If you’re trying to work out the VAT submission cost in Ireland, the honest answer is that it depends on the state of your records, not just the return itself. Most people assume VAT submission means filing a form on ROS every two months. In reality, the filing takes minutes. The cost comes from everything that has to happen before you can file with confidence: reconciled bank accounts, correct VAT treatment, and invoices that actually back up the figures.
That distinction matters because it explains why two businesses can get very different quotes for what looks like the same service.
Why the price varies so much
A business with 50 clean transactions a month, one VAT rate, and a reconciled bank account is a different job to a business with hundreds of transactions, mixed VAT rates, card and cash sales, supplier invoices, and gaps in the records. The number of transactions and the condition of the bookkeeping behind them are what actually drive the cost, not the act of submitting the return.
Other things that push the price up include intra-EU trade, RCT, imports or postponed accounting, foreign currency transactions, multiple payment platforms like Stripe or Revolut, and corrections to previous VAT returns. The cleaner the records, the more predictable the fee.
What a VAT return actually costs
At OTHS, pricing for a standard bi-monthly VAT3 return starts from around €150 to €250 + VAT, depending on the condition of your records and the amount of work involved. That covers a return where the bookkeeping is already up to date, the bank is reconciled, and there are no major complications.
For most clients, we’d recommend VAT review sitting inside a monthly bookkeeping or accounting package rather than being priced as a standalone task. Keeping the books current throughout the period is usually easier and more accurate than trying to reconstruct two months of activity right before a deadline. We can quote VAT-only work, but if the underlying records aren’t maintained properly, a VAT-only price can be misleading. The return is only as good as the bookkeeping behind it.
A real example
A small service business with clean records, connected bank feeds, one VAT rate, and 50 to 80 transactions a month typically sits in the €150 to €250 + VAT range per return. A busier retailer, hospitality business, or trades business with higher volume, mixed VAT rates, and more reconciliation work will usually cost more, particularly where bookkeeping is bundled in. A business with intra-EU trade, RCT, imports, or several payment platforms needs a tailored quote, because the work is reviewing whether the figures are right, not just submitting them.
The mistake most business owners make
The most common mistake is comparing VAT quotes as if every return involves the same work. It doesn’t. A cheap quote that only covers the act of filing can leave out bookkeeping, reconciliation, and review. That can end up costing more later if the figures turn out to be wrong.
The hidden costs that catch people out
The real cost increases usually show up when records are incomplete or deadlines slip: catch up bookkeeping, correcting earlier returns, chasing missing receipts, software subscriptions, Revenue interest or penalties, and extra fees if a query or audit follows. The standard VAT period in Ireland is normally bi-monthly, though other filing frequencies can apply depending on the business, and ROS deadlines can differ from paper filing deadlines, so it’s worth checking what applies to your specific registration. The biggest hidden cost is almost always the clean up. A return that should have been straightforward gets expensive fast if six or twelve months of records need to be fixed first.
Is DIY filing actually cheaper?
Filing through ROS yourself is cheaper on paper, since there’s no accountant fee. Whether that holds up depends on the business. DIY filing can work well if the business is simple, the owner understands VAT, and the records are kept current.
Where it gets expensive is when VAT is under-claimed, over-claimed, filed late, or based on books that were never reconciled. We’ve seen businesses miss VAT on purchases because invoices weren’t captured properly, and others where returns weren’t filed for months because it kept getting pushed down the list. In both cases, the saving on fees was outweighed by the clean-up cost and the Revenue exposure that built up in the meantime.
Does filing frequency change the yearly cost?
Most VAT-registered businesses file bi-monthly, which means six returns a year. Some qualify for less frequent filing, such as quarterly or annual, depending on their circumstances. Filing less often doesn’t necessarily reduce the bookkeeping workload though. The transactions still need to be recorded and reconciled regardless of how often you submit. Six smaller reviews across the year can sometimes be more manageable than one large clean-up at year end. The right approach depends on the business and the state of the records.
What getting it wrong actually costs
We’ve worked with a client whose returns were being filed on time, but VAT on purchases had been under-claimed because invoices weren’t being captured properly. Once we reviewed and cleaned up the records, the client recovered VAT they’d been missing, and we put a process in place so it wouldn’t keep happening. In another case, VAT hadn’t been filed for almost 12 months. Getting the records sorted meant the client could deal with the position before it became a much bigger Revenue problem.
What you should actually be comparing
Don’t compare VAT services on the headline price alone. Compare what’s included. A proper VAT service should cover reconciled figures, VAT rate checks, purchase invoice review, deadline management, and clear communication about what’s due and when. A low quote might suit a very simple business with perfect records. If there’s volume, mixed VAT rates, RCT, imports, or EU trade involved, the value is in accuracy, not in the cheapest number on the page.
The real question isn’t “how much does the VAT return cost.” It’s whether the return will be accurate, properly supported, filed on time, and reviewed by someone who understands where the risks are.
If you’re not sure where your VAT setup currently stands, book a free discovery call and we’ll take a look.
