice?
Yes. Because you can pay by the hour and scale up or down, a small practice can take on more clients without the cost and risk of a new permanent hire.
Can I outsource just one service, such as bookkeeping or payroll?
Yes. You can hand over a single service such as bookkeeping, VAT or payroll, and add others as your needs grow.
Is my clients' data safe when it is handled in India?
Exuberant Global holds ISO 27001 certification for information security and complies with GDPR. Whichever provider you choose, ask for evidence of certifications and a data processing agreement.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. Exuberant Global offers a complimentary 15-hour free trial on any accounting task, so you can check quality and turnaround before you commit.
Does the time difference between the UK and India cause delays?
Usually the opposite. India is around 4.5 to 5.5 hours ahead of the UK, so work handed over at the end of your day can be ready when you start the next morning, and your working day effectively stretches.
Bottom Line: What Should You Expect to Pay?
Expect to pay from £8 to £15 per hour to outsource accounting to India, or around £17,500 a year for a managed full-time resource, against roughly £48,250 for an in-house UK hire. The right price for your practice depends on the work involved, so the best next step is to scope it properly and test it on a real task.
Find out what your practice would pay.
Tell us about your workload and software, and we will come back with a clear quote. Start with a complimentary 15-hour trial on any accounting task.
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