How Much Should I Charge for Bookkeeping Services? Averages & More

Bookkeeping is one of the basic requirements for running a company, but it is also one of the most complex and challenging aspects of business ownership. Understanding your options for bookkeeping services and their costs will help you tremendously in ensuring the long-term growth of your company. The costs a small business or nonprofit incurs for bookkeeping will depend upon many variables. In addition to these basic bookkeeping activities, your costs will be impacted by how your accounting systems, policies and procedures, and reporting needs are set up and administered.

Maybe the freelancer is experienced in a single software and charges a lower rate for it. You can also find experts in numerous accounting software that charge more. This doesn’t include the benefits that can cost up to 20% of their salary. Whether you decide to outsource your bookkeeping or do it with an in house bookkeeper, you should be aware of the costs involved. As a small business owner, you want to make well-informed decisions about financing your bookkeeping expenses, and you want to do it correctly. Small business bookkeeping service is an investment that helps you grow.

Bookkeepers

Instead, it’s more of a holistic view of time, resources, and the ability to become more efficient that will make or break your decision. If the answer is yes, then size shouldn’t be your deciding factor. Use our guide to help investigate your options and figure out how much a bookkeeper costs via comparisons by position and area, tips, and other considerations. As part of ongoing bookkeeping, your bookkeeper categorizes your transactions and reconciles your accounts each month. Your bookkeeper categorizes transactions and reconciles accounts for you, freeing up time to focus on your business. An expert gets you started on the right foot by bringing your past financials up to date and setting up your bank connections and chart of accounts.

One of the biggest disadvantages of hiring a part-time bookkeeper is that they provide only partial support in an area of business that requires a lot of attention and detail. You will need to dedicate some of your time to audit their work on an on-going basis, and you may still be required to do more of the high-level accounting work, such as projecting and reporting. This is an added burden to any company owner who is also responsible for many other key areas of the business. They are in charge of maintaining your financial books by keeping track of expenditures and revenue. This is performed by entering data into an accounting software like QuickBooks. If you’re growing, outsourced bookkeeping services should be able to help you scale by adding full service accounting when you are ready for it.

How should you choose the right outsourced bookkeeping services?

Six key factors will impact the hourly rate you’ll charge for your services. A freelance bookkeeper’s level of education and any certifications they have obtained, such as QuickBooks ProAdvisor, are also a factor in determining the hourly rate. Specializing in additional services like payroll or having expertise in a certain accounting application can also be a factor. In addition, the frequency and type of services needed can impact the hourly rate. The more expensive option is a full-time in-person bookkeeper who earns $3,000 to $4,500 a month, along with benefits. This is when you may also need to hire an accountant or accounting firm.

Industry observers agree that software improvements have made bookkeeping more efficient. As a result, the profession’s growth rates have slowed, but the Strategic Finance article notes growing gaps between the number of open jobs and the number of people qualified to fill them. James M. Tobin is a writer, researcher, and editor specializing in student reference and academic research materials related to technology, business, finance, law, and the humanities. He began his professional career in editorial services in 2001 and…

basic bookkeeping vs. full-service accounting: which does my nonprofit need?

Full-time employees also tend to be more involved with the company for which they work, and you should receive greater long-term benefit from working with someone who knows your business thoroughly. Before looking to hire a full-time employee to maintain your books, you should first figure out what kind of responsibilities you need to have handled. A full-time accountant is an upgrade over a basic bookkeeper, as they require less oversight and provide greater expertise across the board. After digging through the pricing tiers of a number of different bookkeeping service providers, we’ve found that the average range for small to medium businesses is $250 – $1,500 per month.

• Deciding what kind of small business bookkeeping services you need, and what your business can afford is a great place to start.
• The cost of full-service accounting is hefty, and CPAs tend to charge a higher hourly rate than bookkeepers.
• The primary difference between bookkeepers and accountants is the level of financial detail involved with the service provider.
• You are paying for your own computer, your own equipment, and your own office supplies.
• Intuit Inc. does not warrant that the material contained herein will continue to be accurate nor that it is completely free of errors when published.

Typically, accounting services cost the same each month as determined by a flat rate for service tiers. Virtual bookkeepers compare to in-person bookkeepers and accountants in a number of ways. The cost of a full accounting department on the payroll versus that of a part-time bookkeeper who works fully remotely is astronomically more than you want to pay in 2022. Now is the time to avoid overhead and streamline processes in the back office. Finding the right virtual bookkeeping service depends on the business and its end goals for bookkeeping and accounting.

Average prices for bookkeeping services: Fast facts

It’s a better idea to have someone do it for you, since your time is more valuable elsewhere. An in-house bookkeeper will often cost you more than an outsourced bookkeeper, although hiring one so gives you more oversight and control over your bookkeeping. Bookkeepers keep track of a business’s earnings and expenses, ensuring all financial records are in order. There are major differences between the three types of bookkeepers and what each can offer your business. Figure out which works for your business and start tackling the problems, or potential problems, with your books. So you’ve concluded you can’t afford your own hourly rate to keep doing your bookkeeping.

Many firms now use online bookkeeping services rather than deal with the inconvenience of employing and paying a bookkeeper. Businesses that have been in operation longer, manage more employees, or are growth-driven may require more robust bookkeeping services. Zoe Whitman, founder of But the Books bookkeepers in Bristol, says her fixed monthly fee starts at around £300 for basic bookkeeping, but with extras added on for services such as payroll and VAT.

Signs it’s time to hire a bookkeeper

While this makes it easier to control your how much does bookkeeping cost costs, most small businesses require consistent services to keep their books straight. However, there’s no set cost for hiring a professional to manage your business’s finances. It varies depending on the type of financial expert you hire and the particulars of your business. However, when talking about bookkeeper costs, it is important to note their differences.