A bookkeeper costs a small business anywhere from a few hundred dollars a month for a part-time freelancer to more than $60,000 a year for a full-time employee. The price depends on how the bookkeeper charges, how busy your books are, and what else is bundled in. This guide shows each pricing model, what moves the number, and how to compare options on the same terms.
Greg Neilsen, JD, LLM (Master of Laws in Taxation), reviews our guides. Last reviewed: October 5, 2026.
Each answer is below.
Five ways. Most small businesses will see the first three.
Example: A painting contractor pays a freelancer by the hour. In March the freelancer bills 6 hours. In April, with a cleanup of misposted deposits, the bill is 14 hours. The work did not change much. The mess did.
Volume and complexity. Every bank feed line has to be coded, matched, and reconciled. Every extra wrinkle adds time.
Example: Two landscaping companies each bring in $800,000 a year. One runs everything through one checking account and one card. The other has three bank accounts, five cards, payroll, and job costing on every install. The second company needs roughly twice the monthly work, so it should expect a higher fee.
Bookkeeping is the monthly record. Payroll, tax returns, and tax planning are separate jobs, and most bookkeepers price them separately or do not offer them at all.
| Service | What it is | Usually in a bookkeeping fee? |
|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping | Coding transactions, reconciling accounts, monthly financial statements | Yes |
| Payroll | Running pay, tax deposits, quarterly and year-end payroll filings | Often extra |
| Tax returns | The annual business and owner returns | Usually a separate fee |
| Tax planning | Moves made during the year to lower the tax bill | Rarely offered |
Anyone paid to prepare federal tax returns must have a Preparer Tax Identification Number from the IRS. A bookkeeper without one cannot prepare your return for pay.
Example: A pool service company pays a freelancer for monthly books. In February it hires a separate preparer for the tax return. The preparer finds owner draws coded as wages and spends billed hours fixing them. The owner paid twice for the same year.
More than the salary. The employer pays its share of payroll taxes on top of wages, plus benefits, equipment, and software.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual wage for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks at $50,670 in May 2025, or $24.36 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $36,000. The highest 10 percent earned more than $74,550. Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Here is the employer payroll tax on a Florida bookkeeper paid that median wage in 2026:
| Item | How it is figured | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Salary | BLS median, May 2025 | $50,670.00 |
| Social Security, employer share | 6.2 percent of wages | $3,141.54 |
| Medicare, employer share | 1.45 percent of wages | $734.72 |
| Federal unemployment (FUTA) | 0.6 percent of the first $7,000 | $42.00 |
| Florida reemployment tax | 2.7 percent new-employer rate on the first $7,000 | $189.00 |
| Salary plus payroll taxes | Total | $54,777.26 |
Benefits come on top. The BLS reports that benefits, which include legally required payroll taxes, made up 30 percent of private employers’ compensation cost in June 2026.
Example: Add a $500 a month health stipend ($6,000 a year) and $1,800 a year for a computer and software seats. The total is $62,577.26, about $5,215 a month. That buys bookkeeping only. The tax return, the tax plan, and someone to check the work are still extra. The example stipend and equipment numbers are made up.
Compare the full year, not the monthly sticker. Line up what each option covers and who checks the work.
| Option | Example yearly cost | What it covers | Who reviews the books |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-house bookkeeper | About $62,600 (BLS median wage, payroll taxes, example benefits and equipment) | Bookkeeping; payroll if trained | Nobody, unless you pay for a review |
| Freelance bookkeeper | Example only: $6,000 ($500 a month, made-up figure) | Bookkeeping | Usually nobody |
| Firm with one flat fee | Zero Tax plans start at $750 per month | Bookkeeping, tax preparation, and planning on most plans | The same firm that files the return |
The freelancer line is a made-up example, not a market quote. Get two or three written quotes for your own books.
Cheap books cost the most at tax time. Watch for these signs.
Example: An HVAC company pays a low monthly fee all year. In January the preparer finds $38,000 of uncoded transactions and two cards never reconciled. The cleanup runs 25 hours at the preparer’s rate. The savings from the cheap fee are gone, and the return goes on extension.
It depends on how many months are behind and how messy they are. Most providers price catch-up as a separate project, then move you to a monthly fee once the books are current.
Ask for the catch-up fee in writing before work starts. Ask what happens if the bookkeeper finds more mess than expected.
Example: A remodeler is 9 months behind. A provider quotes a made-up $300 per month behind, so $2,700 to catch up, then a monthly fee going forward. If the quote says “estimate only” with no cap, the final bill can run higher.
Illustration only. The numbers are made up, except the BLS wage and the payroll tax rates. A Tampa plumbing company runs two trucks with three employees. It does about 250 transactions a month across two bank accounts and three cards. It runs payroll through Gusto and job costs every repipe.
The employee costs about three times as much and covers less. The freelancer and the starting firm fee look close on paper. The difference is who answers for the return and whether anyone plans the tax bill before December 31.
One flat monthly fee covers bookkeeping, tax preparation, and planning on most plans. Plans start at $750 per month. On our Planned plan, the written tax plan is included.
We set your fee after we see your books. You get it in writing before work starts. There is no onboarding fee.
We work in QuickBooks Online, Gusto for payroll, and Ramp for cards and expenses. We connect your field software, like Jobber, Housecall Pro, or ServiceTitan, rather than replace it. See our bookkeeping service, tax preparation, and tax planning.
Example: A plumbing company sends us 12 months of bank statements and its QuickBooks login. We review the file and send a written fee before any work starts. If the books are behind, the catch-up is quoted in that same letter.
The BLS reports a median wage of $24.36 an hour for employed bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks as of May 2025. That is the employee’s wage, not your full cost. Payroll taxes, benefits, and equipment come on top. Freelance and firm rates vary, so get written quotes.
For most small trade businesses, a firm costs less than a full-time employee. A full-time bookkeeper at the median wage costs about $54,800 a year in salary and payroll taxes alone. Compare the full year and what each option covers.
Usually not. Bookkeeping and tax preparation are separate jobs. Anyone paid to prepare a federal return needs an IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number. Ask before you assume.
It is a one-time project to bring books current when months are uncoded or unreconciled. Most providers price it separately from the monthly fee. Get the quote in writing before work starts.
Plans start at $750 per month. One flat fee covers bookkeeping, tax preparation, and planning on most plans. We set your fee after we see your books, in writing, with no onboarding fee.
This guide is educational and is not tax, legal, or financial advice for your situation. Prices and tax rates change. Get written quotes and talk to a tax professional before you act.
Greg Neilsen, JD, LLM (Master of Laws in Taxation), reviews our guides. Last reviewed: October 5, 2026.
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