Referrals will probably stay your best source of clients, and I wouldn't try to replace them. But they arrive when they arrive. The aim is a mix: referrals you've actually asked for, directories that cost little, paid leads only where the sums work, and a presence of your own that's there when a referred person checks you out.
That last part matters more than most accountants think. Someone gets your name from a friend, then searches for you. What they find decides whether they ring.
I've a stake in this one. We sell the own-leads side of it, so discount my view accordingly.
The short version
- Join your body's directory and your software's. They're low effort, and they prove something.
- Work out cost per won client, and remember clients pay every year.
- Referrals aren't free of rules. If money changes hands, disclose it.
- Paid lead prices are mostly unpublished, so get them in writing.
- Build your Google profile and reviews at the same time, because you keep those.
What I could pin down
Read on 6 November 2026, and plenty of it isn't published. Terms change, so check before you sign.
| Source | How you pay | Published price | What it's good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICAEW Find a Chartered Accountant | Not confirmed. The page wouldn't load in a form I could read. | Check with ICAEW | Proving status to careful buyers |
| ACCA Find an Accountant | Not confirmed | Check with ACCA | Proving status |
| AAT Find an accountant or bookkeeper | Not confirmed | Check with AAT | Bookkeeping and small clients |
| Xero advisor directory | Not confirmed | Check with Xero | Clients already on Xero |
| Unbiased | Plan, with lead caps | On request. Extra locations are £65 + VAT each. | Paid enquiries you preview first |
| Bark | Credits for each lead you respond to | £1.80 + VAT a credit. Credits needed vary. | Filling gaps quickly |
| Google Business Profile | Free | Free | Local search, and backing up referrals |
Your body's directory
There's a real reason to be listed. The title "accountant" isn't protected, so the British Business Bank tells small businesses to verify membership. A careful buyer may end up at your body's directory anyway.
I wouldn't expect much volume from these on their own, though that's my guess, not data. Treat them as proof, and complete your entry properly.
Be exact about status. "ICAEW member" and "Chartered Accountants" aren't the same claim for a practice, and a practice's right to use the second depends on who owns and controls it. Our start-up guide has the rules.
Software directories
Xero has a public advisor directory. I didn't check other vendors'. For an MTD-focused practice there's an obvious logic: a sole trader who's been told to buy software may then look for someone who knows it. I couldn't confirm listing requirements, so ask your partner contact.
Unbiased
Unbiased has a product for accountants and bookkeepers. Its pages say:
- You preview a lead before you commit.
- Once you've bought a lead, it's exclusive to you.
- Plans carry different lead caps.
Prices are on request. Get the plan fee, the price per lead and the notice period in writing before you compare it with anything else.
Bark
Credits are £1.80 + VAT, and the number needed varies, so the cost of a lead isn't fixed. They last three months. Bark also describes a return on your first pack, though I'd read the conditions before relying on it. I couldn't confirm typical credit costs for accountancy leads, so check a few live ones first.
The risk is the buyer. I'd expect someone on a marketplace looking for a tax return to compare you on price and to ask other practices too. A one-off return at, say, £250 isn't the same as a monthly client.
Referrals, and the rules on them
Referrals carry real weight. In a US survey of 350 businesses reported in August 2025, 57% found their accountant through a peer referral and only 3% through advertising. That's US data, so it's only a guide. I couldn't find a sound UK figure.
Three sources are worth working on:
- Happy clients. Ask, once, after a good result.
- Other professionals: solicitors, financial advisers, mortgage brokers, business bank managers.
- Other accountants who turn away work too small or too specialist.
If money changes hands
ICAEW says that if you receive commission or a referral fee, you need the client's consent to keep it. Its 2025 monitoring report found gaps on commissions at 47 practices.
For unregulated referrals, you can get advance consent, but it must give a range of likely amounts, and you must still tell the client the exact amount. Until you've got consent, it's client money. Regulated referrals need consent case by case.
