Best Accountants in Christchurch
We assessed 56 accountants in Christchurch and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 348 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 30 September 2026. How we rank →
Before you hire
A good accounting firm does more than file your tax returns, whether you are a small business, a contractor or a rental property owner. They flag issues before they become problems and help you make better financial decisions through the year. Ask how they communicate proactively (not just at tax time), whether they are chartered accountants, whether bookkeeping is included or separate, and what accounting software they work with.
Top 5 Accountants in Christchurch
The top 5 accountants in Christchurch are #1 Tax Matters, #2 Taxfix, #3 A2Z Accounting, #4 SBA Burnside, and #5 Rodgers and Co, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you choose.
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1
Tax Matters Limited
★ 4.9 84 reviews Top5 Score 1565★ 81 4★ 2 1★ 1Tax Matters works through tax returns, business growth planning, projections, and annual returns for charities, making them a practical fit for small business owners who want their accountant involved beyond compliance. Clients who have switched from other Christchurch firms point to the difference in personal attention, with advisers like Jun taking time to explain financial concepts clearly and flag future tax commitments after each job.
location_on 3/245 Saint Asaph Street, City Centre, Christchurch
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2
TAXFIX ACCOUNTANTS LIMITED
★ 4.9 42 reviews Top5 Score 1495★ 40 4★ 1 1★ 1Taxfix takes on GST filing, tax returns, and multi-year financial clean-ups for sole traders, contractors, and small business owners across New Zealand, working remotely with clients in Auckland, Nelson, and beyond. Sabor is known for going back through previous years to find unclaimed deductions, and for filing returns on the same day even when client records arrive late and disorganised.
location_on 14 Wagner Crescent, Northwood, Christchurch
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3
A2Z Accounting
↓ 1★ 4.9 40 reviews Top5 Score 147 -15★ 38 4★ 1 1★ 1A2Z Accounting looks after tax returns, property tax, bookkeeping, and business accounts, with Sanjay building relationships that span a decade or more for many clients. Calls get answered outside regular office hours, and questions that would normally require an appointment are often resolved on the spot.
location_on 15 Hineaari Street, Marshland, Christchurch
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4
SBA Small Business Accounting Burnside
★ 5.0 30 reviews Top5 Score 1445★ 30SBA Burnside gets contractors, sole traders, and small businesses set up from scratch, covering GST returns, tax filings, Xero onboarding, and multi-entity structures for more complex clients. Vas is consistently named for giving clear, straight answers from the very first conversation, with several clients noting they learned more in one initial meeting than they had from previous accountants over years.
location_on 1/567 Wairakei Road, Burnside, Christchurch
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5
Rodgers and Co Ltd
↓ 1★ 5.0 21 reviews Top5 Score 1425★ 21Rodgers and Co handles end-of-year tax, GST, Xero support, business structuring, and family trust accounts for clients who want their accountant involved year-round, not just at filing time. Multiple clients who have run with them for seven to twenty years point to regular check-ins and proactive goal tracking as the reason they have stayed.
location_on 6E Pope Street, Addington, Christchurch
Before you choose an accountant in Christchurch
Drawn from 203 customer reviews collected for this page. The first answer is what it costs.
What do accountants typically charge in New Zealand? expand_more
Annual accounts and an income tax return for a sole trader or small company cost between $500 and $2,500, depending on complexity. Hourly rates for Chartered Accountants, who must be members of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), run from $150 to $350.
Fixed-fee packages are the norm for standard compliance work, covering financial statements, tax return preparation, and Inland Revenue filing. Always confirm upfront whether the quoted fee includes GST and whether bookkeeping or advisory work is charged separately.
What's the difference between a Chartered Accountant and a bookkeeper? expand_more
A Chartered Accountant holds a qualification through Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) and is authorised to provide formal tax advice, audited financial statements, and complex compliance work. Bookkeeping is not a licensed profession in New Zealand, so anyone can use the title, and bookkeepers focus on day-to-day tasks like transaction recording, bank reconciliations, payroll, and GST returns.
Bookkeepers charge roughly $35 to $80 per hour, while CA rates sit between $150 and $400 depending on firm size and complexity. For most small businesses, a bookkeeper handles routine ongoing work while a CA is engaged for end-of-year accounts, tax planning, or any IRD dispute.
What does proactive tax advice actually look like, versus just filing returns? expand_more
Proactive advice shows up as an accountant identifying issues before you notice them, such as one reviewer whose accountant spotted a cash flow problem caused by invoice timing and recommended a practical fix that resolved weekly payroll pressure. It also means going back through prior years to find missed claims, as one reviewer reported saving thousands in tax and GST after an accountant reviewed four years of financials unprompted. To establish whether an accountant will advise proactively, ask directly how often they initiate contact outside filing deadlines and whether they offer scheduled check-ins or only respond when you call.
What are the warning signs of an accountant you shouldn't use? expand_more
- –Poor communication between staff means different people handle your file without sharing context, leading to errors that Inland Revenue then has to correct.
- –An accountant who waits to be chased rather than reaching out when something needs attention is a clear problem.
- –No clear explanation of what the fee covers, or charges that appear without prior discussion, signal a lack of transparency.
- –Returns that contain errors requiring correction by Inland Revenue indicate either insufficient review or misunderstanding of your circumstances.
- –Work communicated only through a proprietary portal with little transparency about progress or methodology adds unnecessary stress and reduces your ability to verify accuracy.
- –Switching you between staff without briefing the new person on your file suggests poor internal processes.
