Why Accounting Prices Vary So Much and How to Compare Quotes

What most accounting firms won’t tell you about pricing

If you’ve ever compared quotes from multiple accounting firms, you know how confusing it can be. One firm says $500 a month. Another says $2,500. A third won’t tell you anything until they “learn more about your business.” And none of them explain what’s actually included or why the prices are so different..

You're left wondering if you're being overcharged, underserved, or both.

At Patrick Accounting, we've spent over 20 years refining a pricing model that eliminates that confusion. It's transparent, predictable, and directly tied to the work we're actually doing for you. No surprises. No hidden fees. No wondering if that phone call is going to cost you extra.

In this article, you'll learn why accounting prices vary so much, what drives the differences, and how to confidently compare quotes across firms.

Why Accounting Pricing Feels Like a Mystery

Walk into five different accounting firms, and you'll likely get five wildly different price quotes for what sounds like the same work. One firm charges $500/month for "bookkeeping and tax services." Another charges $2,500. A third wants to talk through your entire business before they'll even hint at a number.

This isn't normal in most industries. When you're shopping for a car, you can compare models, features, and pricing. When you're looking at accounting firms? It's like everyone's speaking a different language.

Here's why that happens:

Accounting pricing is confusing because most firms either don't understand what drives their own costs, or they're intentionally vague to avoid losing potential clients.

Common Pricing Models and Why They Cause Confusion

• Hourly billing is the traditional model: Partners bill at $300/hour, managers at $150/hour, staff accountants at $75/hour. The problem is that there's no incentive for them to work efficiently. If a task takes 10 hours instead of two, they make more money. And you have no idea what your monthly bill will be until it shows up.
• Fixed-fee billing means you pay the same amount every month for a defined set of services. This is what we use at Patrick Accounting. The key is having crystal-clear boundaries around what's included and what's not, which most firms struggle with.
• Value-based billing tries to connect the fee directly to the value you receive ("We saved you $100,000 on taxes, so we're charging you $20,000"). In theory, this sounds great. In practice, it gets messy fast. What counts as "value"? Who decides? How do you predict your costs when the fee depends on subjective outcomes?

Why Most Firms Hide Their Prices

If you've been shopping for an accounting firm, you've probably noticed that most of them don't publish their pricing on their website.

Why?

• They're afraid of scaring away prospects or appearing too expensive.
• Every client is different, and they don't want to quote a price that doesn't fit.
• They don't want to be undercut by competitors.

But what they don't realize is that hiding your pricing doesn't build trust. It creates confusion and frustration. At Patrick Accounting, we believe in being as transparent as possible about what drives our pricing, even if it means having harder conversations upfront.

Two Factors That Drive Accounting Pricing: Volume and Complexity

At Patrick Accounting, we've identified two primary factors that determine pricing: volume and complexity.

1.  How Volume Affects Accounting Costs

Volume is straightforward: How much work is there to do?

• How many bank accounts need to be reconciled monthly?
• How many transactions are flowing through your business?
• How many entities do you operate?
• How many tax returns need to be filed?
• What's your reporting frequency?

Let's say you get an electric bill every month. That's easy because you have one transaction and one category, and we can automate it. But what if you get an invoice from Sysco with 40 different items, and you need each one categorized separately? That's 40 times the data entry work.

2. How Complexity Factors Into Accounting Pricing

Complexity is about how intricate the work is, not just how much of it there is.

Here's what creates complexity:

• Multi-state operations: Filing in five states is more complex than filing in one.
• Allocation rules: Do you need your P&L broken out by location? By department?
• System integrations: POS systems, payroll providers, inventory management software.
• Entity structure: Individual ownership vs. parent-subsidiary setups.
• Level of detail required: Item-level tracking vs. category-level.

For example, a business with 50 transactions a month but complex allocation rules across three locations might cost more than a business with 500 simple, automatable transactions.

Understanding this is key to understanding why accounting pricing varies so much. Two businesses that look similar on the surface can have dramatically different costs based on volume and complexity.

Hidden Fees and "Gotchas" Clients Run Into Elsewhere

Even when firms do provide pricing, there are often hidden costs lurking in the fine print. Or worse, costs aren't mentioned until you're already working together.

Common surprise charges include:

• Audit response fees ($5,000+ to handle an IRS audit)
• Notice resolution (hourly billing to respond to tax notices)
• Amended returns (several hundred dollars each)
• Additional tax returns not in the original scope
• Software fees passed through without transparency

Even worse than surprise fees? Unclear boundaries around what's included in the first place.

We've had clients come to us saying, "I thought my accountant was handling my accounts payable, but apparently that was never part of the deal." Or they say, "I got billed $300 for a 20-minute phone call."

When the scope isn't clearly defined upfront, both sides end up frustrated. At Patrick Accounting, we start every relationship by getting crystal clear on what's included and what's not.

How Patrick Accounting Structures Pricing

We use a fixed-fee model with clearly defined packages, so you know exactly what you're paying and exactly what you're getting.

