What does bookkeeping include and why it affects price
Bookkeeping is broader than coding bank feeds. Your cost reflects how much of the finance cycle you want handled and how often. Typical inclusions are:
- Transaction capture and bank reconciliations, including bills, receipts and merchant feeds.
- Accounts receivable and payable support (invoicing, reminders, supplier bills, payment runs).
- Payroll processing and compliance (awards, super, STP, leave, end‑of‑year finalisation).
- GST review and BAS preparation/lodgement by a registered BAS agent.
- End‑of‑month checks, management reports and liaising with your tax accountant.
The more of these items you delegate, the higher the package, but the lower your year‑end clean‑up and the smoother your cash flow visibility.
Typical Australian pricing models
- Hourly rates: $60-$120+ for ongoing work, rising for complex payroll, multi‑currency or inventory; senior review or BAS agent sign‑off often $90-$160+.
- Fixed monthly packages: scoped by transaction count, bank accounts, entities, payroll headcount and reporting frequency.
- Per‑deliverable: BAS per lodgement, payroll per pay run, EOFY payroll finalisation per headcount, or a fixed fee for cleanup/migration.
Packages are best when the volume is predictable. Hourly can suit one‑off cleanup or uncertain scope.
Price guide by business profile
- Sole trader or micro business (light volume, no payroll): $250-$500+ per month or $150-$400 per BAS if quarterly only.
- Small business (100-400 txns/month, 1-5 staff): $400-$900+ per month, plus BAS if not included.
- Growing or multi‑channel (eCommerce, tools like Shopify/Amazon, inventory): $800-$1,500+ per month depending on integrations and reconciliations.
- Multi‑entity or consolidated groups: typically bespoke pricing; expect senior oversight and scheduled reporting.
These are indicative ranges. Your actual price depends on the mix of AR/AP work, payroll rules, deadlines and how tidy your records are today.
BAS, payroll and one‑off costs
BAS and IAS
Simple quarterly BAS is often $150-$300 when books are tidy; more complex groups, adjustments or catch‑ups can be $300-$600+ per lodgement.
Payroll
Expect a base fee plus $6-$15 per employee per pay run. Setup, award mapping, onboarding, super clearing and EOFY finalisation are usually separate line items.
Cleanup and catch‑up
From $500 for a light month to $1,000-$5,000+ for multi‑month backlogs, historical BAS corrections, or a migration to Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks.
Software subscriptions
Cloud accounting typically ranges from entry to advanced plans depending on features like payroll, multi‑currency and projects. Confirm whether software is included in your package.
BAS only, full bookkeeping, or bookkeeping plus payroll
Most quotes people compare are not for the same job. These are the three scopes Australian bookkeepers actually sell, and the gap between them is where confusion about price usually comes from.
BAS only
$150-$400 per quarter. They pick up your file four times a year, check the GST coding, prepare and lodge the BAS. Nothing else.
Works when you reconcile as you go and your coding is reliable. Falls apart quietly if it is not, because nobody looks at the file between lodgements and the errors compound for three months at a time.
Full bookkeeping
$250-$1,500+ per month depending on transaction volume. Ongoing reconciliation, coding, accounts payable and receivable, month end, and the BAS included or priced beside it.
This is the scope most small businesses actually need. It is also the one where the price genuinely tracks volume rather than the bookkeeper.
Bookkeeping plus payroll
Add $50-$120 per pay run plus $6-$15 per employee per run. Pay runs, STP lodgement, super, leave, onboarding and EOFY finalisation on top of the bookkeeping.
Payroll is priced separately by almost everyone, and it is the piece most often left out of a headline quote. Ask for it as its own line or you will be comparing two different jobs.
The single most useful thing you can do when comparing quotes is insist on this split. A bundled monthly number tells you nothing about which part is expensive, and it makes two quotes impossible to compare.
How to estimate your own bookkeeping cost
- List your bank/merchant feeds and average monthly transactions.
- Confirm GST registration and BAS frequency (monthly or quarterly).
- Count payroll headcount and pay frequency; note any awards or allowances.
- Note tools and integrations (e.g. Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks, Shopify, Square, Stripe, DEAR/Cin7).
- Decide if you want AR/AP handled (issuing invoices, chasing debtors, supplier bills, payment runs).
- Flag any catch‑up months, cleanup needs, or an upcoming migration.
Share this checklist when you request a quote so providers can scope accurately and avoid change orders later.
Estimate your own bookkeeping cost
The ranges above are what the market charges. This works out what your file specifically is likely to cost, because the number is driven far more by transaction volume, payroll and the state of your records than by who you hire.
Estimates only, built from the Australian market ranges set out on this page. A real quote depends on your software, your deadlines and how tidy the file is when someone opens it. Nothing here is financial or tax advice.
What to compare before you commit
Scope
Confirm what is included (reconciliations, AR/AP, payroll, BAS, reporting) and what triggers an out‑of‑scope fee.
Software fit
Choose a provider fluent in your stack and integrations, not just familiar with the brand names.
Turnaround and communication
Ask about processing cadence, response time SLAs, review steps and who handles urgent issues near lodgement deadlines.
Commercials
Compare hourly vs fixed fee, minimum terms, price review timing, and whether you want compliance only or advisory input.
Bookkeeper or accountant: which cost are you actually looking at?
These are different jobs at different prices, and most people arrive here having conflated them. A bookkeeper keeps the file right week to week: reconciliation, coding, payroll, BAS. An accountant works on what the file produces: year-end financials, the tax return, structure, and the decisions that flow from those.
You will usually pay a bookkeeper monthly and an accountant annually, and a tidy bookkeeping file is what keeps the annual bill at the bottom of its range rather than the top. Paying for good bookkeeping to save on year-end accounting is often the cheaper way round.
Best next steps
Decide whether you need a one‑off fix (cleanup, BAS, payroll setup) or ongoing support. That decision shapes the brief, the pricing model and the level of experience you should budget for.
If you want broader guidance across tax, structure or cash flow, consider pairing bookkeeping with a small business accountant or advisory support.
Frequently asked questions
How Much Does Bookkeeping Cost?
The short answer depends on your structure, software, reporting obligations and how much hands on support you need. In Australia, expect $60-$120+ per hour or $250-$1,500+ per month for packages, with BAS, payroll and cleanup quoted by scope.
What should I check before deciding?
Review your business structure, tax registrations, payroll needs, software stack, reporting frequency and whether you need compliance only support or broader advisory input. Also note transaction volume, number of bank/merchant feeds, and any catch‑up months.
When should I get professional advice?
Get advice when the issue touches tax, structure, reporting deadlines, payroll awards, trust distributions, director/shareholder loans, finance applications or a system migration. A BAS‑registered bookkeeper can handle GST/BAS; involve your tax accountant for income tax and structuring.
What is the safest next step?
Use the checklist above to define scope, then request a fixed‑fee or clear hourly estimate. Compare scope, turnaround and software fit before you choose. If you want action now, submit the form below for tailored options.
Is software included in the price?
Sometimes. Confirm whether your package covers Xero/MYOB/QuickBooks subscriptions, payroll add‑ons and any app fees (eCommerce, inventory, timesheets). Software can be a significant component of total cost.