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

Now that you have a better idea of what you’re looking for, here are five questions to ask to make sure you hire the right bookkeeper for your business. Now, let’s lay the argument of in-house vs. outsourced bookkeeping squarely on what this looks like in application – with real dollars-and-cents. “So then why wouldn’t I hire an accountant who could handle all of the above?

But, with growth comes an increased responsibility for your back office, and your bookkeeper might need help keeping up. As with all our accounting and HR solutions, this package is fully-customizable, no hassle, and you won’t find yourself locked into a long-term contract. This certification is ideal for those folks who do not hold any formal education qualification in bookkeeping.

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As your business grows, you will need to focus more on detailed financial reporting and following state & federal regulations. This requires a more concerted effort and direct oversight by a qualified professional. You will need an advanced accountant to help you put together the financial intelligence to help you make sound business decisions. It is essential to understand the difference between accounting and bookkeeping before breaking down the cost.

• With decades of proven experience in accounting and HR, Milestone is standing by to support you and help your business grow.
• But bookkeeping is much like going to the dentist – no one actually wants to do it, but not doing it simply isn’t an option, either.
• Simply start scanning receipts and invoices, send vendor information, and set up reports.
• In addition, you’ll need to add around 20% on top of salary for benefits and overhead including office space.
• Firms offering outsourced bookkeeping services tend to also be flexible to make sure their solutions fit your specific needs.

These benefits add a significant amount to the annual cost of an in-house bookkeeper. GrowthForce can serve as your outsourced advanced bookkeeping and accounting department. On the other hand, accounting is the use of information recorded by bookkeepers to come up with higher-level reports. Accountants prepare adjusting entries, prepare and analyze financial statements, plan taxes, advise businesses, and complete income tax returns. An accountant will provide you with a deeper understanding of financial reporting and reduce taxes where possible.

How Much Does it Cost to Outsource Bookkeeping?

This eliminates the need for interviewing and taking a chance on an individual who might end up being poorly-equipped to handle key finance-related activities at a company. The average salary for a bookkeeper in the United States in 2018 is around $14-$17 per hour (per Indeed) which is about $2,400 bookkeeping services pricing to $3,000 per month. The average annual salary for bookkeepers is between $37,000 to $47,000 (per Salary.com). In addition to the hourly charges, state & federal laws will also likely require you to pay for the employee’s benefits such as health insurance and vacation time.

• These are also popular programs with company owners who are not bookkeepers or accountants, which is a great sign.
• It can be time-consuming to research how to stay on top of your books — not to mention best practices for developing a financial system from scratch.
• They generally do all data entry into accounting ledgers or software.
• You’re thinking it’s finally time for a bookkeeper but how can you be sure – and prepared?

Hourly pricing is a great option when you only need help with the books occasionally. You can hire someone to come in on a per-project basis and only pay for the time they spend on the project or for an agreed-upon time. Although bookkeeping may not be the most exciting part of running a business, it’s arguably one of the most important. Accurate and timely bookkeeping allows you to make sound financial decisions. As a business owner, you’re acutely aware of how precious a commodity time is. But what you might not realize is that putting bookkeeping off can cost exponentially more time.

What Is Bookkeeping?

Just as with hiring an internal bookkeeper and defining their role, you’ll have to decide which pieces of your financial management make sense to outsource including the bookkeeping function. The average price of outsourcing your bookkeeping needs ranges depending on the number of transactions and complexity of services required. A key benefit of Outsourcing is it gives you the ability to customize the services you receive to your bookkeeping needs. If you can manage your job and some of the accounting each month but need a little extra help, a part-time bookkeeper might be a good fit for your business. They can do work such as inputting receipts and tracking employee timesheets, accounts receivable and accounts payable.