The Short Answer
Outsourced bookkeeping can mean anything from transaction categorization to a complete monthly close with reconciliations, financial statements, CPA review, and an owner walkthrough. That is why two quotes can look completely different even when both are called bookkeeping.
The useful question is not simply, "What does bookkeeping cost?" It is, "What financial process, review level, and deadline am I buying?"
Atkins CPA charges $3,000 per month for ongoing QuickBooks Online bookkeeping and client accounting services. Historical cleanup is assessed and scoped separately when it is needed. The monthly service is built for service businesses that want reconciled books, CPA-reviewed reporting, and a consistent monthly close.
Four Ways a Business Can Handle Bookkeeping
Most service businesses are comparing four different operating models. Each can be appropriate, but they do not deliver the same result.
Do it yourself with accounting software: This has the lowest direct service cost, but the owner or an employee still has to categorize transactions, reconcile accounts, resolve exceptions, maintain documentation, and produce usable reports. A QuickBooks Online subscription gives you the system; it does not remove responsibility for the close. Current software plans and included features are listed on QuickBooks Online's official pricing page.
Hire an independent bookkeeper: A solo bookkeeper can be a good fit when the records are straightforward and the business mainly needs recurring categorization and reconciliation. The tradeoff is that scope, review, backup coverage, reporting, and response time vary significantly by provider. The quote should state exactly which accounts are reconciled, which reports are delivered, and who reviews the work.
Use an outsourced bookkeeping or client accounting firm: This model usually combines a repeatable monthly process with documentation, reporting, review, and defined communication. It costs more than basic data entry because the engagement is buying a close process, not only labor hours. The value depends on whether that process produces timely, decision-ready financials.
Hire in-house: An employee gives you dedicated capacity and can take on broader administrative work. It also adds recruiting, management, payroll, benefits, coverage, and training responsibilities. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported median annual pay of $49,210 for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks in May 2024. That is wages alone, before the other employer responsibilities described by the Small Business Administration's hiring guide. See the BLS occupational profile for the underlying wage and role data.
What Actually Drives the Monthly Price
The following factors change the work required and should change the quote:
- ·Number of bank, credit card, loan, payroll, and clearing accounts
- ·Monthly transaction volume and the number of uncategorized exceptions
- ·Current reconciliation status and whether historical cleanup is required
- ·Quality and availability of statements, receipts, invoices, and payroll reports
- ·Accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, sales tax, or expense-management support
- ·Number of entities, locations, classes, departments, or reporting dimensions
- ·Cash-basis versus accrual reporting requirements
- ·Inventory, job costing, work in progress, deferred revenue, or other specialized accounting
- ·Required close date and how quickly the business answers open questions
- ·Whether reports receive a second review or CPA review
- ·Whether the owner receives only statements or also a monthly explanation
A quote based only on transaction count can miss the work that matters most. Ten complicated balance-sheet accounts can require more judgment than hundreds of routine card transactions.
What a Low Quote May Leave Out
A lower price is not automatically a bad deal. It may simply describe a narrower service. Before comparing it with a fuller monthly engagement, check whether it excludes:
- ·Historical cleanup or catch-up work
- ·Balance-sheet reconciliations beyond the bank account
- ·Loan, payroll, merchant processor, and clearing-account reconciliation
- ·Accounts payable or accounts receivable support
- ·Accruals, prepaid expenses, fixed assets, or other adjusting entries
- ·A defined monthly close deadline
- ·Financial statement review by a senior accountant or CPA
- ·Written explanations, dashboards, or an owner walkthrough
- ·Cleanup when bank feeds, rules, or prior reconciliations are wrong
- ·Coverage when the assigned bookkeeper is unavailable
The cheapest quote can still be the right quote if those items are not needed. Problems begin when the buyer assumes they are included and discovers the gaps at year-end.
How Atkins CPA Prices the Work
Atkins CPA uses one monthly service price: $3,000 per month. There are no service tiers and no annual contract. The engagement is month-to-month.
The monthly service includes:
- ·QuickBooks Online transaction review and exception handling
- ·Monthly bank and credit card reconciliations
- ·CPA review of the close and financial statements
- ·Financial reporting and a monthly owner walkthrough
- ·Automation across QuickBooks Online and Microsoft 365 where appropriate
- ·A repeatable monthly close with clear deliverables and timing
Historical cleanup is separate because the effort cannot be known responsibly until the file, statements, reconciliation history, and missing records have been reviewed. Atkins CPA only accepts cleanup work when it leads into an ongoing monthly bookkeeping engagement.
For the complete service description, see QuickBooks Online bookkeeping services. For the cleanup process, see QuickBooks cleanup for monthly bookkeeping.
Questions to Ask Before Comparing Quotes
Ask every provider the same questions:
- ·Which accounts will you reconcile every month?
- ·What is specifically excluded from the quoted price?
- ·Is cleanup included, separately scoped, or not offered?
- ·When will the books be considered closed each month?
- ·Who performs the work, and who reviews it?
- ·What financial statements and supporting reports will I receive?
- ·Will someone explain the results, or are reports simply delivered?
- ·How are missing documents and uncategorized transactions handled?
- ·What happens when my volume or complexity changes?
- ·How quickly will you respond when I have a question?
- ·Who covers the work if my assigned bookkeeper is unavailable?
- ·How do I leave, and do I retain full access to my QuickBooks file?
These questions turn a vague price comparison into a process comparison.
Which Model Usually Fits
DIY may fit when activity is simple, the owner understands bookkeeping, and the time cost is genuinely low.
An independent bookkeeper may fit when the business needs reliable recurring maintenance but does not need a formal close process, CPA review, or deeper reporting.
An outsourced accounting firm may fit when the owner needs timely reconciliations, documented controls, review, and financial statements that can support decisions.
An in-house hire may fit when the business has enough daily accounting and administrative work to keep a dedicated employee productive and has the management capacity to support the role.
The Bottom Line
Outsourced bookkeeping cost is best evaluated against the completeness and reliability of the monthly close. Compare the accounts reconciled, work excluded, reviewer qualifications, reporting delivered, close deadline, and communication—not just the monthly number.
If you want a clear assessment of what your QuickBooks file and monthly process require, start with the free bookkeeping assessment. You will know whether cleanup is needed, whether the Atkins CPA model fits, and what the next step would cost before committing.
