How much does an accountant cost?

The price of an accountant depends on the scope of the service and its complexity:

When conducting a business, the aspect of finance and accounting may prove to consume so much of your time or you may not possess adequate skills to handle them. Outsourcing the work to an accountant has been adopted by many firms, as it offers professional services in areas such as accounting, filing of taxes, payroll, and others. However a certified accountant can specialize in a certain field, have different working experience, educational background, and work at different firms and in different regions. The following are some of the key attributes that affect accountants’ cost on average: Accountant fees: The range and key factors for pricing This article will outline the typical range of accountant fees and the factors that influence it.

The cost of an Accountant client:

Many accountants bill their clients between 50 and 500 dollars per hour basing the rate on the work required and the accountant’s experience. Small business users budget an average of $100 and $5000 annually for accounting services. Small companies have the lowest cost which averages $250 to $5000 while medium and large company's cost ranges from $10,000 to over $100,000 every year.

What do you think influences the average fees per accountant?

Here are the key pricing factors:

Experience Level and Qualifications – Most accounting fees, are dictated by the level of experience, expertise, and licensing of the accountant who may be a licensed and experienced Certified Public Accountant (CPA), or an Enrolled Agent who is IRS accredited. It was also noted that recent graduates are cheaper, the average price per hour in their case ranges from $30 to $150, while senior accountants cost between $150 to $300 per hour. Other highly professional employees such as CPAs, and CFOs, charge $250 per hour or higher.

Cost of Accounting Services – Simple tasks or tasks such as recording a transaction can cost about $30 to $100 an hour. Professional help in filing taxes can cost anywhere between $150 and $300 per return. Any financial planning consultation or other specialized accounting work is offered at $200 per hour and above. The high reversal rate for engagements is avoided by charging high rates of over $150 per hour for audit services and other complicated activities such as fraud examination.

Firm size – It is relatively cheaper when the accountant is an individual, with a cost ranging from $100-$200 per hour. Small local accounting firms charge nearly the same as GBS, with few differences in their tariffs. However large national and multi-national accounting firms, which usually provide audit services, might charge anything from $150 to $500+ per hour for some of their highly qualified senior staff.

Location – It is a fact that accounting rates differ according to the average wages and cost of living of a country. Accounting fees will also vary depending on the geographical location of the firm, for instance, the fees in New York City will not be similar to fees in small towns like San Francisco.

Sustenance and Occasional- Some clients who hire an accountant to file their taxes will pay little per hour than those requiring constant bookkeeping and advice. Accountants provide package pricing where the price of each project is negotiated and adjusted according to the extent of services required by a particular client is provided at a lower cost.

The following is a list of some of the services they offer:

In this line, it can be seen and noted that virtually, any type of clients, including individuals, companies, corporate entities, and even large business organizations seek help from professional accountants for help in managing the money and finances and other financial compliance needs. Common tasks that accountants handle include:

● Accounting reports – This involves producing documents such as financial statements, income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements, among others that demonstrate an individual or company's financial status.

● Income and expenditure appraisal – It involves the inspection of the budget to give directions on how to save and on the best approach towards the financial aspect.

● Ledger – Accounts, journal vouchers, receipts, salary disbursement, ledger accounts, record of purchases and sales.

● Accounting and tax services – preparation of annual and/or quarterly tax returns for individuals and companies, taking advantage of the tax breaks, and putting together a file for every deduction taken.

● Accounting - Reporting and stating the condition and performance of businesses in a timely and accurate manner to help shareholders make informed decisions.

● Business consultation – Professional opinion and guidance on the choice of accounting systems and methods, the choice of a business’s financial strategies, decisions on setting up a business, and other major strategic questions.

This is the fact that accountant expertise can offer significant financial advice and relieve time stress regardless of the size or type of the clients from solopreneurs to Fortune 500 companies. If you are choosing an accountant, be sure to spend a considerable amount of time identifying the level of experience of the accountant, his or her credentials, and the available services. Subsequently, you will need to look for qualified persons to engage in the project, and if you note your needs and your budget, it will ease the search on this part.