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Audit fee increases, firm by firm

Across 14,618 UK companies with two years of audit fees on file, the median rise was 5.0%. 20.3% saw a rise above 20%. Firm by firm, from +10.6% to 0.0%.

+5.0%median change, 14,618 companies
20.3%rose by more than 20%
36.8%within ±5%
15.2%paid less than the year before

By firm

Firms with fifty or more clients carrying two years of fees. The median change is the middle client, so one large re-scoping does not move it.

Median year-on-year fee change by firm

Firms with fifty or more clients carrying two years of fees

Price Bailey LLP+10.6%Pierce C A Limited+9.8%Armstrong Watson Audit Limited+8.0%Shaw Gibbs (Audit) Limited+7.4%Menzies LLP+6.6%Mitchell Charlesworth (Audit) Limited+6.5%PKF Smith Cooper Audit Limited+6.4%Ensors+6.4%Azets Audit Services+6.1%Rickard Luckin Limited+6.1%DJH Audit Limited+5.9%WR Partners+5.8%Mercer & Hole LLP+5.6%Sumer Audit+5.5%Xeinadin Audit Limited+5.3%UHY Hacker Young+5.3%Duncan & Toplis Audit Limited+5.3%Johnston Carmichael LLP+5.1%Ormerod Rutter Limited+5.1%Sumer Auditco Limited+5.0%Moore Kingston Smith LLP+5.0%Cooper Parry Group Limited+5.0%BHP LLP+5.0%James Cowper Kreston Audit+5.0%BKL Audit LLP+5.0%Bishop Fleming Audit Limited+5.0%M Solutions for Business LLP+5.0%Brebners+5.0%Hazlewoods LLP+4.9%TC Group+4.8%Blick Rothenberg Audit LLP+4.8%JS. Audit Limited+4.8%Saffery LLP+4.7%Hurst Accountants Limited+4.7%Streets Audit LLP+4.7%KLSA LLP+4.6%Robson Laidler Accountants Limited+4.5%Forvis Mazars LLP+4.1%BK Plus Audit Limited+4.1%Champion Accountants LLP+4.0%Infrastructure Managers Limited+4.0%Gravita Audit II Limited+3.2%HW Fisher Audit+2.5%Barnes Roffe Audit Limited+1.1%Buzzacott Audit LLP0.0%
Above market medianBelowmarket median
FirmTierClients with two yearsMedian changeRose over 20%
Price Bailey LLPChallenger firm64+10.6%28.1%
Pierce C A LimitedIndependent firm51+9.8%21.6%
Armstrong Watson Audit LimitedChallenger firm67+8.0%23.9%
Shaw Gibbs (Audit) LimitedIndependent firm99+7.4%24.2%
Menzies LLPChallenger firm201+6.6%18.4%
Mitchell Charlesworth (Audit) LimitedIndependent firm74+6.5%16.2%
PKF Smith Cooper Audit LimitedChallenger firm55+6.4%20.0%
EnsorsChallenger firm80+6.4%21.3%
Azets Audit ServicesChallenger firm810+6.1%20.1%
Rickard Luckin LimitedIndependent firm54+6.1%25.9%
DJH Audit LimitedIndependent firm159+5.9%27.0%
WR PartnersIndependent firm74+5.8%13.5%
Mercer & Hole LLPIndependent firm67+5.6%19.4%
Sumer AuditChallenger firm88+5.5%20.5%
Xeinadin Audit LimitedChallenger firm324+5.3%25.9%
UHY Hacker YoungChallenger firm114+5.3%18.4%
Duncan & Toplis Audit LimitedIndependent firm72+5.3%12.5%
Johnston Carmichael LLPChallenger firm107+5.1%21.5%
Ormerod Rutter LimitedIndependent firm56+5.1%17.9%
Sumer Auditco LimitedChallenger firm403+5.0%25.1%
Moore Kingston Smith LLPChallenger firm275+5.0%20.0%
Cooper Parry Group LimitedChallenger firm102+5.0%19.6%
BHP LLPIndependent firm114+5.0%21.1%
James Cowper Kreston AuditChallenger firm87+5.0%14.9%
BKL Audit LLPIndependent firm79+5.0%21.5%
Bishop Fleming Audit LimitedChallenger firm65+5.0%20.0%
M Solutions for Business LLPIndependent firm84+5.0%10.7%
BrebnersIndependent firm53+5.0%7.5%
Hazlewoods LLPChallenger firm139+4.9%14.4%
TC GroupIndependent firm226+4.8%20.4%
Blick Rothenberg Audit LLPChallenger firm86+4.8%23.3%
JS. Audit LimitedIndependent firm53+4.8%20.8%
Saffery LLPChallenger firm278+4.7%22.7%
Hurst Accountants LimitedIndependent firm167+4.7%15.6%
Streets Audit LLPIndependent firm65+4.7%29.2%
KLSA LLPIndependent firm58+4.6%22.4%
Robson Laidler Accountants LimitedIndependent firm58+4.5%17.2%
Forvis Mazars LLPChallenger firm154+4.1%11.7%
BK Plus Audit LimitedIndependent firm107+4.1%14.0%
Champion Accountants LLPIndependent firm52+4.0%32.7%
Infrastructure Managers LimitedIndependent firm54+4.0%5.6%
Gravita Audit II LimitedIndependent firm125+3.2%15.2%
HW Fisher AuditChallenger firm61+2.5%27.9%
Barnes Roffe Audit LimitedChallenger firm162+1.1%16.7%
Buzzacott Audit LLPChallenger firm780.0%5.1%

Questions people ask

How much do audit fees go up each year?

The median year-on-year change across 14,618 UK companies is +5.0%. 20.3% of companies saw a rise of more than 20%, 27.8% a rise of 5–20%, 36.8% stayed within ±5%, and 15.2% paid less than the year before.

Which audit firms raised fees the most?

Price Bailey LLP +10.6%, Pierce C A Limited +9.8%, Armstrong Watson Audit Limited +8.0%, Shaw Gibbs (Audit) Limited +7.4%, Menzies LLP +6.6%, measured as the median change across their clients with two years on file.

Can an audit fee go down?

15.2% of companies paid at least 5% less than the year before, usually after a tender or a renegotiation.

Reading on this

Three bars showing median year-on-year audit fee increases: Menzies 6.6 per cent, the whole market 5.0 per cent, Forvis Mazars 4.1 per cent.

Audit fee rises: every firm is at about 5%

Every one of the 15 largest UK audit firms raised fees by a median of 4.1% to 6.6%. The real spread is inside each firm: 36.8% flat, 20.3% up over 20%.

10 September 2026. 6 min read.

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Figures are indicative. They are computed from a sample of accounts filed with Companies House and the Norwegian register, read by machine, and are only as good as those filings; they can contain mistakes, and the dataset is not exhaustive. Found a mistake? Report it through the contact form.