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How to Cut Bookkeeping Costs with Invoice Automation

Many small businesses pay bookkeepers £300–800/month partly to handle supplier invoices. With the right automation, you can cut this dramatically — keeping the valuable advisory work while eliminating the data entry.

15 July 20256 min read

What bookkeepers actually spend time on

A typical bookkeeping engagement for a small business includes: bank reconciliation (40% of time), invoice data entry (30%), expense categorisation (20%), and reporting/advisory (10%). Invoice automation targets that 30% — and makes the reconciliation step faster too.

What your bookkeeper still needs to do

  • Review auto-extracted data for accuracy
  • Handle unusual invoices or edge cases
  • Manage supplier relationships and disputes
  • VAT return preparation and submission
  • Year-end accounts preparation
  • Cash flow forecasting and advisory

The ROI calculation

ScenarioCost/monthTime saved
No automation, bookkeeper handles all£500–800/mo0 hours
InboxBill + reduced bookkeeper time£29 + £350–500/mo5–8 hours/mo
InboxBill + owner handles approvals£29/moOwner: 1hr/mo vs 6hr/mo
The best outcome isn't replacing your bookkeeper — it's freeing them from data entry so they can spend more time on advice that actually grows your business.

See the savings for yourself

Try InboxBill free for 14 days and measure time saved on your first invoice batch.

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