6 min read
Author: Marc Lemaire-Sicre
Chartered accountant, specialising in investment property structure and accounting.
Property accountants are one of the largest costs you’ll face as a property investor, but how much do property accountants charge?
It could be as little as a few hundred dollars … or up to several thousand a year.
That’s why it can be hard to know what you’re really paying for … as well as what you actually need.
In this article, we’ll break down how much property accounting costs and the different pricing tiers most companies fit into.
Now you might think we’re going to say: “Just use Opes Accounting. Ignore everyone else!”
I’m not going to do that, because the truth is we at Opes Accounting might not be the right fit for you.
So my approach is simple. I will lay out how much property accounting costs as impartially as I can, then I’ll take a step back so you can choose the right type of property accountant for you.
Before we dive into different pricing, let’s talk about what makes property accounting more (or less) expensive.
There are three key factors:
#1 Ownership structure
How you own your properties (often) impacts the price. That’s because it takes less time to do your tax return if you own a property in your own name vs in a trust.
Here’s how it usually works:
#2 Number of properties
This one’s straightforward. If you own one property, you’ll pay less than someone who owns four or five. More properties = more transactions = more accounting work.
#3 Complexity of your situation
The more moving parts in your finances, the more your accountant will charge.
For example, it’ll cost more for property accounting if:
The amount you pay for accounting will depend on your needs. Typically, most companies fall into 1 of 3 tiers when it comes to pricing:
Some investors choose to do their own accounting.
That means filing your own tax returns as well as reconciling all your income and expenses, and keeping up with tax rules.
This is the cheapest option; you don’t need to pay anyone.
But it comes with risk. If you get it wrong, the IRD might come knocking years later.
Personally, I wouldn’t do it. Most investors know just enough to be dangerous … but not enough to avoid penalty fees.
Typical cost: $500–$1,000 + GST per year
This is the entry-level for professional help. These accountants will usually:
The lower end of that range might apply to investors who own one property by themselves (in their own name, not in a company or trust).
But if you own a property in a trust or company, you’ll likely be at the higher end of that range.
A lot of these smaller accountants are small businesses. Sometimes it’s a one-person firm, working from home.
You might not find much about them online. Their website might just be a homepage with a stock photo of a calculator and a price list.
Pros: Affordable, good for simple situations
Cons: May lack systems, consistency, or full advice services
Typical cost: $1,000–$2,000 + GST per year
This is where Opes Accounting sits.
These firms specialise in property. They’re mid-sized with more robust systems and (often) multiple team members.
This means you can call and speak to someone when needed.
What you typically get:
At Opes Accounting our standard fee is $1,350 + GST per year, and that includes everything whether your property is in a trust, company, or your own name.
There are no hidden costs either (more on this below).
Pros: All-in-one service, consistent advice, property-specific
Cons: More expensive than a one-man band — but not by much
Typical cost: $2,000+ + GST per year
These are large, often high-profile firms like Gilligan Rowe + Associates. They typically serve investors with very complex structures or large portfolios.
These types of companies might also do:
They may also do one-off advice. For instance, Matt Gilligan (GRA) charges $520 + GST/hour (once you include the mandatory office expenses).
This sort of advice suits investors with large and complex portfolios. For instance, this is the sort of service Andrew Nicol (our managing director) uses.
That’s because he owns over 40 investment properties. He has multiple trusts and companies, so it’s more expensive.
When your situation is this complex, you’re often paying for experience and extra hours your accountant needs to put in.
Pros: Tailored advice for complex structures
Cons: Hourly charges can rack up fast — some clients pay $3,000+ per year
At Opes Accounting we keep our pricing structure the same regardless of whether your property is in your name, a trust, or a company.
That way there’s no incentive to recommend that you set up a trust or company (if you don’t need to).
We chose the flat fee model because we are property investors and we hate surprise bills.
That’s why our pricing is $1,350 + GST / year (per entity)
This includes unlimited advice – no hourly charges.
And while there are some extra charges if we file your Companies Office return, we’re upfront about this.
And because we don’t do business accounting (just property) our systems are tight. That means we can keep prices down while delivering specialised advice.
We’re not the cheapest, but we aim to be the best value.
At the end of the day, the right accounting service depends on what kind of investor you are.
If your situation is straightforward you might be happy with a smaller property accountant charging $750 a year.
But if you want support, structure advice, and a fixed fee with no surprises … then that’s where a company like Opes Accounting comes in.
We charge $1,350 + GST per year, and that’s it.
And hey, we’re not saying we’re the only good option out there.
Here’s a list of the top 4 property accountants in New Zealand, if you’d like to look at other options.
