S-corp tax prep cost
S-Corp Tax Preparation Cost (2026)
What you'll pay for a 1120-S — and which add-ons inflate the quote.
Most S-corp returns land between $900 and $3,800 — but reasonable-comp documentation, multi-state K-1s, and basis tracking can push that higher. Here's how to price your own situation accurately.
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
Pass-through corporate return + K-1s to shareholders.
S-corp return (1120-S)
Who it's for: Owner-operator small businesses, professional service firms, and consultants on an S-election.
| Scenario | Price | Cadence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-shareholder S-corp, clean books | $900 – $1,500 | per return | 1120-S, single K-1, basis schedule. |
| Multi-shareholder S-corp under $1M revenue | $1,400 – $2,400 | per return | Multiple K-1s, basis tracking, reasonable-comp memo. |
| S-corp $1M – $5M revenue | $2,200 – $3,800 | per return | Multi-state K-1 allocations, fixed-asset schedule, fringe benefits. |
| Complex S-corp (multi-state, fringe, audits) | $3,500 – $7,500+ | per return | Composite returns, 280G, accountable plan, retirement deferrals. |
What drives the price
- Number of shareholders and K-1s
- Reasonable compensation analysis and documentation
- Multi-state filings and composite returns
- Accountable plan, retirement, and fringe-benefit structuring
- Bookkeeping quality at year-end (cleanup is billed extra)
Red flags
- Quote skips reasonable-compensation analysis
- Flat-fee that excludes state K-1s and composite returns
- No basis schedule reconciliation
Federal + state corporate income tax return for C-corps.
Business tax return (1120 C-corp)
Who it's for: Delaware C-corps, startups, and established corporations.
| Scenario | Price | Cadence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-revenue Delaware C-corp | $900 – $1,800 | per return | Includes DE franchise + federal 1120; clean books required. |
| Operating C-corp under $2M revenue | $1,500 – $3,000 | per return | 1120 + 1–2 state returns, basic depreciation. |
| C-corp $2M – $10M revenue | $2,500 – $5,500 | per return | Multi-state, accrual GAAP-leaning books, M-1/M-3 reconciliation. |
| C-corp $10M+ revenue | $5,500 – $15,000+ | per return | Consolidated returns, tax provision, transfer pricing, R&D credit. |
What drives the price
- Revenue tier and number of state filings
- Cleanliness and basis of bookkeeping (cash vs accrual)
- R&D credit, §174 capitalization, and other elections
- Multi-entity consolidation
- Foreign subsidiaries and Forms 5471 / 5472
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 bundlePass-through partnership / LLC return + K-1s.
Partnership return (1065)
Who it's for: Multi-member LLCs, real-estate partnerships, joint ventures, and professional partnerships.
| Scenario | Price | Cadence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-partner LLC, single state | $900 – $1,600 | per return | 1065, two K-1s, capital-account roll-forward. |
| Real-estate partnership (1–5 properties) | $1,400 – $2,800 | per return | Schedule E property roll-up, §754 election, passive losses. |
| Operating LLC $1M – $5M revenue | $2,000 – $3,800 | per return | Special allocations, multi-state apportionment, basis tracking. |
| Complex partnership (waterfall, multi-state, foreign) | $3,500 – $9,000+ | per return | Tiered partnerships, §704(b)/(c), foreign K-2/K-3 reporting. |
What drives the price
- Number of partners and K-1s issued
- Special allocations and §704(b) capital accounts
- §754 / §743 step-up elections
- Multi-state apportionment and composite returns
- K-2 / K-3 reporting for foreign activity
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 bundleOngoing 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 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
What's included in a typical 1120-S quote?
A solid S-corp engagement covers the federal 1120-S, K-1 issuance, one state return, basis schedules, and a reasonable-compensation memo. State K-1 allocations, composite returns, fixed-asset tracking, and fringe-benefit work are usually billed separately.
Does an S-corp need its CPA to handle bookkeeping too?
Not required, but strongly recommended. S-corps with messy books at year-end frequently see total prep costs rise 50–100% because of cleanup work and reasonable-comp adjustments after the fact.
How much does a CPA charge for reasonable-comp analysis?
$300–$1,200 as a standalone memo, often included in mid-tier S-corp returns ($1,400+). The analysis pulls market comp data, your distributions vs salary, and documents an IRS-defensible position.
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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