📊 Accountant Insurance

Accountant Insurance — Cover Built for Your Trade

Get quotes for public liability, professional indemnity, tools and employers' liability insurance for UK accountants — quotes are provided directly by FCA-authorised insurers, not by us.

  • Public liability from £1m to £10m
  • Tools and equipment cover included
  • Employers' liability if you have staff
  • Same-day cover available
  • Tailored to accountant risks
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Risks Specific to Accountants

Every trade faces unique risks. Here's what could go wrong and why the right cover matters.

💡 Most accountants need at minimum: Professional indemnity insurance (often a condition of ICAEW, ACCA or AAT membership), plus public liability if clients visit your premises. If you employ anyone, employers' liability is a legal requirement.

Professional Indemnity for Accountants

Professional indemnity is the cover accountants rely on most — but it works differently from public liability or employers' liability, and the details matter when a claim arises.

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Claims-Made, Not Claims-Occurring

Almost all PI policies are written on a "claims made" basis: the policy that responds is the one in force when the claim is made, not the one in place when the work was done. If your policy has lapsed by the time a client comes back to you, there's no cover — even if you were insured at the time of the original advice.

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Retroactive Date

New PI policies set a retroactive date — the point from which past work is covered. If you switch insurer, check the new policy's retroactive date matches or pre-dates your old one, otherwise advice given before that date may fall into a gap with no insurer responsible for it.

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Professional Body Minimums

ICAEW and ACCA both set minimum indemnity limits tied to fee income, with an absolute floor regardless of size. Practising certificate holders can't simply choose the cheapest policy — cover has to meet the relevant body's approved wording and minimum limit.

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Run-Off Cover on Retirement

Closing your practice doesn't end your liability for past work. Run-off cover keeps your PI policy responding to claims made after you've stopped trading — professional bodies typically expect this for six years, since claims about old tax or audit work can surface long after the event.

⚠️ Why this matters for your cover: Because PI is claims-made, a gap in cover — even a short one between insurers, or simply not renewing when you wind down — can leave old work completely uninsured. When comparing quotes, check the retroactive date carries over correctly and ask what run-off terms apply if you ever stop practising. This page is general guidance only; always confirm your specific professional body's current minimum requirements directly with them.

What Does Accountant Insurance Cover?

A strong policy covers the specific risks of your trade — from professional negligence claims to data breaches and client disputes.

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Professional Indemnity

Protects against claims of negligence, errors or bad advice from clients. Essential for any business that provides advice, designs or professional services. Covers legal costs and compensation.

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Public Liability

Covers injury or property damage to clients or third parties at your office or client premises. Required by most co-working spaces and client contracts.

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Employers' Liability

Legally required if you employ anyone. Covers employee injury or illness claims arising from their work. Minimum £5 million required by law.

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Cyber Insurance

Covers data breaches, cyber attacks and GDPR fines. Professional service firms handle sensitive client data — cyber insurance is increasingly essential.

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Office & Contents

Covers your office equipment, computers and business contents against theft, fire and accidental damage at your premises.

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Legal Expenses

Covers legal costs for contract disputes, employment tribunals, HMRC investigations and debt recovery.

What to Look for When Comparing Accountant Insurance

A few things worth checking before you buy, whichever UK insurer or broker you compare.

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Indemnity limit

Check the limit matches what your contracts, landlord or clients require — common tiers are £1m, £2m, £5m and £10m depending on trade and risk.

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Claims basis

Professional and liability covers are often "claims-made" — cover depends on holding a live policy when a claim is made, not just when the work happened.

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Exclusions

Read what's excluded, not just what's covered. Sub-contractor work, specific activities, or work carried out overseas are common gaps.

FCA authorisation

Before buying, confirm any insurer or broker is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority — check the register at register.fca.org.uk.

🤝 We're finalising partnerships with FCA-authorised UK insurers so you can compare real quotes here soon. Check back shortly, or get in touch if you'd like to be notified when comparisons go live.

Frequently Asked Questions

While not all business insurance is legally required, public liability insurance is expected by most clients, venues and contractors before work begins. If you employ anyone, employers' liability is a legal requirement. Operating without appropriate cover leaves you personally liable for any claims against your business.
Premiums vary based on your turnover, number of employees, claims history and the level of cover you choose. Most sole trader accountants pay between £100 and £600 per year for basic public liability cover. Combined policies with professional indemnity and tools cover cost more but provide broader protection.
Yes — most insurers offer monthly payment options. You'll typically pay slightly more than the annual premium in total, but it helps with cash flow. Some digital insurers offer fully flexible monthly policies with no minimum term.
Public liability covers physical injury or property damage to third parties caused by your business. Professional indemnity covers financial loss suffered by a client due to your advice, designs or services. Many businesses need both — check which applies to your work.
You need employers' liability insurance if you employ anyone — including part-time workers, temporary staff, apprentices and in some cases, subcontractors you supervise on site. As a sole trader with no employees, it's not required. The legal minimum is £5 million cover.
Professional indemnity is almost always written on a claims-made basis — the policy in force when a claim is made responds, regardless of when the original work was done. This differs from public liability and employers' liability, which are claims-occurring and respond based on when the incident happened. It's worth checking which basis applies to each part of your cover.
The retroactive date is the point from which a claims-made policy will cover past work. If you change insurer, ask for the new retroactive date to match your previous policy's start — otherwise work done before that date could fall into a gap where no insurer is responsible for it.
Yes. Both bodies set minimum indemnity limits for members with a practising certificate, generally calculated as a multiple of gross fee income subject to an absolute minimum, with a higher fixed minimum above a certain income threshold. The exact figures are reviewed periodically, so check your professional body's current requirements before renewing.
Yes — this is called run-off cover. Because professional indemnity is claims-made, closing your practice without arranging run-off leaves old work uninsured if a client makes a claim later. Professional bodies typically expect run-off to be maintained for around six years after ceasing to trade.

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