CPA bookkeeping rates
CPA Bookkeeping Rates (2026)
What CPAs charge for monthly bookkeeping, cleanup, and payroll add-ons.
Bookkeeping under a CPA's roof costs more than a bookkeeper-only shop, but you get year-end-ready books, accrual adjustments, and tax-savvy categorization. Here's what to expect in 2026.
Individual 1040
$250 – $1,400
W-2 to self-employed
S-corp 1120-S
$900 – $3,800
Single to multi-state
Monthly bookkeeping
$300 – $2,500
Per month
Fractional CFO
$2K – $15K
Per month
Ongoing reconciliations, categorization, and monthly close.
Monthly bookkeeping
Who it's for: Any business that wants reliable books without hiring in-house.
| Scenario | Price | Cadence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter (under 100 txns / mo) | $300 – $500 | per month | One bank + one card, cash basis, monthly P&L. |
| Growth (100 – 300 txns / mo) | $600 – $1,200 | per month | Multiple accounts, payroll sync, quarterly review. |
| Scale (300 – 700 txns / mo) | $1,300 – $2,200 | per month | Accrual, deferred revenue, multi-entity consolidation. |
| Controller-level (700+ txns or multi-entity) | $2,500 – $5,000+ | per month | Dedicated bookkeeper + controller review, KPI pack, audit prep. |
What drives the price
- Monthly transaction volume
- Number of bank, card, and merchant accounts
- Cash vs accrual basis and ASC 606 revenue recognition
- Inventory / COGS tracking
- Multi-entity or multi-location consolidation
Bundle to save
Pairing this service with tax prep or bookkeeping usually saves 10–25% versus buying it standalone, and removes the year-end clean-up tax that catches owners off guard.
Estimate a bundleOne-time project to fix or recreate prior-period books.
Cleanup / catch-up bookkeeping
Who it's for: Owners behind on books, switching firms, or prepping for tax filing or a fundraise.
| Scenario | Price | Cadence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 – 6 months catch-up, low volume | $1,500 – $3,500 | project | Reconcile bank + card, rebuild P&L, deliver year-end package. |
| 12 months catch-up, average volume | $3,500 – $7,500 | project | Full year reconciled, accrual adjustments, fixed assets. |
| Multi-year cleanup or complex | $7,500 – $20,000+ | project | Multiple years, multi-entity, untangling commingled accounts. |
| Hourly cleanup | $80 – $150 | per hour | Common when scope is undefined; cap with a not-to-exceed. |
What drives the price
- Number of months / years behind
- Whether books exist or must be rebuilt from scratch
- Commingled personal and business accounts
- Software migration (e.g. desktop QB → QBO)
- Year-end deadline pressure
Red flags
- Open-ended hourly quote with no cap
- Cleanup priced before reviewing actual bank activity
Running payroll, filing payroll taxes, and year-end W-2s / 1099s.
Payroll service
Who it's for: Any employer — from a 1-person S-corp to a 50-person team.
| Scenario | Price | Cadence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-serve software (Gusto, OnPay) | $40 – $80 base + $4 – $12 / employee | per month | Software-only; you run payroll, software files taxes. |
| CPA-managed payroll, 1 – 10 employees | $150 – $400 | per month | CPA reviews and runs payroll, handles state setups. |
| Multi-state payroll, 10 – 50 employees | $400 – $1,200 | per month | Includes state registrations, SUI rate management, workers' comp. |
| Year-end W-2 / 1099 only | $5 – $15 | per form | Often bundled when CPA already does the books. |
What drives the price
- Headcount and pay frequency
- Number of states with employees
- Contractor vs employee classification work
- Equity compensation processing (ISO/NSO exercises)
- Benefits administration scope
Bundle to save
Pairing this service with tax prep or bookkeeping usually saves 10–25% versus buying it standalone, and removes the year-end clean-up tax that catches owners off guard.
Estimate a bundleTax planning, entity structuring, and ongoing strategic guidance.
Advisory services
Who it's for: Owners and high-income filers who want proactive planning, not just compliance.
| Scenario | Price | Cadence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-off tax planning session | $500 – $1,500 | project | Mid-year projection + recommendations memo. |
| Entity / S-election analysis | $750 – $2,000 | project | LLC vs S-corp vs C-corp modeling with break-even. |
| Quarterly advisory retainer | $500 – $1,500 | per month | Quarterly meetings, ad-hoc questions, projection updates. |
| Comprehensive advisory + tax | $1,500 – $4,000 | per month | Bundled with tax prep, bookkeeping, and CFO-light support. |
| Hourly advisory | $250 – $500 | per hour | Senior CPA or partner rate for ad-hoc questions. |
What drives the price
- Complexity of entity structure
- Number of stakeholders and entities
- Equity compensation and exit planning
- Estate, gifting, and succession components
- Frequency of meetings and turnaround expectations
Bundle to save
Pairing this service with tax prep or bookkeeping usually saves 10–25% versus buying it standalone, and removes the year-end clean-up tax that catches owners off guard.
