- Outsourced accounting means hiring an external firm to run your bookkeeping, management accounts, tax and audit coordination instead of employing an in-house team.
- The best firm depends on fit, not size. Match the provider to your transaction volume, sector, technology and how hands-on you want to be.
- Almost every Hong Kong company must be audited by a CPA each year, and that audit must be done by an AFRC-registered firm, so plan for it when you choose.
- Pricing models differ. Some firms publish fixed plans, others price by transaction volume or revenue, so compare the full annual scope, not one headline number.
- Best digital platform plus dedicated team: Sleek, for SMEs wanting accounting, tax and secretarial in one place.
- Best Xero-first cloud accounting: FastLane Group, a long-standing Xero Platinum partner.
- Best for Asia expansion plans: 3E Accounting, a regional firm pairing accounting with incorporation.
- Best for accounting plus in-house audit: Korchina TNC, whose affiliate is an HKICPA-registered CPA firm.
- Best for larger or global-facing companies: Moore Hong Kong, part of the Moore Global network.
Outsourced accounting firms in Hong Kong let a growing business hand off bookkeeping, reporting, tax and audit coordination to specialists instead of hiring in-house. For most SMEs, that means lower cost, fewer compliance gaps and more time to run the business.
This is an honest comparison of the leading options for SMEs in Hong Kong.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- What outsourced accounting is and when to use it
- The criteria we used to compare firms
- The best outsourced accounting firms in Hong Kong for 2026
- The CPA and audit rule to plan around
- How to choose the right firm for your business
What is outsourced accounting, and why use it?
Outsourced accounting is hiring an external firm to handle your bookkeeping, management accounts, tax and audit coordination instead of employing an in-house team. In Hong Kong it’s popular with SMEs because it brings qualified expertise and compliance support at a lower cost than a full-time hire.
Outsourcing usually makes sense when:
- Transaction volume is rising and manual bookkeeping is eating management time.
- Compliance is getting heavier, with Profits Tax, annual returns and the statutory audit to coordinate.
- An in-house hire is hard to justify, but you still want qualified accounting support.
- You want cloud visibility, with tools like Xero giving real-time numbers.
What do outsourced accounting firms actually do?
Most cover the full finance cycle: bookkeeping, management accounts, tax and audit coordination, and often payroll. The exact mix varies by firm and by the plan you choose.
- Bookkeeping: recording transactions, reconciling the bank and keeping the ledger current.
- Management accounts: periodic reports that show how the business is tracking.
- Year-end financial statements: the accounts your audit and tax filing are built on.
- Tax: preparing and filing the Profits Tax Return and computation.
- Audit coordination: preparing for and liaising with the CPA auditor.
- Payroll and MPF: running staff pay and statutory contributions where offered.
What to look for in an outsourced accounting firm
Judge a firm on service scope, pricing model, technology, credentials and fit for a business your size. These are the criteria used to compare the firms below, so you can weigh them the same way.
- Service scope: does it cover bookkeeping, management accounts, tax filing, payroll and audit coordination, or only part?
- Pricing model: is it a fixed plan, priced by transaction volume, or by revenue? Match the model to how your business actually runs.
- Technology: does it run on cloud software such as Xero with bank feeds and real-time reporting?
- Credentials: are the accountants HKICPA-qualified, and can the firm handle or coordinate an AFRC-registered audit?
- Fit and support: does it serve businesses like yours, and is there a dedicated contact with clear response times?
A cheap monthly fee isn't the whole cost. Some firms price bookkeeping low, then charge separately for the year-end financial statements, the Profits Tax computation and the audit. Ask for the full annual scope in writing, and check the pricing model: a transaction-volume plan can be cheap at 20 invoices a month and steep at 500.
The best outsourced accounting firms in Hong Kong (2026)
Here are five leading outsourced-accounting options for Hong Kong SMEs, each with what it’s best for, its core services, how it prices and where it fits less well. Details are drawn from each provider’s public information and recognised comparison guides; confirm current scope and pricing directly before you engage.
Firm | Best for | Pricing model |
Sleek | SMEs wanting a digital platform plus a dedicated team | Fixed annual plans from HK$2,975/fy |
FastLane Group | Xero-first startups and low-volume SMEs | Transaction-volume packages |
3E Accounting | Startups planning Asia expansion | Custom quote (bookkeeping component from a low base) |
Korchina TNC | Accounting plus in-house CPA audit | Quote by scope |
Moore Hong Kong | Larger or global-facing companies | Quote by scope |
1. Sleek: best all-in-one digital accounting for SMEs
- Best for: startups and SMEs that want accounting, tax and secretarial handled together on transparent pricing.
- Services: cloud bookkeeping and financial reporting, Profits Tax filing and annual compliance, payroll and MPF, company secretarial and incorporation, with Xero support.
- Pricing: expense-tiered annual plans, from HK$2,975/fy (Basic), HK$5,880/fy (Standard) and HK$15,120/fy (Premium), gated by your average monthly expenses.
- Less ideal if: you want deep, bespoke advisory for complex cross-border structures, or you prefer a traditional in-person accountant over a platform-led model.