If you're with another body, check its rules. This is general information, not legal or ethics advice.
My opinion: don't take referral fees from advisers at all unless you need to. The paperwork is real, and "I don't get paid for this introduction" is a strong thing to be able to say.
Confidentiality applies too. ICAEW's duty covers prospective, current and former clients, so don't tell a solicitor who your clients are, and don't use a client's name in a case study without clear agreement.
Work out your real cost per client
Worked example (made-up figures)
Say you pay for 20 leads at £18 each, which is 10 credits at £1.80, before VAT. That's £360.
Win 2, and your cost per client is £180. If each pays £900 a year with £450 left after the cost of doing the work, you've made £900 in year one on £360 spent, and your time on calls and proposals comes out of that.
Win 1, and you've spent £360 to earn £450 in year one. Not great, but that client may stay for years.
If those clients only want a one-off return at £250, with £125 left, the same 2 wins bring £250 on £360 spent. You've paid to work.
So recurring fees change the maths. Paying more for a client who stays can make sense. Paying anything for a one-off bargain hunter rarely does. Track it by source for six months, and include the hours you spent on proposals that went nowhere.
Before you pay for any leads, fix your replies. Paying for a lead and answering it next week is the most expensive way to lose a client. Why accountants lose clients before the first meeting shows where that happens.
What your own leads look like
| Directories and paid leads | Your own leads | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Fast, often days | Slow, often months |
| Cost | Ongoing | Set-up and time, then lower as it builds |
| Competition | Often several practices | They came to you, or to your name |
| If you stop paying | Paid leads stop | Your profile and reviews stay |
| Best for | Filling gaps, new practices | Long-term profit and control |
Those timings are my judgement.
Reviews take more care in this profession, because a public review tells everyone that person's your client. It must be their choice. Ask everyone the same way, and never reward it. Google bans incentives and selective asking.
Advertise to a niche. "Accountant in Kendal" is crowded. "MTD for landlords in Cumbria" gives people a reason to choose you. Keep claims provable, and don't hint at tax savings you can't back up.
The mix I'd use
- Starting out: body directory, software directory, Google profile, and a visit to every solicitor and adviser nearby.
- Established but referrals are slowing: reviews, a niche page on your site, and ask clients directly.
- Near capacity: stop buying leads and raise your fees.
Questions accountants ask
Is Bark worth it for accountants?
It can be, for filling a gap. Work out your cost per client, and watch for one-off buyers. I'd try a small credit pack before anything bigger.
Is Unbiased worth it for accountants?
I can't say from public information, because prices aren't published. The preview and exclusive leads are good features. Ask for sample leads in your area and the notice period.
Can I pay someone for referring a client?
That's a different question from receiving one, and I didn't research it. Check your body's rules and be transparent with the client.
Do I need to tell clients I got a referral fee?
Yes, if you're ICAEW-regulated. They must consent to you keeping it and know the amount. Other bodies have their own rules.
Can I use a client's name on my website?
Only with their clear agreement, and I'd get that in writing.
David Bell, founder of Real Business Systems
David helps small UK businesses get found, answer every enquiry and keep customers coming back. We sell some of the services mentioned here, and we say so where they come up.
Sources
- ICAEW, referral fees and commissions (5 February 2024)
- ICAEW, Practice Assurance monitoring report 2025
- ICAEW, protecting client confidentiality (28 July 2026)
- ICAEW, use of the description chartered accountant (updated 5 October 2026)
- ACCA, find an accountant, AAT, find an accountant or bookkeeper and Xero, find advisors
- British Business Bank, unqualified accountants (undated)
- Unbiased Pro, pricing and lead generation for accountants
- Bark, credits and pricing
- CPA Practice Advisor, SMB survey (19 August 2025, US, 350 businesses)
- Google, prohibited and restricted content
Prices and rules change. Check the source before you rely on a figure. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.