Accountant professional liability runs from a few hundred dollars for a solo bookkeeping-and-tax practice to several thousand for firms doing attest work. The service mix is the whole story: write-up work prices lowest, tax in the middle, audit and review engagements at the top — because that’s exactly how claim severity stacks up.
Typical accountant insurance costs
| Business profile | Typical annual E&O premium range* |
|---|---|
| Solo bookkeeper/preparer, under $100k revenue | ~$400 – $900 |
| Solo CPA, tax & advisory, $100k–$300k revenue | ~$700 – $1,600 |
| Small firm, multiple staff, $300k–$1M revenue | ~$1,500 – $4,000 |
| Firm with attest/audit engagements | ~$3,000 – $8,000+ |
*Illustrative market ranges from typical small-business placements; actual premiums depend on revenue, limits, claims history, state, and carrier appetite. Not quotes or offers of coverage.
What moves the price
Carriers rate the services schedule line by line: percentage of revenue from bookkeeping, tax, compilation, review, audit, and consulting. Attest work carries the surcharge. Staff count, revenue, prior claims, and high-risk client industries (construction contractors, restaurants, medical practices — audit-prone niches) all feed the number. Tax practices with offshore or crypto-heavy clients should expect underwriting questions that double as free risk advice.
How accountant pay less without cutting coverage
Keep the services schedule accurate year to year — firms that dropped attest work often keep paying for it. Engagement letters on every client (carriers ask, and discount for discipline), a documented deadline-tracking system, and comparing the CPA-association programs against open-market quotes at each renewal are the three moves that reliably trim premium.
Full coverage details are on our Accountants professional liability page, and the mechanics of limits, claims-made coverage, and deductibles are in the master cost guide. Ready for real numbers? Compare quotes from multiple A-rated carriers in minutes.
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