Ignition pricing benchmark: 80% of accounting firms plan to increase fees amid rising costs

Sydney, Australia, May 20th — Ignition, a leading revenue and billing automation platform for professional services businesses, today revealed that 80% of Australian accounting firms plan to increase prices this year, with 64% citing rising business costs as the main reason for fee hikes.

Now in its second year, Ignition’s 2025 Tax and Compliance Pricing Benchmark also found that nearly half (47%) plan to increase prices by 5%, while another 19% prepare for 10% increases.

“It’s no surprise that mounting cost pressures are driving firms to raise prices this year,” said Greg Strickland, Ignition’s CEO. “While firms are planning ahead to cover rising costs, the real opportunity is adjusting pricing to maximize revenue and profitability. Only 11% are increasing fees to improve profit margins, and even fewer (5%) are doing so to increase revenue. 

“By combining smart pricing strategies with tech and seamless automation, our goal is to empower professional services businesses to increase prices with confidence without having awkward client conversations.”

Based on survey data from 165 Australian accounting firms, the 2025 report provides a snapshot of pricing trends and benchmarks fees for tax and compliance services. 

Across the board, fees are trending upward compared to the 2024 report findings. 

• Individual tax returns: 55% of firms charge $200–$300, but the share charging over $300 jumped from 16% in 2024 to 26% in 2025.
• Company or trust annual accounts and tax returns: Half (50%) charge $2,000–$3,000, with 23% now charging more than $3,000.
• BAS lodgements: 44% of firms charge $250–$350,  while those charging more than $450 nearly doubled from 2024. 
• Tax planning: Continues to grow as a staple service, with 30% of firms charging $750–$1,000, up from 22% in 2024.
• ASIC annual statement management: The most common fee range is now $250–$350 (46%), up from 31% last year.

The findings reinforce that Australian accounting firms are approaching the new financial year with renewed confidence in annual price reviews.

“This year’s data shows a clear shift: firms are no longer underpricing core compliance work,” said Rebecca Mihalic, Director at businessDEPOT and Ignition’s APAC Head of Accounting. “While the most common fee ranges remain steady, more firms are moving to higher brackets, reflecting rising delivery costs, growing complexity, and, importantly, stronger pricing confidence. The industry is moving away from survival pricing, with more firms embracing structured, value-led models that support sustainable growth.” 

Ignition’s 2025 Tax and Compliance Pricing Benchmark report is available to download at ignitionapp.com/au/2025-tax-compliance-pricing-benchmark. 

About Ignition
Founded in 2013, Ignition is the leading revenue operations platform for professional services businesses to transform their sales, billing and payment processes. Ignition automates proposals, invoicing, payments and workflows in a single platform, empowering 8,000+ businesses to sell, bill and get paid for their services with ease. To date, Ignition customers have managed relationships with over 1.9 million clients and earned $9b in revenue via the platform. Ignition’s global workforce spans Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Philippines, US and the UK. Learn more at www.ignitionapp.com.