What should you ask before hiring an accountant? expand_more
- –Ask what is included in the quoted fee and what triggers an additional charge, specifically whether GST returns, bookkeeping, advisory calls, and Xero setup are covered or billed separately.
- –Ask how they handle an Inland Revenue query or audit, and whether they represent you directly or hand it off.
- –Ask what their standard turnaround is for answering a query outside of filing season, since reviews repeatedly highlight responsiveness as a key differentiator.
- –Ask whether they schedule proactive check-ins or wait for you to make contact, as firms that initiate regular meetings tend to catch issues earlier.
- –Ask whether they will review prior years' returns to identify missed claims, since at least one reviewer found significant savings only after a new accountant looked back at historical filings.
Also recommended accountants in Christchurch
Ranked 6 to 10 on the same public review record.
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6
SOM Accounting Limited
↓ 1★ 5.0 18 reviews +1 Top5 Score 141 +15★ 18SOM Accounting covers tax returns, property tax, business planning, and financial advice, with Sherie and George both named by clients for clear explanations and prompt follow-through. One client reports saving more in taxes than they spent on fees, and the team is reachable by phone or in-person meeting when questions come up between jobs.
location_on Unit 1/1008 Ferry Road, Ferrymead, Christchurch
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7
Accounting Solutions Ltd
↓ 4★ 5.0 21 reviews Top5 Score 141 -15★ 20 4★ 1Accounting Solutions covers tax, GST, business planning, and financial reporting while actively coaching clients to understand their own numbers rather than just filing on their behalf. Louise and the team send reminders ahead of upcoming obligations, hold client seminars and webinars, and step in with structured support during periods of rapid growth or economic disruption.
location_on 77 Gasson Street, Sydenham, Christchurch
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8
Max Accountancy Limited
★ 4.7 52 reviews Top5 Score 1405★ 48 1★ 4Max Accountancy takes on tax returns, IRD liaison, payroll, and business accounting for sole traders and small businesses, with Jenny and Craig both named by clients for explaining obligations clearly and resolving IRD issues quickly. Clients who have stayed for several years point to prompt responses by phone and email and pricing that stays accessible without requiring a long-term retainer.
location_on 5/245 Blenheim Road, Middleton, Christchurch
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9
SBA Small Business Accounting Ferrymead
★ 5.0 22 reviews Top5 Score 1405★ 21 4★ 1SBA Ferrymead steps in on tax returns, business accounts, and last-minute compliance jobs, including a community trust filing turned around inside 48 hours. Sally and the team are known for being reachable at short notice and for educating clients on their obligations rather than simply filing on their behalf.
location_on 2/1 Waterman Place, Ferrymead, Christchurch
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10
Baker Tilly Staples Rodway Christchurch
↓ 4★ 5.0 18 reviews Top5 Score 139 -15★ 18Baker Tilly Staples Rodway brings in sole traders moving to limited company structures, guiding the transition and continuing with business accounting and financial advice well beyond the initial setup. Free seminars and workshops on topics like tax and business risk run throughout the year, giving clients practical education alongside their core accounting relationship.
location_on 329 Durham Street North, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch
About this ranking
What the 10 accountants listed above hold, at the 30 September 2026 check.
We first assessed accountants in Christchurch in March 2026 and have rechecked the ranking four times since. Tax Matters has held first place at every check. Across the 14 locations we assess accountants in, the 134 businesses listed have a median rating of 5.0, and one-star reviews are 1.3% of their total.
What has changed since March 2026? expand_more
- Sep 2026
Scoring method updated. Taxfix returned to the top 5 at #2. SBA Burnside entered the top 5 at #4. Accounting Solutions left the top 5, down to #7. Baker Tilly Staples Rodway left the top 5, down to #10. Max Accountancy and SBA Ferrymead entered the list, at #8 and #9.
- Aug 2026
Scoring method updated. Baker Tilly Staples Rodway entered the top 5, up from #8. SOM Accounting entered the list at #10.
- Jun 2026
Rodgers and Co entered the top 5, up from #7.
- Apr 2026
Scoring method updated. Accounting Solutions entered the top 5, up from #8.
- Mar 2026
First check. Tax Matters #1.
How are the top accountants in Christchurch chosen? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for accountants in Christchurch. Each one is scored on its public rating and review record. Businesses outside the area, or whose reviews describe a different line of work, are left out, and a business whose main Google category is a different trade is held back until a person has checked what it does. A business whose website no longer resolves and that has had no Google review for six months is treated as dormant and left off the page until either changes. Every category and city is rechecked on a rolling cycle, about every two to three months. A location with a subscribing business is rechecked every month, and the whole page updates with it. See how we rank for the full method.
What does a business subscription offer? expand_more
No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Claiming and verifying a listing is free. It adds a phone number to the card and a small trust bonus (+3 points) to its score, for confirming a real operator stands behind the listing. The owner also gets a dashboard showing how their score is made up. A paid subscription provides an enhanced card with more ways to reach the business, including a website link and a detailed profile page. It also refreshes this page monthly and adds ranking history and competitor analysis to the owner's dashboard. The subscription adds nothing to the score. Claim your listing or see what a subscription includes.
Why isn't my business listed? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for accountants in Christchurch. The usual reasons for missing out are a Google Business category that does not match, too few reviews to score near the top, or an address outside the area we cover. Sometimes we miss a business that should be here. Check where you rank first. If you are not there and think you should be, get in touch.