Accounting in Norway – where is it most cost-effective? Profitability calculator for 2026

Starting a new business – what about accounting?

Running a business in Norway comes with several important obligations. First and foremost, there is the annual tax return. This is the most important requirement, as it allows you to legally declare and settle your income. In addition, once your turnover exceeds NOK 50,000 over the past 12 months, you are required to register for VAT (MVA).

However, for most entrepreneurs there is another requirement that is often even more important.

Keeping proper accounting records in accordance with Norwegian regulations becomes mandatory once your business exceeds NOK 50,000 in turnover over the previous 12 months. This means you must always check the last 12 months to see whether the threshold has been exceeded. If it has, you should get in touch with an accountant.

Profitability calculator – find out how much you’ll pay!

If you already know that you are required to keep accounting records, one of your first thoughts was probably: “How much will this cost me?”
The answer is simple: it depends on which option you choose. As with any service, there are cheaper but lower-quality options, more expensive and better ones, or… expensive and still not very good.

In practice, you have two main options: handing everything over to an accountant, or using accounting software yourself. Each solution has its pros and cons, but in most cases, working with an authorized accountant is the best choice. Accounting software makes sense mainly for very small businesses with a limited number of simple documents.

Alright, let’s get to the point: how much will it cost?
You can calculate it using our calculator below:

Accounting calculator – how it works

In the calculator, we take into account the key factors that are most commonly used to determine the final price of accounting services:

• Type of business – prices differ for sole proprietorships and companies.
• Number of documents per month – one of the main drivers of cost.
• Number of employees – payroll handling also increases the price.

Based on this information, you will see:

• The cost of authorized accounting services at Efirma Regnskap AS
• The cost of doing your own accounting using the Efirma.no software
• The average cost of accounting in Norway, calculated by us based on data from around 35 accounting offices across the country.

All prices shown are net amounts.

What’s the most cost-effective option?

As you can see in the calculator, from a purely financial perspective, using the Efirma.no accounting software is always the cheapest option. However, that doesn’t mean it’s always the best solution for everyone.

When you handle accounting yourself using software, you are fully responsible for everything that gets booked. You must do the bookkeeping on your own, remember to submit reports on time, use the correct accounting codes, and so on. In short, this option requires a lot of involvement and free time. Still, if you run a small business, it may be the best choice for you.

The second option is to entrust your accounting to a professional accountant. This must be an authorized accountant, as only such professionals are legally allowed to provide accounting services to businesses in Norway. As shown in the calculator, the most cost-effective option in this category (and not just financially) is authorized accounting at Efirma Regnskap AS.

This solution is especially well suited for entrepreneurs who don’t have the time or energy to deal with paperwork. Your accountant will take full care of your company, handle all key obligations, and ensure that all reports are submitted on time—helping you avoid penalties from the tax authorities.

If you’d like to speak with a specialist about this, feel free to contact us at: +47 21 38 38 21. We’re available Monday–Friday from 9:00 to 21:00 and will be happy to help!

Article author: Marcin – marcin@efirma.no