Accounting quotation for a monthly retainer

What to put on a bookkeeping quote template

This accounting quotation lays out recurring work the way clients budget for it: a monthly bookkeeping fee, payroll priced by headcount, sales tax returns per filing, and a one off charge to get the books current. The sample is a year of service for a small pharmacy. Open it in the free quote maker, change the volumes and rates, and email the client a clean PDF.

An accounting or bookkeeping quote needs the volume assumptions behind each fee: how many transactions, bank accounts, employees and filings the price covers. Without those numbers, a fixed monthly fee quietly turns into unpaid hours when the client’s business grows or the box of receipts arrives late.

1. Service frequencyGroup lines as monthly, quarterly and one off, as the sample does, so the client sees what repeats and what they pay once.
2. Transaction volumeThe number of bank and card transactions a month the bookkeeping fee assumes, with a rate for volume above that level.
3. Accounts coveredEach bank account, card account or merchant account you will reconcile. A third card account is real extra work at month end.
4. Payroll headcount and frequencyNumber of employees and whether pay runs weekly, every two weeks or monthly, plus who prepares and files the payroll tax forms.
5. Tax filingsSales tax returns, quarterly estimates or year end returns listed by type and count, each with its own price.
6. Cleanup or catch up workMonths behind, unreconciled balances or a messy chart of accounts priced as a one off setup, separate from the ongoing fee.
7. Client deadlinesThe day each month you need statements, receipts and payroll changes, and what happens to the schedule if they arrive late.
8. Software and accessWhich accounting software the client uses, who pays the subscription, and the user access you need to do the work.

Sample accounting quotation with example fees

Ledgerwise Bookkeeping quotes Noor Pharmacy for twelve months of service. Two Monthly lines cover bookkeeping with reconciliations and payroll for six staff, a Quarterly line prices four sales tax returns, and a Setup line handles onboarding and cleanup as a one time charge. There are no optional lines and no deposit is requested. The subtotal is $7,850 before tax, and every price shown is an example.

Edit the Ledgerwise Bookkeeping quote

4 lines are filled in, from bookkeeping and reconciliations to onboarding and cleanup. Put in your own accounting and bookkeeping rates, then download the PDF.

Open the accounting and bookkeeping sample

How to price bookkeeping and accounting work

Bookkeepers and accountants usually price recurring work as a fixed monthly fee based on volume, one off work by the hour or as a project fee, and tax filings per return. Fixed monthly fees are easier for clients to budget for and reward you for building efficient systems.

1. Fixed monthly fee by volumeSet tiers by transactions, accounts and employees. The client knows the cost each month, and you review the tier when volume changes.
2. HourlyUseful for cleanup, advisory calls and anything you cannot size until you see the books. Quote an estimated range of hours with your rate.
3. Per filing or per returnA set price for each sales tax return, payroll filing or year end return, which makes add ons simple to quote and to invoice.
4. Tiered packagesBasic, standard and full service bundles with stated limits. They suit a website price page, but the quote still needs the limits written out.

Recheck volumes at least once a year, because a fee set for 150 transactions a month will not hold at 400. The overhead guide helps you check that a monthly fee covers software, review time and your own admin.

Worked example: building a monthly bookkeeping fee

This is one way to turn volume into a monthly price for a retail client. The base fee, the per transaction rate and the payroll charge are example figures.

1. Base feeUp to 150 transactions a month and one bank account at an example $300 a month.
2. Extra volumeThe client averages 250 transactions, so 100 are over the base: 100 x $0.80 = $80.
3. Extra accountsTwo company card accounts to reconcile at $25 each: 2 x 25 = $50.
4. PayrollNine employees paid every two weeks, charged at $12 per employee a month: 9 x 12 = $108.
5. Monthly and yearly totals$300 + $80 + $50 + $108 = $538 a month, or 538 x 12 = $6,456 a year.
6. Catch upThe books are four months behind. At an example $280 per month of cleanup: 4 x 280 = $1,120, quoted once as a setup line.

The cleanup estimate is the risky line. Look at a sample of the client’s records before you fix it, or quote it as an hourly range with a cap.

What the monthly fee includes and what it does not

Common accounting quote mistakes

• Quoting a monthly fee with no transaction or headcount limit, so growth turns into free work.
• Folding cleanup into the first month’s fee and then discovering the books are a year behind.
• Not saying which filings are included, leaving the client to assume the annual return is part of the deal.
• Ignoring software costs, then paying for the client’s subscription out of your margin.
• Skipping the date each month when records are due, which pushes your whole close schedule late.
• Never revisiting the fee after the first year, even after the client opens a second location.