Bookkeeping Services Fees Bookkeeping pricing structure

Most staff members are focused on tax preparation during tax season. To avoid this issue, NumberSquad has a dedicated bookkeeping team separate from the tax team. Bookkeeping projects are often priced on a one-off, monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. The informal rule here is to offer reduced fees to clients that patronize your more frequently. Try to create different bookkeeping price packages levels for small, medium, and big businesses.

A large corporation may place a higher value on bookkeeping services that help them stay compliant with government regulations and audits. They may be willing to pay a higher rate for bookkeepers with specialized training or certification in auditing and accounting. There are several certifications you can get as a bookkeeper, but they are not necessarily required. Intuit’s 2021 rate survey found that average hourly rates did not differ between bookkeepers and certified bookkeepers, suggesting that a bookkeeping certification has no significant impact on pricing.

One-off clients may have to pay more, especially if their job is high-volume in nature . There are times when certain areas of service are in high demand. This can sometimes be due to economic or technological changes. Use best-in-class technology and a dedicated team to develop a process for managing cash flow that works for your business.

Bookkeeping services cost: Bottom line

Here are common pricing strategies for accountants and CPAs and tips to keep in mind when pricing your services. Fixed-pricing looks at your costs in advance and applies your desired margin and voila, you have your price per month. Whether or not it makes sense for your small business client or not is another story. This method is less dependent on the unique situation of each and every one of your clients and is more dependent on the pricing that you have established beforehand. You’ll need to set a menu of all of your additional services and then attach a price to each one. In a billable hour approach with per hour pricing, you let the clock run and your price is based on the time you spent.

Just Google something like “value pricing questions” to see what kind of interview questions help. You will absolutely need a well-defined scope for this method to make sense. Otherwise you’ll bite into your margins if scope creep appears. Access all Xero features for 30 days, then decide which plan best suits your business. A guide to help you work through the big decisions around starting a bookkeeping business.

Accounting Resources

There should be a detailed breakdown of costs, including any additional fees or charges, and a clear explanation of how the pricing is determined. A bookkeeper will not only ensure you have a thorough comprehension of what you’ll pay as tax but can also assist you to explore avenues of modifying your tax obligations and lowering your tax bill. This is why it is imperative that you take your time to review the bookkeeping price packages. But unlike relevance, determining how much a bookkeeper should cost can generate arguments among many, as bookkeeping price packages vary from business to business.

• The average salary of a full-time bookkeeper in the United States is $44,609, or about $3,717 per month plus benefits.
• The cloud-based workflow management system allows you to start with predefined templates, customize them for your firm, and track progress on all your work.
• The last task I do for the preschool is to categorize income, which doesn’t take all that long.

As such, defining your scope of work becomes incredibly important. There’s no reason for you to start from scratch on your bookkeeping pricing proposal template. Jetpack Workflow believes that applies to all of your recurring tasks.

Fixed price/Flat fee

My number one choice for easily creating proposals and engagement letters in seconds? Offering something that is not completely aligned with your client’s business needs is a surefire way of getting your proposal denied. Note that the cells highlighted in yellow should be updated with your firm’s pricing.

By taking the trade discount to research and consider all of these factors, you can determine how much to charge and adjust as needed. If you have been working as a bookkeeper for many years, you will be able to charge more than someone just starting out. The same is true if you have specialized training or certifications.

Pay Structure

Hourly wages for in-house bookkeepers range from $16.55 to $26.85, depending on the geographic location. This translates to an average annual salary that ranges from $27,500 to $71,500. We recommend QuickBooks Online, which we ranked as the overall best small business accounting software.

A great rule of thumb is to use $.55 and $.65 per transaction as the lower and upper estimated cost for these sort of services. We offer both Fixed Flat Rate Pricing or hourly based rate pricing. Accounting and taxation can be applied differently from one industry to another. For example, revenue recognition or cost of goods can vary dramatically. An experienced bookkeeper is very efficient and knows where the pitfalls are.

Regular employees receive a W-2 in January showing their wages from the previous year. Contractors perform special services for companies and aren’t hired on as employees. For this client, I do some tallying of their hourly employee amounts and then note how much is deducted for their health insurance and retirement savings. All I need to do is fill out the spreadsheet, and then I send it off to the payroll department.

They typically are performing basic bookkeeping duties and will need to be supervised and managed. Kathryn is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over 7 years of experience in both public practice and industry accounting. She has had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of individuals and companies, which gives her a unique perspective on what it takes to be successful in the industry. Kathryn loves all things business and productivity and has been able to combine her love for creating content into writing for accounting firms looking to improve their businesses.

Many google results will talk about single entry and double entry bookkeeping. In reality, any functioning small business that pays taxes and has at least one employee should be using a double entry system and at least quickbooks online to manage their bookkeeping. Any of the above types of bookkeepers can be a virtual bookkeeper—those bookkeepers who interact with their clients and do all their work virtually or remotely.

Hourly pricing is typically seen as a better option for bookkeepers who are just starting out or don’t have much experience. However, remember more accountants and bookkeepers are working remotely. There is a larger pool of service providers competing for the same jobs. If you’re working with a large company, they may have more complex needs and require more work from you. They may also need specialized additional services and reporting. GrowthForce accounting services provided through an alliance with SK CPA, PLLC.

With customized pricing, you can either charge a flat monthly fee or hourly. To decide which type of pricing is best for you, consider your experience level, the type of work you’ll be doing, and the needs of your clients. Once you’ve considered all of these factors, you should have a good idea of how to price your bookkeeping services.

So if you’re looking for the answer to “how much do virtual bookkeepers charge? Our bookkeeping services will save you a ton of time; feel free to use it as you please. Do you work with wealthy clients or large businesses who expect an exceptional experience? Clients who expect a premium experience will look for products with a premium price tag.

This is pushing accountants like you to ditch hourly rates in favor of a new pricing strategy and method, which sometimes creates confusion about how to set your accounting services fees. Bookkeepers who productize their offers usually have different pricing plans that include various services. For example, a basic plan may include a monthly bank reconciliation for two accounts and financial statements delivered monthly. A higher plan may include several hours of monthly phone support, account payable collections, and coordination with a tax preparer at year-end.

I often just use the bill pay directly through the bank with this client, as it’s relatively easy to do, and many banks will do that service for free. Occasionally, there’s a problem where I need to dig to find the solution, or my client has a special request I need to take care of, and in those cases, it will take me the full five hours. I like to calculate my rate based on my max time, but then I’m rewarded if I work quickly and efficiently. Working a maximum of five hours per month on this particular client’s books, and charging $250 a month, I’m making right around $50 an hour, which is in the ballpark of where I want to be. While having a degree and/or bookkeeper certification will give you the knowledge that you need to get your foot in the door, having practical work experience is equally valuable. The more experience you have doing actual bookkeeping work, the more confident you’ll be in your skills, which will translate into higher billable rates.