Estimate a bundlePricing models
Hourly vs fixed-fee vs value pricing
Most CPAs use a mix. Knowing which model applies tells you what to expect — and where to push back.
Hourly
Common for cleanup, audits, and unscoped advisory. Insist on a written estimate and a not-to-exceed cap.
Fixed-fee
Standard for annual tax returns and monthly bookkeeping. Read the out-of-scope triggers carefully.
Value / retainer
Used for fractional CFO and advisory. You pay for outcomes and access, not units of time.
Cost drivers
What drives CPA pricing
Same return, same firm — two clients can get quotes 3× apart. These are the levers that move the price.
- Complexity (entities, states, schedules, K-1s)
- Quality of your bookkeeping at hand-off
- Geography and cost of living in the firm's market
- Designation (CPA vs EA vs unlicensed preparer)
- Software stack — clients on QBO / Xero cost less to serve
- Deadline timing — work inside 14 days of a deadline usually carries a rush fee
- Whether tax prep is bundled with bookkeeping or advisory
Geography
CPA hourly rates by U.S. metro
Hourly billing rates by U.S. metro and seniority — typical 2026 ranges.
| Metro | Staff | Senior / manager | Partner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast (NYC, Boston, DC) | $175 – $250 | $250 – $375 | $400 – $650 |
| West Coast (SF, LA, Seattle) | $170 – $250 | $250 – $360 | $380 – $625 |
| Sun Belt (Austin, Atlanta, Miami) | $140 – $215 | $215 – $320 | $325 – $525 |
| Midwest (Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver) | $135 – $205 | $205 – $295 | $300 – $475 |
| Smaller metros / rural | $110 – $175 | $175 – $250 | $250 – $400 |
Vetting
How to compare CPA quotes
- Is the quote fixed-fee, hourly, or value-based — and what's the scope?
- What triggers an out-of-scope charge, and how is it priced?
- Who actually does the work — partner, senior, or staff?
- Are state returns, K-1s, and extensions included?
- How are revisions and amended returns billed?
- Is bookkeeping cleanup priced separately?
- What's the turnaround time and the rush-fee policy?
- Do you e-file, sign as paid preparer, and stand behind the return?
Watch out
Pricing red flags
Quotes a flat fee without seeing a prior-year return or trial balance
Promises a specific refund or IRS outcome before reviewing your facts
Won't put scope and out-of-scope triggers in writing
Charges a large up-front retainer with no deliverables milestone
Bundles 'free' tax prep into a long bookkeeping contract you can't exit
Won't tell you who actually prepares the return
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FAQ
CPA pricing — frequently asked questions
Why are CPA bookkeeping rates higher than a bookkeeper-only firm?
You're paying for CPA oversight, accrual adjustments, and a clean handoff into the tax return. A bookkeeper-only firm hands you a P&L; a CPA shop hands you books that survive a year-end review without rework.
Is bundled bookkeeping + tax cheaper than buying separately?
Almost always. Bundled engagements cut duplicate work at year-end and let the CPA build the return from books they trust. Expect 10–25% savings versus buying each service separately, especially for S-corps and small C-corps.
Why do CPA fees vary so much between firms?
Three drivers explain most of the spread: complexity (entities, states, K-1s), the cleanliness of your bookkeeping at hand-off, and the firm's geography and seniority mix. A junior preparer in a smaller metro charges a fraction of a partner in NYC or SF — but the higher-priced firm often catches savings or risks the cheaper firm misses.
Are fixed-fee or hourly engagements better?
Fixed-fee is better when scope is well defined (annual tax return, monthly bookkeeping, payroll). Hourly is honest when scope is unknown — cleanup work, audits, or first-time advisory. Either way, insist on a written scope, out-of-scope triggers, and a not-to-exceed cap.
Is a CPA more expensive than an EA or unlicensed preparer?
Usually yes, but the gap is smaller than people expect. CPAs typically charge 20–60% more than enrolled agents for the same return, and EAs cost 30–80% more than seasonal chain preparers. CPAs can represent you in tax court, sign audited financials, and offer broader advisory — pay for that only when you need it.
What's the cheapest way to keep CPA costs down?
Hand over clean, accrual-leaning books in QuickBooks Online or Xero, organize source documents into a shared folder, respond fast during prep, and don't push work into the last two weeks before a deadline. Cleanup hours and rush fees are usually the biggest avoidable cost.
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