What it costs
Typical figures are what clients paid last year. Ranges are quoted before work starts.
- Bookkeeping, monthly Books reconciled and closed monthly, financials ready for the return. Transaction volume and accounts beyond three move it up. $688 typical, per month
- Payroll, monthly Payroll runs, the filings that follow, and W-2s. Employee count moves it up. $170 typical, per month
- Business returns, 1120 and 1120-S The entity’s federal return, prepared and reviewed by CPAs. Additional states and K-1s issued move it up. $1,983 typical, per return
- Partnership returns, 1065 The partnership return and the partners’ K-1s. Additional states and K-1s issued move it up. $1,558 typical, per return
- Estate and trust returns, 1041 The fiduciary return for the estate or trust. Quoted to scope before work starts. $1,868 typical, per return
- Nonprofit returns, 990 The information return for the organization. Quoted to scope before work starts. Quoted after a short call
- Individual returns, 1040 Federal return and one state. Rentals, K-1s, 1099 work and more states move it up. $1,444 typical, per return
- Business consulting Advisory sessions through the year. Quoted to scope before work starts. $2,390 typical, per year
- Controllership Monthly accounting oversight, above bookkeeping. Quoted to scope before work starts. $2,500 to $5,000 a month
- Fractional CFO Outsourced CFO work on a monthly engagement. Added services run $500 to $1,000 each. $5,000 to $10,000 a month
- Business valuation A documented valuation of the business. A sale inside 12 months adds $1,000 to $2,000. $3,000 to $8,000 per valuation
- Catch-up filing, back taxes We read your IRS transcripts before anyone names a number. Priced by years open and rebuilding needed. Quoted after a short call
- IRS letters and representation We read the notice and the transcripts, then quote. Open-ended representation bills at $200 an hour. Quoted after a short call
- S corp election and study The election, owner payroll and the 1120-S in one place. Quoted to scope before work starts. Quoted after a short call
- Year-end tax planning The annual planning engagement, built before filing season. A written reduction plan or strategy series adds to it. $1,426 typical, per year
What changes the price
The drivers we price on, and what each adds.
- Entity type The return your entity files sets the base: 1040, 1120-S, 1065 or Schedule C.
- Additional states $150 to $250 per state after the first.
- Rental properties $250 to $400 per property.
- K-1s $100 to $200 per form, received or issued.
- 1099 contractor work $150 to $300 when subcontractor reporting joins the return.
- Bookkeeping volume Tiers rise with monthly transactions; accounts beyond three add $50 to $100 each.
- The condition of the books Cleanup is its own engagement, scoped and quoted first.
- Deadlines Rush turnaround is priced separately.
How an engagement works
From the first call to the finished return.
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A short call
The consultation is free. We ask what you file and what shape the records are in.
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A written scope and price
You see the scope and the fee before any work starts.
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The engagement letter
It states the fixed fee, the scope, and how out-of-scope work is billed.
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The work
Delivered on the agreed schedule. Work outside the scope is agreed first.
Questions people ask
The pricing questions people bring to the first call.
How much does a CPA charge for taxes?
Individual returns at our firm typically ran about $1,444 last year. That figure carries business owners’ returns with schedules and K-1s. Rentals, added states and each K-1 move the number up.
What are CPA fees for a small business?
Entity returns typically ran about $1,983 for an 1120 or 1120-S and $1,558 for a 1065 last year. A business that adds monthly services typically pays about $688 a month for bookkeeping and $170 a month for payroll.
How much does tax planning cost?
Annual tax planning typically ran about $1,426 last year. Deeper work, like a written tax reduction plan or a multi-session strategy series, is quoted before it starts.
How much does bookkeeping cost?
Monthly bookkeeping typically ran about $688 a month last year. Transaction volume, accounts beyond three, and cleanup work move it up; cleanup is quoted as its own engagement.
Do you charge by the hour?
Routine work is a fixed fee quoted before we start, and the engagement letter states the fee and its scope. Work outside that scope is billed at $200 an hour, the firm’s standard rate, agreed before it begins.
What does the first call cost?
Nothing. The first consultation is free, and no work starts before you have seen a written scope and price.
Put a number on yours.
Call 504-832-1873 or send a note. The consultation is free and the quote is written.
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