Our Fixed-Fee Philosophy

We believe you should pay for the value and results we deliver, not for how long it takes us to deliver them.

If we figure out a way to do your bookkeeping more efficiently, you shouldn't get charged less. You should benefit from better service at the same predictable price. A fixed-fee model aligns our incentives with yours.

Three-Tiered Package Approach

We offer three main packages, each designed for different levels of involvement:

1. Core Package (Starting at $750/month): Monthly bookkeeping, financial statements, ongoing tax planning, year-end tax return, and regular strategy meetings.
2. Advanced Package (Starting at $1,500/month): Everything in Core, plus accounts payable management, weekly cash flow reporting, and more detailed financial breakdowns.
3. Ultimate Package (Starting at $2,200/month): Everything in Advanced, plus custom KPI tracking, budgeting, light CFO-level advisory, and more frequent strategic meetings.

We also offer add-on services like individual tax returns, business valuations, Profit First implementation, and audit response protection.

One-Time Onboarding Investment

When you start working with us, there's a one-time investment (typically about twice your monthly fee, depending on when you sign up) that covers:

• Initial strategy sessions
• Chart of accounts cleanup
• Back work catch-up
• Tax review

This upfront investment ensures we're starting with clean, accurate data and a clear understanding of your business. It's not a surprise fee. It's baked into the proposal we give you before you sign on.

What Makes Our Approach Different

We have packages and clear pricing, but what really sets Patrick Accounting apart from other firms?

Transparency from Day One

We're obsessed with clarity. From the first conversation, we're upfront about what's included in your monthly fee, what's not included, what the onboarding investment covers, and how our pricing is determined.

No surprises. No hidden fees. No wondering if you're going to get billed for asking a question.

Integrated Payroll Requirement

Another thing we're very upfront about is that we require that payroll runs through Whirks, our sister company.

Why? Because payroll and accounting need to talk to each other seamlessly. When they're integrated, your labor costs are categorized correctly, there's no lag time, and your financial statements are more accurate.

We've seen too many situations where payroll is handled separately, and it creates a mess. By integrating payroll and accounting, we deliver better data, which leads to better insights and better decisions.

What We Don't Do and Why

We don't bill your customers or collect your receivables. That's operational, not accounting.

We don't nickel-and-dime you for phone calls or quick questions. You're paying us a monthly fee to be your financial partner.

We don't charge hourly for "consulting." If you're thinking through a major decision, that's exactly the kind of conversation we should be having as part of your ongoing service.

What Clients Tell Us About Our Pricing

When we walk new clients through our pricing model, we usually hear a few consistent reactions:

• "Wait, tax planning is included in my monthly fee?" Yes. We're reviewing your financials regularly, projecting your tax liability, and making recommendations throughout the year... not just scrambling to file your return in March.
• "I can call you with questions without getting billed?" Yes. You're paying for a partnership, not transactions.
• "You're transparent about the one-time investment upfront?" Yes. No surprises.

A Client Story

A restaurant owner came to us after working with another firm for years. He was paying $800/month for "bookkeeping and tax services," but when we asked what he was actually getting, he couldn't really say.

After reviewing his setup, we realized his books were months behind, his categories were a mess, and he'd been surprised by a $40,000 tax bill because nobody was planning proactively.

We brought him on at a similar monthly fee, but with clear scope, regular meetings, and proactive tax planning. Within 90 days, his books were clean, he understood his numbers, and he had a plan to avoid tax surprises.

"I finally feel like I have a partner," he said. "Not just someone I send receipts to once a year."

How to Evaluate Any Accounting Firm's Pricing

Whether you're considering Patrick Accounting or another firm, here are the questions you should be asking:

• "What's included in your monthly fee?" Don't accept vague answers. Dig deeper.
• "Are there any situations where I'd be billed extra?" Push them to be specific about audits, notices, amended returns, etc.
• "How do you handle software costs?" Get clarity on what software fees you're responsible for.
• "Can I call you with questions throughout the year, or will I be charged?" You need a partner, not a meter.

Red Flags to Watch For

• Vague answers about scope
• No written fee agreement
• Reluctance to discuss pricing structure
• Hourly billing without clear caps

You Deserve Clarity, Not Confusion

At the end of the day, most business owners feel confused (or even misled) when it comes to accounting pricing. That’s especially true if they’ve received vague quotes or hidden fees in the past.

But it doesn't have to be a mystery.

If you understand the real factors that drive pricing—volume and complexity—you’re equipped to ask the right questions and avoid getting burned.

If you want to get a clear estimate for your business, check out our pricing page and try our pricing calculator. It’ll walk you through the same questions we ask in real conversations. At the end, you’ll get a tailored quote of what your business might expect to pay. 

At Patrick Accounting, we've built our pricing model around clarity, predictability, and value. We want you to know exactly what you're getting, exactly what it costs, and exactly how we're helping you build a more profitable business.

Pricing shouldn't be a mystery. It should be the beginning of a partnership built on trust.

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