Most small businesses pay a few hundred dollars a month for professional bookkeeping. Where you land in that range depends on a short list of things you can usually predict before you sign anything.
What does bookkeeping cost by type of provider?
| Option | How it’s usually priced | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself in accounting software | Software subscription only | Very new businesses with a handful of transactions | Your time, missed reconciliations, no one checking the tax side |
| Freelance bookkeeper | Hourly or a monthly retainer | Simple books and an owner who can manage the work | Coverage when they’re unavailable, varying quality, usually no tax review |
| Online bookkeeping service | Flat monthly subscription by volume | Most small businesses that want monthly books done on time | Plans that leave out tax filing or charge extra for basics |
| Local CPA firm | Hourly or a custom monthly fee | Complex businesses, audits, multi-state or multi-entity groups | Often the highest cost; bookkeeping may be handed to junior staff |
What drives the price?
- Transaction volume. More bank and card transactions means more to categorize and review. It’s the biggest single factor, and it’s why most firms price by monthly revenue or transaction count.
- Number of accounts. Every bank account, credit card, loan and payment processor (Stripe, Square, Shopify, PayPal) has to be reconciled each month.
- How current your books are. If you’re months or years behind, expect a one-time catch-up project before the monthly price starts.
- Complexity. Inventory, payroll, sales tax in several states, multiple entities and accrual-basis reporting all add work.
- What’s included. Some plans stop at monthly books. Others include financial statements, 1099 filing, tax planning and annual tax returns.
What AutoTaxPilot costs
We publish our prices. Each plan is a flat monthly fee, priced by your transaction volume and locked for 12 months once we confirm it on a free call.
| Plan | 1-year plan | Month-to-month | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $149/month | $199/month | Year-end tax-ready books, P&L and balance sheet. For businesses under $10K monthly revenue. |
| Bookkeeping | $292/month | $389/month | Monthly books ready by the 15th, P&L, balance sheet and 1099 reporting, a dedicated bookkeeping team |
| Bookkeeping & Tax | $517/month | $689/month | Everything in Bookkeeping, plus year-round tax planning and annual business and owner tax returns |
On the Bookkeeping and Bookkeeping & Tax plans, last month’s books are ready by the 15th or that month’s fee is refunded, starting with your first full month after catch-up. Payroll is a separate add-on. The 1-year prices are the 3-months-free offer: sign up for a year and you get 3 months free, applied as 25% off every bill, with no setup fee. Cancel in your first 30 days, even on a 1-year plan, and we refund your first month’s fee (catch-up work is billed separately). See all plan details on our pricing page.
Is a bookkeeper worth it?
Compare the monthly fee to three things:
- Your time. If you spend five or more hours a month on your books, multiply that by what an hour of your time is worth to the business.
- Missed tax savings. Clean monthly books are what make deductions, estimated payments and an S-corp election possible to plan. Use the savings calculator on our homepage to estimate what an S-corp election could save you.
- Cleanup costs. Catching up a year of neglected books, or fixing a return filed from bad numbers, almost always costs more than keeping them current.
How to get an accurate quote
Have these ready and any provider can price you quickly:
- Roughly how many bank and card transactions you have a month
- A list of your bank accounts, credit cards, loans and payment processors
- Which accounting software you use (we work in QuickBooks Online)
- The last month your books were fully reconciled
- Whether you need tax returns filed, and for which entity type
If you’d rather check where your finances stand first, take the free AutoTaxScore health check. When you’re ready, book a free 15-minute call and we’ll confirm your exact price. It’s locked for 12 months from that call, and on a 1-year plan the 25% off applies from your first monthly bill.