Bookkeepers record transactions, reconcile accounts, and keep a small business's books current so the owner and their tax preparer can rely on the numbers. Most work solo or in a small practice and bill for monthly bookkeeping, catch-up or cleanup projects, payroll processing, and sometimes hourly advisory work. Invoices usually go out monthly and need to show which periods and accounts the work covered.
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Most bookkeepers use a mix of monthly flat-fee packages and hourly billing. Ongoing clients are typically on a fixed monthly fee based on transaction volume, number of bank and credit card accounts, and whether payroll or accounts payable is included. Cleanup and catch-up work for months or years of neglected books is usually billed hourly or as a fixed project fee after a look at the files. Add-ons such as payroll, 1099 preparation, sales tax filings, and accounts receivable follow-up are often priced per run or per filing. Hourly rates cover ad hoc work, training, and anything outside the agreed scope. Many bookkeepers also charge a one-time onboarding fee for setting up the chart of accounts, bank feeds, and rules.
| Service | Priced | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly bookkeeping (small business, under 100 transactions) | per month | $250-600 |
| Monthly bookkeeping (higher volume or multiple accounts) | per month | $600-1,500 |
| Hourly bookkeeping and ad hoc support | per hour | $40-95 |
| Catch-up or cleanup project | per hour | $50-100 |
| Payroll processing | per payroll run | $40-150 |
| Bank and credit card reconciliation (one-off) | per account per month | $50-150 |
| 1099 preparation and filing | per form | $10-25 |
| Accounting software setup and onboarding | flat fee | $200-750 |
Typical US ranges. Rates vary by region, experience, and job size.
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly bookkeeping, March 2025 (2 bank accounts, 1 credit card, up to 150 transactions) | 1 month | $550.00 | $550.00 |
| Payroll processing, bi-weekly, 4 employees (March 7 and March 21) | 2 payroll run | $65.00 | $130.00 |
| Cleanup of prior-year uncategorized transactions (Oct-Dec 2024) | 6 hour | $60.00 | $360.00 |
| Accounts receivable follow-up, 5 overdue customer invoices | 1 flat fee | $75.00 | $75.00 |
| 1099-NEC preparation and e-filing | 3 form | $15.00 | $45.00 |
| Total | $1,160.00 | ||
Notes: Payment due within 15 days of invoice date. Monthly fee is billed in advance on the first of each month. A 1.5% monthly late fee applies to balances past 30 days. Work outside the agreed scope is billed at $60 per hour. Please send missing receipts and statements by the 5th of each month.
Clients and their tax preparers need to match your fee to the month of work, and it prevents confusion on recurring invoices.
Separating the recurring fee from one-off work shows the client where extra charges come from.
Hourly charges get questioned most often, so the period and hours worked support the total.
If volume goes above the package limit, you have a documented basis for adjusting the fee.
Per-run fees are easier to verify when each pay date is listed, and it ties to the client's payroll records.
Showing these as separate lines keeps your service fee clear and lets the client see what was reimbursed.
Clients often forward bookkeeper invoices to their accountant, who may need to identify the vendor and expense category.
Recurring bookkeeping is commonly billed in advance at the start of the month, with payment due on receipt or within 7 to 15 days. Project work such as cleanup often requires a deposit of 25 to 50 percent, with the balance due at completion or in milestone payments. Net 15 is more common than net 30 because bookkeepers rely on steady monthly cash flow. Late fees of 1 to 1.5 percent per month are common if stated in your engagement agreement or on the invoice. Many bookkeepers accept ACH transfer, card payments, or checks, and some set up automatic monthly billing so clients are not chasing invoices. Consider pausing work if a client is more than 30 days behind.
Billing for the coming month means you are never carrying a client's books on credit. State this in your engagement letter so it is not a surprise.
If your package covers up to a set number of transactions, write down the cap and the overage rate. Clients whose business grows often outgrow their package without noticing.
Catch-up work is unpredictable. Billing it hourly or as a separate capped project keeps your ongoing monthly fee stable and your cleanup time paid.
If you spend hours chasing receipts or statements, include a clause allowing hourly billing for that time. Otherwise the cost comes out of your flat fee.
Client volume, software costs, and your experience all change. A small annual increase with 30 days notice is easier to accept than a large jump every few years.
Both are common. Flat monthly fees suit ongoing clients with predictable volume and give you steady income. Hourly billing suits cleanup projects, one-off requests, and clients whose needs are hard to predict. Many bookkeepers use a flat fee for the core service and hourly for anything outside it.
It depends on the state. Some states tax certain professional or accounting services, while most do not tax bookkeeping. Check your state department of revenue rules or ask a tax professional before assuming either way.
In most cases yes, if the fee is agreed in advance, usually in your engagement letter or on the invoice terms. Keep the rate reasonable and check any limits on interest or late fees in your state.
Look at a sample of bank statements and the current state of the software before quoting. Then either bill hourly with a not-to-exceed estimate or quote a fixed fee per month of books cleaned up. Tell the client in writing that missing records may change the price.
If you buy software on the client's behalf, bill it as a separate pass-through line at cost or with a stated markup. If the tool is part of your own workflow, most bookkeepers include it in their monthly fee rather than billing it separately.
Send a Bookkeeper estimate for approval, then turn it into an invoice when the work is done.
Bookkeeper estimate template