How much to charge for bookkeeping
Updated 26 September 2026
Most bookkeepers charge a fixed monthly fee, set by how many transactions the business has each month. Payroll is usually priced per employee, and extras like sales tax returns or paying bills are added on top. Catch-up work on books that have fallen behind is quoted separately.
Example bookkeeping prices
| Job | US | UK | Australia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole trader, up to 50 transactions a month | $250 | £200 | A$380 | CA$340 |
| Builder, 51 to 150 transactions a month, 4 on payroll, sales tax or GST returns | $535 | £430 | A$800 | CA$720 |
| Wholesaler, over 300 transactions a month, 12 on payroll, bills paid and invoices chased | $1,280 | £1,025 | A$1,925 | CA$1,720 |
Priced with the starting rates in our bookkeeping template, in each country's currency. They're a starting point, not a survey of local rates, so set your own from what your jobs take and what others charge near you.
How bookkeepers set their prices
Monthly fee by transaction volume
Set fees for bands of transactions a month, such as up to 50, 51 to 150 and 151 to 300. Clients know the cost in advance, and your fee rises as their business grows. Write the band into your agreement, so moving a client up is expected.
Service packages
Tiers like basic, standard and full service, each listing what's included, from reconciliations and reports to payroll and paying bills. They're easy for clients to compare. Give each tier a transaction limit so a busy client can't stay on the cheapest one.
Hourly
An hourly rate for clean-ups and for clients whose volume jumps around from month to month. It protects you when the records are a mess, but clients dislike open-ended bills. Give an estimate and tell them early if it will run over.
Sample bookkeeping price list
The prices in our template, as a list you can adapt. Percentages change the price of the job; fixed-price extras are added on top.
| Item | US | UK | Australia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transactions a month: Up to 50 | $250 | £200 | A$380 | CA$340 |
| Transactions a month: 51–150 | $400 | £320 | A$600 | CA$540 |
| Transactions a month: 151–300 | $650 | £520 | A$980 | CA$880 |
| Transactions a month: Over 300 | $900 | £720 | A$1,350 | CA$1,200 |
| Employees on payroll, per employee | $15 | £12 | A$23 | CA$20 |
| Sales tax / GST returns | +$75 | +£60 | +A$110 | +CA$100 |
| Paying your bills | +$100 | +£80 | +A$150 | +CA$140 |
| Sending and chasing invoices | +$100 | +£80 | +A$150 | +CA$140 |
| Minimum job price | $200 | £160 | A$300 | CA$270 |
Put this price list on your website
Customers answer a few questions about the job, see the price and send you their details. This is our bookkeeping quote form with the prices above. Try it as a customer would, then start from these prices and change any of them.
Clear Books Co.
Bookkeeping price per month
Pricing mistakes to avoid
- Fixing messy books at the normal monthly rate. Months of unreconciled accounts can take longer to sort out than a year of tidy ones. Quote the clean-up as its own project before the monthly fee starts.
- Letting volume creep up. A client who grows from 40 to 200 transactions a month gives you far more work for the same fee. Review volumes every quarter and move clients to the right band.
- Doing payroll for free. Every employee adds work to each pay run and at year end. Our template adds $15 a month per employee in the US.
- Billing at the end of the month. If a client stops paying, you've already done the work. Charge the monthly fee at the start of the month, by direct debit or card if you can.
Not sure what your time is worth? Work out your hourly rate with the pricing calculator, then check your job prices cover it.
Questions
- Should I charge hourly or a monthly fee for bookkeeping?
- A monthly fee suits ongoing work, because clients can budget for it and you benefit as you get quicker. Save hourly billing for work that doesn't repeat each month.
- How do I count transactions?
- Count every bank and card transaction that needs coding or matching in a month, across all the client's accounts. Agree the method up front, so a new account or credit card doesn't turn into an argument.
- How much should I charge for catch-up bookkeeping?
- Quote it as a one-off project, based on how many months are behind and the state of the records. Many bookkeepers price it per month of backlog or by the hour, then move the client onto a monthly fee.
- Should sales tax or GST returns cost extra?
- Usually, because they add deadlines and checks each period. Who can prepare and file returns for clients differs between countries, so check what's required where you work. Our template adds $75 a month in the US for sales tax or GST returns.
- How do I put bookkeeping prices on my website?
- Build your transaction bands and extras into a quote form. Business owners see a monthly price and send you their details, and you confirm it once you've seen their books.