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Last year, in a run-up to the Autumn Budget, 94% of UK accountants expressed a lack of confidence in the economy. Only 6% said they were optimistic about the economic outlook, while an overwhelming 64% remained largely negative.
Cut to 2026, accounting firms are living in a crunch. Inflation may have cooled a bit, but the biggest headache for partners – rising employment and payroll costs – still remain a front-of-mind concern.
Plus, the Autumn Budget’s changes to employer obligations only make it stickier. From April 2026, statutory sick pay is payable from day one, wage floors are rising, and the extensions to employer cost freezes mean you’re locked in at a higher base cost for years to come.
It isn’t surprising that almost one-third of UK employers have paused hiring or slowed recruitment plans due to rising employment costs.
For accounting firms, where labour is literally the product you sell, this isn’t just a cost line. It is the whole business. And if finding and keeping good accountants and bookkeepers is already tough, higher costs make the challenge double-edged.
That’s exactly why a growing number of UK accounting firms are looking offshore, and why offshore bookkeeping should be on your radar, not as a buzzword, but as a margin-saving lever.
You already know the basics: employing UK-based staff means salary + employer NI + pension contributions + benefits + training + recruitment + overheads. Digging into that structure, employer NIC increases alone added a significant amount to business expenses, and compliance additions are only adding to it.
Calculate your employer costs in the next five years here: Autumn Budget Impact on Employer Cost Calculator 2025/26
When hiring slows down and headcount expectations fall, as recent employer confidence reports show, you need alternatives to absorb workload without blowing margins.
Offshore bookkeeping is not a replacement for every role in your firm, but when it comes to the workload you don’t need client-facing teams handling directly, it’s a strategic cost lever with real ROI.
Let’s put the numbers side by side based on up-to-date outsourcing data and UK payroll realities.
| Cost Element | UK Bookkeeper (Annual Total) | Offshore Indian Bookkeeper (Dedicated) |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | £28,000–£35,000* | £7,000–£10,000** |
| Employer NI + Pension + Benefits | ~£7,000–£10,000 | N/A (provider handles) |
| Recruitment & Onboarding | £3,000+ | Included in provider fee |
| Training & Setup | £2,000+ | Included |
| Overhead (Desk, Software, Space) | £6,000+ | No UK office overhead |
| Approx Total Cost | £46,000–£61,000+ | £12,000–£18,000 |
(Source averaged from multiple industry cost analyses and outsourcing benchmarks.)
Bottom line: A dedicated offshore bookkeeper can cost 60-70% less than an equivalent UK hire, before you even factor in office costs, training time, and HR overheads.
Even aggressive in-house cost comparisons show savings well into the tens of thousands per year, and when you stack multiple roles, this multiplies dramatically.
These are the two concerns we hear most from UK accounting leaders, and they’re valid.
Quality isn’t automatic. But it is achievable, and in many cases, superior.
Good offshore bookkeeping teams:
When a provider specialises in accounting services, especially one with a UK focus, you’re not hiring a generic admin worker. You’re hiring a specialist backed by training pipelines and continuous quality controls.
Security isn’t a “check-this-box once” exercise. It’s a programme.
Good outsourced bookkeeping providers implement:
Many partners worry about offshore risks, and it’s true that not all outfits are equal. But reputable providers integrate security as standard, not as an add-on. Having solid processes in place actually improves your control environment compared to fast-growth in-house hiring where security training is patchy.
While margin improvement is the headline, offshore bookkeeping delivers more:
That adds real bottom-line savings.
Here’s where experience matters.
QX Accounting Services has worked with UK accounting practices for over two decades. We’ve seen multiple market cycles, talent shortages, wage inflation spikes and regulatory shifts, and we’ve built a model that serves firms with UK-ready bookkeepers and accountants who understand your standards, your clients, and your expectations.
Our teams aren’t just offshore labour. They’re trained in:
We don’t just send bodies. We send professionals who integrate into your workflows with minimal fuss and maximum impact.
And because we’ve been doing this for 20+ years, we understand the concerns you care about quality, security, reliability, and seamless collaboration.
That’s why many firms that start with one offshore bookkeeper grow into a full offshore accounting function without compromising quality.
Q: What kind of savings can I expect from offshore bookkeeper?
Most firms that outsource bookkeeping to India see 40–70% cost savings compared to employing locally, once you factor in salary, NI, pensions, overhead and training.
Q: Will my clients mind if work is done offshore?
Clients usually don’t mind when quality and security are guaranteed. Many accounting firms use offshore teams behind the scenes; clients care about accuracy and timelines, not location.
Q: How do I ensure quality when outsourcing bookkeeping?
Set clear KPIs, use agreed SOPs, and retain oversight. Offshore partners will typically support dashboards and reporting so you can monitor performance easily.
Q: What about time-zone challenges?
Indian teams can overlap UK business hours for core work and shift flexibly for handoffs.
You didn’t build your firm to be held hostage by wage inflation and statutory cost hikes. You built it to deliver value efficiently, while keeping margins healthy.
Offshore bookkeeping isn’t a gimmick. It’s a strategic cost play that aligns with broader economic realities: constrained hiring, rising employer costs and an ongoing talent squeeze. If you implement it thoughtfully, it doesn’t just save cost; it strengthens your service delivery, protects margins, and gives you the headroom to invest where it matters most.
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Hemant is a senior accounting leader with over 20 years of international experience across the UK and Ireland. His expertise spans bookkeeping, VAT, management accounting, and financial reporting in compliance with IFRS. He is recognised for successfully managing process transitions, building and leading high-performing teams, mentoring talent, and driving collaboration in multicultural environments.
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