The verdict in three sentences
For an accounting and tax firm in Dublin, the website contract matters as much as the design because the site collects personal and financial data and carries your professional designations. Require ownership of the domain, code and content, a GDPR Article 28 processor agreement wherever the provider handles client data, milestones tied to written acceptance tests, and a partner sign-off of every marketing claim before launch. Kolonell keeps its own terms short: a fixed grid price (€2,700, €4,500 or €8,200), delivery in 3 to 4 weeks, 3 months of support and a project manager reachable in Irish time, with every other term written into the quote.
Which clauses should a Dublin practice insist on?
Under Irish copyright law, the person who creates a work is generally its first owner unless the contract says otherwise, so a firm that pays for a website does not automatically own the code, the design or the copy. Start from this clause list.
| Clause | What to require | Why it matters for an accounting and tax firm |
|---|---|---|
| Scope and page list | services (audit, tax, payroll, corporate finance, advisory), sectors, team, insights, careers, contact | avoids extras billed for a missing payroll or R&D tax credit page |
| Domain and DNS | registered to the firm, provider as technical contact only | the domain is tied to your email and client trust |
| Code, design and copy | assignment on final payment, list of third-party licences | lets you change provider without a rebuild |
| Hosting | EU hosting named in the contract, account in the firm's name or transferable | simplifies your GDPR records and data transfer analysis |
| Data processing | Article 28 processor agreement for any provider handling form or portal data | required by GDPR where a processor acts on your behalf |
| Payment milestones | tied to deliverables, at least 20 % after acceptance | keeps leverage until forms and accessibility pass |
| Change requests | written, priced before work starts | stops scope creep when partners add pages late |
| Support, warranty and exit | bug-fix period, handover of credentials, repository and content export | covers the day you leave |
The client portal deserves its own line. If you use a document upload or e-signature portal, the portal vendor is normally your processor and you hold that contract. The website provider only links to it or embeds a login, and any deeper integration is on quote. Write down who processes what so that your record of processing activities stays accurate.
Typical local contract vs what to ask for vs Kolonell
Local figures are a 2026 ballpark from typical agency quotes and public rate pages in Dublin, not a survey.
| Topic | Typical Dublin agency contract | What to ask for | Kolonell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | €8,000 to €30,000 depending on pages and integrations | fixed price for a written page list | Starter €2,700, Growth €4,500, Premium €8,200 |
| Payment schedule | 50/50 or 30/40/30 | final tranche after acceptance | set in the quote |
| Timeline | 8 to 14 weeks | dated milestones, launch outside tax peaks | 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready |
| Ownership | sometimes silent or limited to a licence | explicit assignment of code, design and copy | written into the quote |
| Support | 30 to 60 days, then a retainer of €100 to €450 a month (market assumption) | defined bug-fix period, response times | 3 months included, then on quote |
| Portal and integrations | quoted per tool | named tools and data flows | on quote |
| Copywriting | often supplied by the firm | who writes, who approves | native English copywriting included |
What should the acceptance tests cover?
Acceptance is where most disputes start, so list the tests in an annex and sign off only when each passes:
- Forms: every enquiry, callback and careers form delivers to the right inbox, sends a confirmation and collects only the fields you need. No PPS numbers or financial statements through an ordinary contact form.
- Privacy and cookies: privacy notice published, consent banner blocks non-essential cookies until accepted, analytics configured accordingly. The Data Protection Commission is the Irish supervisory authority, and your notice should explain how to contact it.
- Accessibility: WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA as a measurable criterion, checked on the home page, a service page and each form with a screen reader and keyboard only.
- Professional claims: a partner reviews designations, regulated activities and any comparison with other firms. Chartered Accountants Ireland, CPA Ireland and ACCA each have rules on advertising and on the use of designations, so check your body's guidance before launch.
- Portal links: login links open the correct portal on desktop and mobile.
- Performance: key pages load quickly on mobile, which matters for directors checking you out between meetings.
This is not legal advice; ask your solicitor to review the final draft.
On timing, plan the launch outside your busiest weeks. Revenue's self-assessment pay and file deadline falls in the autumn, usually around mid-November for online filers, and few partners have time to review pages then. A September launch means signing in mid-August.
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Illustrative example. Ciarán is managing partner of a six-partner chartered accountancy practice near Fitzwilliam Square, serving owner-managed companies and the Irish entities of US groups. A local agency offers €18,000 paid 30/40/30, so €5,400 at signing, €7,200 at design approval and €5,400 at launch, with no ownership clause and hosting outside the EU. He asks for the Kolonell Growth tier at €4,500, EU hosting and ownership terms written into the quote, and the portal link only, with integration left out of scope. Content takes three weeks on the firm's side and the build four weeks, so to launch on 15 September he freezes content by 25 August and starts gathering copy on 4 August. Kolonell has built professional services sites before, such as TR Signing Group's site in New Jersey, and the same handover approach applies.
FAQ
Does the firm own the website if it pays the full price?
Not automatically. Ask for an assignment of copyright in code, design and copy on final payment; it costs €0 to write and avoids a rebuild of €8,000 or more.
Do we need a processor agreement with the web provider?
Yes, if the provider hosts form submissions or otherwise processes personal data for you, GDPR Article 28 requires a written agreement. If it only builds and hands over, the hosting company may be the processor instead.
When should an accounting firm in Dublin launch a new site?
Avoid the autumn pay and file peak and the weeks before. A launch between May and September leaves 6 to 8 weeks of buffer for content and partner review.
What should be held back until acceptance?
Keep at least 20 % of the fee until forms, accessibility checks and portal links pass. On a €18,000 contract, that is €3,600.
What happens after Kolonell's 3 months of support?
Ongoing maintenance is on quote. Compare it with local retainers of roughly €100 to €450 a month, as a market assumption.
Compare tiers on the international websites offer or send your draft contract with a free quote request.
Let's scope your project. Send us your page list, portal tools and preferred launch month, and we will return a fixed scope with ownership and hosting terms written in. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