2. FastLane Group: best Xero-first cloud accounting
Founded in 2013, FastLane is a Hong Kong accounting firm serving 1,000+ clients and holding Xero Platinum Champion Partner status. Its team includes members of the HKICPA and CPA Australia, and its offer is built around cloud accounting for startups and SMEs. Its transaction-volume pricing suits businesses with low to moderate transaction counts, where revenue-based pricing would cost more than the work warrants.
- Best for: Xero-based startups and low-volume SMEs that want strong platform expertise.
- Services: Xero bookkeeping and reporting, Profits Tax filing and annual compliance, payroll and MPF, audit coordination, incorporation and secretarial.
- Pricing: transaction-volume-based, with entry packages for low-volume businesses scaling as transaction counts rise; higher volumes are quoted individually.
- Less ideal if: your transaction volume is high, since a per-volume model climbs steeply, or you need multi-jurisdiction advisory.
3. 3E Accounting: best for startups planning Asia expansion
3E Accounting is a firm with a regional presence across Asia, including Hong Kong, and pairs day-to-day accounting with company formation and cross-border tax support. Its regional offices mean a Hong Kong company expanding into Southeast Asia can stay with one provider rather than start fresh in each market.
- Best for: startups and small companies that want accounting plus incorporation, especially with regional growth ahead.
- Services: bookkeeping and reporting, financial statements and audit coordination, accounting system setup, tax filing and treaty matters, incorporation and secretarial.
- Pricing: custom quotation; the bookkeeping component starts from a low annual base, but a full quote covering tax, statements and compliance needs a scoped proposal.
- Less ideal if: you want a complete all-in package price published upfront without requesting a quote.
4. Korchina TNC: best for accounting plus in-house audit
Korchina TNC, also presented as PREMIA TNC, provides outsourced accounting and bookkeeping, and its independent affiliate, Korchina TNC CPA Limited, is a CPA firm registered under the HKICPA that handles statutory audits. That pairing means your accounting and your audit can sit with related teams rather than two unrelated firms.
- Best for: local and international companies that want accounting and the statutory audit coordinated under one roof.
- Services: outsourced accounting and bookkeeping, statutory audit through the CPA affiliate, company formation, tax filing and advisory, payroll.
- Pricing: quoted by service level, transaction volume and reporting needs.
- Less ideal if: you want published package pricing, or you’re a micro-business after the lowest-cost bookkeeping only.
5. Moore Hong Kong: best for larger or global-facing companies
Established in 1975, Moore Hong Kong is a mid-tier firm and member of the Moore Global network, with around 35 partners and roughly 300 staff. It offers a broad, partner-led service suite and international reach, which suits companies with heavier reporting or cross-border needs rather than the smallest startups.
- Best for: medium to large or growth-stage companies wanting global reach and sector depth.
- Services: audit and assurance, accounting and business outsourcing, tax advisory, company secretarial, plus ESG, risk and cross-border reporting.
- Pricing: tailored by scope, transaction volume and industry; no fixed entry-level figure is published.
- Less ideal if: you’re a lean SME after low-cost, standardised bookkeeping, where a boutique or platform firm fits better.
Do you still need a CPA for your audit?
Yes. Almost every active Hong Kong company must have its financial statements audited each year, and that audit must be done by an AFRC-registered CPA firm. Only dormant companies are exempt. The audit is filed alongside the Profits Tax Return, and your bookkeeper cannot audit their own work.
This is why credentials matter when you choose a firm. There’s a real distinction to check:
- HKICPA-qualified accountants can handle general accounting, bookkeeping and tax.
- AFRC-registered CPA firms are the only ones authorised to sign off a statutory audit under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622).
Some providers coordinate your audit and hand it to a partner CPA firm, while others, like Korchina TNC through its CPA affiliate, do the audit in-house. Both work, so long as the handover is clean.
How do you choose the right firm for your business?
Start with your size, sector and the services you actually need, then match a firm’s best-for to it. The right choice is rarely the biggest name or the lowest monthly fee.
- Micro or dormant company: a low-volume plan or a startup-focused firm keeps costs down.
- Growing SME with payroll: pick a firm with monthly reporting, payroll and cloud software.
- Audit-heavy business: favour a firm with in-house AFRC-registered audit or strong audit coordination.
- Cross-border or larger group: a network firm with regional reach and bilingual support fits better.
- Want one provider for everything: an all-in-one platform reduces handoffs between bookkeeping, tax and secretarial.
Match the pricing model too: transaction-volume plans reward low activity, while revenue-based plans can penalise a high-revenue, low-transaction business.
If you’re weighing an outsourced SME firm against an enterprise practice, our Sleek vs the Big Four comparison covers where each fits.
Why consider Sleek for outsourced accounting
Sleek offers outsourced accounting built for Hong Kong SMEs: bookkeeping, tax and audit coordination on fixed annual pricing, delivered through a cloud platform with a dedicated, HKICPA-qualified contact. With Sleek’s outsourced accounting service, you can:- Keep accounting, tax and company secretarial with one provider, reducing handoffs.
- See live numbers, with Xero support and real-time dashboards.
- Plan around fixed fees, from HK$2,975/fy, gated by your monthly expenses.
- Coordinate your statutory audit and Profits Tax filing without chasing separate parties.
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