Proposals from different accountancy firms almost never describe the same service, which is why comparing them as received, one glossy document against one plain email, misleads. The method that works is translation: rewrite every proposal into one grid of your own, with the same rows for each firm, and only then judge. This guide gives you the rows. It is about comparing the service itself; for comparing the numbers, the cost series has a companion in how to compare accountant quotes.

Row one: the deliverables, itemised

List what each firm will actually produce and file for you, item by item: annual accounts, the Companies House filing if you trade through a company, the Corporation Tax return, VAT returns and how many per year, payroll runs and for how many people, Self Assessment returns and for whom. Where a proposal says “accounts and tax”, expand it or query it. Directors are often surprised to find their personal return was never in scope, or that “payroll” meant the scheme setup but not the running of it.

Anything one proposal names and another omits becomes a question for the silent firm. Omissions are sometimes packaging, sometimes genuinely excluded; the query is how you find out before signing rather than after.

Row two: the boundaries of the engagement

Every engagement has edges. Map three for each proposal:

  • Volume edges. Included “support” is rarely unlimited. What counts as a quick question, and where does chargeable advice begin?
  • Event edges. An HMRC enquiry, a company change, a reference letter for a lender: proposal by proposal, in or out?
  • Condition edges. Most fixed scopes assume your records arrive in a reasonable state. What does each firm say happens when they do not?

Firms with well-run engagements can answer these precisely, because the answers come from their engagement letter. A proposal vague about its own edges is telling you disputes will be settled later, on the firm’s terms.

Row three: who is responsible for what

For each proposal, note who tracks your deadlines, what the firm needs from you and when, and what the firm commits to when something on its side goes wrong. Then note who will do the work (a named person, a team, or unstated) and who your point of contact is. Two proposals with identical deliverables can carry very different responsibility maps, and the responsibility map is what you feel in a bad week.

If a proposal does not state these things, ask; the asking is free and the answer is diagnostic. The full interview list lives in questions to ask an accountant before hiring them.

Row four: service standards you could hold them to

Turnaround on queries, turnaround on year-end work once records are in, frequency of contact, how work-in-progress is reported. Standards that appear in writing are commitments; standards described verbally are aspirations. Mark each proposal accordingly. A shorter document with firm written standards beats a longer one built from adjectives.

Reading the grid

With four rows filled in for each firm, patterns are usually obvious. Common ones:

  • The narrow low bid. Fewest deliverables, tightest edges. Not dishonest, but its price is not comparable with the others until you add what is missing.
  • The everything bundle. Broadest scope, including services you may never use. Fair value only if you will actually use them.
  • The vague middle. Strong on tone, weak on rows. Push for specifics once; if vagueness survives a direct request, let it go.

Only after this reading should price weigh in, and only between proposals whose grids roughly match. The wider decision criteria sit in how to choose an accountant for your small business, and the search process that produces proposals worth comparing is in the pillar guide to finding a small-business accountant.

Getting proposals worth the exercise

The method needs raw material: written proposals from firms that take documentation seriously. Our fees page sets out what sits inside a fixed scope and what is quoted separately, so you can fill in one grid entry before you ask anybody for anything. When you request a quote from us, the scope arrives itemised in exactly the rows above (deliverables, edges, responsibilities and standards) so you have at least one grid entry that fills itself in.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a proposal and an engagement letter?

The proposal is the offer; the engagement letter is the contract that governs the work once you accept. Check that everything you relied on in the proposal appears in the engagement letter, because the letter is what counts afterwards. A mismatch between the two is worth querying before you sign anything.

How many proposals should I collect before comparing?

Two is the minimum for the grid to mean anything and three is comfortable. Beyond four, the translation work grows faster than the insight. It matters more that each firm answered the same questions than that you collected many documents.

Should I still consider a firm that will only discuss its service by phone?

Ask once, plainly, for the scope in writing after the call. Most decent firms oblige, and some simply lead with conversation. A firm that still cannot produce a written scope after a direct request is showing you how commitments will be handled generally.

Should I tell firms I am comparing them against others?

Yes. It is normal, and reactions are informative. A confident practice may even help you compare by explaining where its scope differs from a typical competitor’s. Discomfort at being compared usually accompanies a proposal that reads worse in a grid than in a meeting.

How do I line up proposals that use different names for the same services?

Translate everything into your own words in the grid and confirm your translation with each firm: “By this line, you mean you prepare and file X, correct?” That one confirmation step removes most naming confusion and occasionally uncovers a real difference hiding behind similar labels.