In brief:
- A traditional firm follows its clients from an office, with a contact who knows the file and can meet with them. A pure player supports its clients remotely, through an application and an online team.
- In Extenso illustrates the traditional firm model with a dedicated adviser, with more than 280 offices in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, 7,300 employees and 170,000 clients, while offering its own online tool, Inexweb.
- Online firms publish their rates, for instance at Dougs a €49 ex. tax monthly package for liberal professions and packages from €79 ex. tax per month for a company, and are aimed in particular at self-employed people and small structures.
- The choice depends less on the published price than on what you expect from your chartered accountant. Depending on your needs in advice, payroll or monitoring, a local firm or an online firm can suit your situation.
The accounting market has organized around two models. Each meets different needs, depending on your expectations and business size. On one side, local firms, where an adviser follows your file and can meet with you in the office. On the other, 100% online firms, often called pure players, which rely on an application and remote exchanges. Both are run by chartered accountants registered with the Order and produce the same legal documents. What sets them apart is the relationship, scope of services and way of working. The firm model is just one criterion for choosing your chartered accountant.
The local firm with dedicated adviser
A contact who knows your business
The main strength of a local firm is relationship continuity. Your contact follows your file year after year, knows your activity, your constraints and your projects. When a decision comes up, recruitment, borrowing, change of legal structure, they already have the full context to advise you. The ranking of chartered accountancy firms in Lille shows this model at the scale of a metropolitan area, alongside a firm with remote packages.
Local presence does not exclude digital
A local firm does not mean working on paper. Depending on the firm, an online portal lets you track your accounting, exchange documents and submit payroll items, while keeping an office contact. For payroll, choosing a payroll provider for an SME follows its own criteria.
Fees set according to the mission
Local firms set their fees on quote, based on activity, document volume, number of employees and missions engaged.
The 100% online firm
Pure players in accounting, like Dougs, support their clients remotely, with an application linked to the bank account and a team of experts available online. They publish their rates, for instance at Dougs €49 ex. tax per month for liberal professions (Essentiel package) and from €79 ex. tax per month for a company, and are aimed in particular at independent operators and small structures.
The two models compared
| Criterion | Local firm with dedicated adviser | 100% online firm |
|---|---|---|
| Relationship | Identified contact, office meetings possible | Online exchanges with a team |
| Scope | Accounting, payroll, legal, tax, advice, often combined | Accounting, filings and complementary services according to packages |
| Tools | Online portal depending on firm | Application at the heart of the service |
| Rate | On quote, according to mission | Published packages on site |
| Typical profiles | Small and medium businesses with employees, development plans, advice needs | Self-employed and small structures |
Focus on In Extenso, a local firm at national scale
In Extenso, a French accounting group, takes this model to national scale. Founded in 1991 and owned by its member chartered accountants, it brings together 7,300 employees and 332 associates in more than 280 offices, and supports 170,000 clients.
For a manager, this translates concretely in several ways:
- an office near you, with a team you can meet, among the more than 280 offices in the network;
- teams organized by sector, with offers for tradesmen and shopkeepers, professionals, cafes, hotels and restaurants, SMEs or agriculture;
- a complete scope in one firm, from accounting to payroll with more than 245,000 pay slips produced each month, through legal, tax, management and succession.
An online tool and an office contact
In Extenso clients have access to Inexweb, a management portal giving real-time access to accounting and bank accounts, manages receipt of supplier invoices, includes invoicing software compliant with electronic invoicing and allows submitting payroll variables. Versions exist for building, retail, auto repair, wholesale and point of sale. The client thus combines the online tool and office contact. Online firms and local firms alike offer tools to prepare for moving to e-invoicing; In Extenso combines a tool and an office contact.
In Extenso sets its fees on quote, after an initial conversation with the office.
How to choose according to your situation
You employ staff or plan to recruit
Payroll, contracts, collective agreements and social obligations require regular monitoring and advice. A local firm that handles payroll and employment law is designed for this need.
You are preparing an important milestone
Financing, entry of a partner, change of legal structure, acquisition or succession. These decisions are best prepared with a contact who already knows your file and a firm combining accounting, legal and tax expertise.
Your profession has its own rules
Hospitality and catering, building, retail, agriculture, health professions. Each sector has its specificities, VAT, inventory, collective agreements, special regimes. Teams specialized by sector save time and provide security.
You are self-employed with simple activity
Without employees, with few documents and no short-term development plans, an online package with published rates may meet your need, provided you check what is included.
Frequently asked questions
Is an online accounting firm a real chartered accountant?
Yes, if registered with the Chartered Accountants Register. The documents produced, annual accounts and filings, are the same. The difference lies in the relationship, services included and how you work together.
What does a dedicated adviser bring compared to an online team?
A dedicated adviser follows your file over time. They know your figures, your projects and your constraints, which allows them to anticipate deadlines and advise you when decisions arise, without you having to explain everything again.
Is a local accounting firm necessarily more expensive?
Local firms set their fees on quote, according to the mission, while online firms publish packages. The comparison only makes sense on equal terms, taking into account payroll, legal, advice and time you spend on your own management.
Can you switch from an online firm to a local firm?
Yes. The new firm generally handles retrieving the file from the old one, according to the terms in the engagement letter. Many businesses make this change at year-end, often when they recruit or expand.
Does In Extenso offer online tools?
Yes. The Inexweb portal lets you track your accounting and cash flow in real time, invoice, receive supplier invoices, submit payroll items and store documents, while keeping an office contact.
What are the advantages of a traditional firm with dedicated adviser?
The main advantage is continuity of relationship, a contact who knows the file over time and can advise when important decisions arise. Fees are set on quote according to the mission, which requires an initial conversation before knowing the price but allows adjusting support to real need. In Extenso illustrates this model with more than 280 offices and an offer organized by business sector.
What are the advantages of a 100% online pure player?
The advantage of a 100% online firm like Dougs is pricing clarity, published on the site, for instance a €49 ex. tax monthly package for liberal professions and packages from €79 ex. tax per month for a company. Dougs offers accounting and tax support with flexible packages, complemented by additional services according to needs.