It is one of the first questions entrepreneurs ask as soon as they start looking for a bookkeeper: what is this actually going to cost? An honest answer is that there is no fixed amount that applies to everyone. The price of bookkeeping depends on your legal form, the number of transactions, and how much work you want to hand over yourself. In this article we set out the indicative prices that are common in the market, so you get a realistic picture before you start comparing quotes.
Short answer
For a self-employed person or sole proprietorship, a common indicative price lies between 50 and 250 euros per month, depending on the number of invoices, the complexity of the administration, and whether you only have the annual returns taken care of or have everything kept up to date monthly. For a BV the costs are generally higher, with indicative prices between 150 and 500 euros per month, because more work is added there, such as the annual accounts, corporate income tax and often payroll administration as well. These are market-wide indicative amounts, not fixed rates from one firm. The final price depends heavily on your specific situation, so always request a tailored quote before comparing.
What does the price of a bookkeeper depend on?
Bookkeepers and accounting firms usually charge their fee in one of three ways: a fixed monthly amount (subscription), an hourly rate, or a separate price per return or service. Which form is most cost-effective differs per entrepreneur. A number of factors determine the largest part of the price in practice.
- Legal form. A sole proprietorship has simpler bookkeeping than a BV, which has to deal with annual accounts, filing with the Chamber of Commerce and corporate income tax.
- Number of transactions. A self-employed person with ten invoices a month generally pays less than a webshop with hundreds of orders and corresponding bank transactions.
- VAT liability and return frequency. Monthly VAT returns instead of quarterly means more work and therefore often a higher price.
- Payroll administration. As soon as you have staff on the payroll, payroll administration is added, with payslips, wage tax returns and annual statements.
- How much preparatory work you do yourself. Do you supply a tidy, organised administration, or does the bookkeeper also have to sort receipts and figure out bank statements? The latter costs more time and therefore more money.
- Additional advice. Basic bookkeeping is something different from active guidance with, for example, an investment decision or setting up a holding structure.
Indicative prices for a self-employed person or sole proprietorship
For self-employed people without staff, market rates range from roughly 50 to 250 euros per month, or roughly 450 to 1,500 euros per year. At the lower end of that range you usually find a limited package: processing the administration and taking care of the VAT return and the annual income tax return. At the higher end you often find a more extensive monthly subscription, where the bookkeeper monitors things on an ongoing basis, delivers interim reports and proactively flags anything that stands out in the figures.
If you prefer to work by the hour, the common hourly rate for a bookkeeper doing SME work is often between 60 and 100 euros, depending on region, experience and the type of work. For a self-employed person with a manageable administration, for example twenty invoices a month and a limited number of business expenses, that often works out to a few hours of work per month.
A concrete example: a freelance copywriter with around fifteen invoices a month and few business expenses generally needs less time from a bookkeeper than a contractor who purchases materials, works with suppliers and sometimes hires staff. For the copywriter a basic subscription is often sufficient, while the contractor is more likely to end up in a more extensive package.
Indicative prices for a BV
With a BV, more administrative obligations come as standard, and that translates into a higher price. For a regular BV, expect an indicative price between 150 and 500 euros per month for the ongoing bookkeeping, depending on the size of the business and the number of transactions. On top of that, there are often separate cost items that are not always included in the monthly fee:
- Preparing the annual accounts, often several hundred euros per year
- Filing the annual accounts with the Chamber of Commerce
- The corporate income tax return
- The income tax return for the director/major shareholder
- Any payroll administration if there is staff, or if the director/major shareholder pays themselves a salary
A small BV without staff, with a limited number of transactions per month, usually sits at the lower end of this range. A BV with multiple shareholders, staff and a more extensive administration is more likely to sit at the higher end or above it. For larger businesses with substantial turnover, the total amount for administrative and tax services can quickly run up towards several thousand euros per year.
Bookkeeper versus accountant: difference in price
A bookkeeper and an accountant are not the same, and that also shows in the price. A bookkeeper or accounting firm takes care of the regular bookkeeping and returns, while an accountant holds a legally protected title and may issue certain official statements, such as an audit opinion on the annual accounts. For that extra authority and responsibility, an accountant's hourly rate is generally higher than that of a bookkeeper. For most self-employed people and small BVs, a bookkeeper is more than sufficient; only in the case of a statutory audit requirement, usually for medium-sized and large businesses, is an accountant mandatory. Read more about this in our article on the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant.
What should you look out for in a quote?
A low price doesn't say everything. When comparing quotes, look carefully at what is actually included. Is the annual accounts work included in the monthly fee, or is it billed separately? Is there a dedicated contact person you can call, or does everything go through a general mailbox? Are extra hours, for example in the event of a Tax Authority audit or a books review, billed separately or do they fall within the subscription? Also ask about the bookkeeping software used and whether there are separate costs attached to it. Pay particular attention to the personal income tax return: with some bookkeepers this is included in the monthly fee for the business, but the return for you personally as entrepreneur or director/major shareholder is billed separately. A clear quote, which states exactly which services are and are not included, prevents surprises afterwards.
What should you do now?
First map out for yourself roughly how many invoices, receipts and bank transactions you have per month, whether you are liable for VAT and at what frequency, and whether you have staff or are planning to hire any. With that information you can request quotes more specifically and compare them fairly. The final price depends heavily on your own situation, so you will only get a concrete amount after a tailored quote.
Frequently asked questions about the cost of a bookkeeper
Is a bookkeeper more expensive than doing your own bookkeeping with software?
At first glance, yes, because bookkeeping software often costs only a few tens of euros a month. Still, many entrepreneurs choose a bookkeeper because it saves time, prevents errors and provides input on tax possibilities. For entrepreneurs with little time or affinity for administration, this often outweighs the extra cost.
Do I pay more if my turnover increases?
Often yes, because higher turnover usually goes hand in hand with more invoices, transactions and sometimes staff. Some firms work with tiered pricing where the rate grows with the number of bookings, others charge a fixed hourly rate regardless of turnover.
Can I have only the annual return done without a monthly subscription?
Yes, many bookkeepers also offer standalone services, for example only the income tax return or only the annual accounts for a BV. That is often cheaper than a full subscription, but you are then yourself responsible for keeping your administration up to date on a monthly basis.
Are the costs of a bookkeeper tax deductible?
Yes, the costs of bookkeeping and administration are generally business costs and therefore deductible from profit, both for a sole proprietorship and for a BV.
Why don't bookkeepers state a fixed price more often on their website?
Because the price depends heavily on factors that differ per entrepreneur, such as the number of transactions and the desired services. A realistic price quote therefore almost always requires a short conversation or intake, so that the quote actually matches your situation.
Curious what bookkeeping costs for your specific situation? Take a look at our services for the self-employed and sole proprietorships or for the BV.
