If you are asking how much an accountant costs, the first thing to know is that “accountant” covers three different jobs with three different price levels. A bookkeeper keeps your records. An accountant prepares your reports and returns. A CPA is an accountant with a state license who can also sign certain reports and handle complex tax work. This guide shows what each one charges, how they bill, and what you can do to spend less. Every figure comes from a named survey or government source, with the date.
The short answer
In a 2025 pricing survey of 219 US accounting firms, the most common fees were:
- Monthly bookkeeping and accounting: $250 to $499 a month.
- A personal tax return: $400 to $599.
- A business tax return: $1,000 to $1,499 a year.
- Tax planning and advice: more than $2,000 a year.
- CFO or controller level help: more than $2,500 a month.
These are the most common bands, not quotes. The survey was run by Ignition, a billing platform for accounting firms, so it reflects firms that use that software. Your own price will depend on the work, the state of your records and the person you hire.
Bookkeeper, accountant or CPA: who does what
Pick the right person first, because it changes the price more than anything else.
- Bookkeeper: records sales and expenses, matches bank and card statements, sends invoices and keeps the books ready for month end. If you only need this, a bookkeeper is usually enough.
- Accountant: turns the books into financial statements, handles payroll and tax filings and gives advice on what the numbers mean.
- CPA: a certified public accountant, licensed by a state board. A CPA can do an accountant’s work and also sign certain reports and represent clients in complex tax matters. For CPA tax prices in detail, read our guide to what a CPA costs.
The IRS says paid tax preparers include CPAs, enrolled agents and attorneys, and also many people who hold no professional credential. It adds that anyone who is paid to prepare a federal return needs a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) (IRS, Choosing a tax professional, reviewed August 2026). Ask to see it before you hire.
The pay behind the price
A firm’s fee has to cover a person’s salary, software, insurance and time spent on your work that you never see. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics gives a useful picture of the pay level for each type of role:
| Role (BLS group) | Median pay per hour | Median pay per year | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks | $24.36 | $50,670 | Some college, no degree |
| Accountants and auditors | $40.23 | $83,680 | Bachelor’s degree |
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, median pay for May 2025. The accountants and auditors group includes CPAs, and BLS does not report CPAs on their own. These figures are wages paid to employees, not what a client is charged.
The gap between the two rows is why a bookkeeper costs less than an accountant for the same hour. It is also why it makes sense to give routine work to the lower-cost role.
Three ways accountants charge
A fixed fee per job
This is the most common model for tax returns. You are quoted one price for the return, and extra schedules, extra states or late paperwork may add to it. In the Ignition survey only 3% of firms charged hourly for tax preparation, so most quotes for returns are fixed.
A monthly fee
Bookkeeping and accounting are usually sold as a monthly package. The most common monthly price in the survey was $250 to $499, and 29% of firms priced in that band. The price rises with the number of transactions, the number of bank and card accounts, payroll and how fast you want the books closed each month.
An hourly rate
Hourly billing is now the exception. In the same survey, 10% of firms or fewer billed hourly for most services. The share was higher for tax planning and advice at 17%, and 10% for CFO and controller work. Hourly rates still make sense for one-off tasks that are hard to scope, such as sorting out old books or answering a notice from a tax authority.
What an accountant costs by need
| What you need | Most common price band | Share of firms in that band |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly bookkeeping and accounting | $250 to $499 a month | 29% |
| Personal tax return | $400 to $599 | 27% |
| Business tax return | $1,000 to $1,499 a year | 29% |
| Tax planning and advice | More than $2,000 a year | 25% |
| CFO or controller services | More than $2,500 a month | 23% |
Source: Ignition, 2025 U.S. Accounting and Tax Pricing Benchmark (219 US firms), reported by CPA Practice Advisor on 21 August 2025.
Why quotes are different for different people
- Volume: ten transactions a month and a thousand are not the same job.
- Condition of your records: messy or late books take more hours to clean up.
- Type of business: a sole trader is simpler than a company with several owners, stock or sales in more than one state.
- Who does the work: a bookkeeper, an accountant and a CPA are priced differently for the same hour.
- How much advice you want: a monthly call to talk through the numbers costs more than silent record keeping.
- Timing: work that arrives close to a deadline may cost more or may need an extension.
Prices are going up in 2026
The Ignition survey also asked firms about their plans. 80% said they expected to raise prices in 2026, by 5% to 10% on average. Nearly half gave rising costs as the main reason. If you are comparing quotes, ask how long the price is fixed and what notice you get before a change.
How to spend less on an accountant
- Use the lowest-cost role that can do the job. Daily bookkeeping does not need a CPA. Save the accountant or CPA for reviews, tax decisions and advice.
- Keep your records tidy all year. Hours spent fixing records are the easiest hours to avoid.
- Send everything in one go. Chasing missing documents takes time that someone will bill for.
- Write down the scope. A short letter listing what is included, how many questions you can ask and what counts as extra stops surprise charges.
- Look beyond your town. Cloud accounting software lets a bookkeeper work for you from anywhere, so you can hire for the hours you need instead of a local office.
Should you hire an accountant yourself?
Many small businesses use a mix. A bookkeeper keeps the books every month. An accountant or CPA reviews them, files returns and advises at set times of the year. That is often cheaper than one senior person doing everything, and it keeps the expert’s hours for the work only they can do.
Where DigiWorks fits
DigiWorks helps you hire remote finance people as part of your team. For daily bookkeeping, see our virtual bookkeeper page. When you need a licensed professional, see how to hire a certified public accountant. You meet the candidates we put forward and choose who joins, and we handle the contract and payment. Our hourly rates start from $7/hr, and the price of the person you choose depends on their experience and the hours you need. Anyone who signs a US tax return must hold the right US credential, so check licensing for that part of the work.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an accountant cost?
It depends on the work. In the Ignition 2025 survey, the most common prices were $250 to $499 a month for bookkeeping and accounting, $400 to $599 for a personal tax return and $1,000 to $1,499 a year for a business return.
How much do accountants cost per hour?
Most firms now quote a fixed price. Hourly billing was reported by 3% of firms for tax preparation and 17% for tax planning and advice. For wage context, the median pay of accountants and auditors in the US was $40.23 an hour in May 2025 (BLS). That is pay for the employee, not a client’s bill.
How much does it cost to hire an accountant for a small business?
Most small businesses pay for three things: monthly bookkeeping, a yearly business return and some advice. Using the survey bands above, that comes to roughly $3,000 to $6,000 for monthly bookkeeping over a year plus a return of $1,000 to $1,499, before any planning work. Treat this as a rough guide built from the most common bands, and ask for quotes for your own case.
Is a bookkeeper cheaper than an accountant?
Usually, yes. BLS reports a median of $24.36 an hour for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks and $40.23 an hour for accountants and auditors (May 2025). A bookkeeper handles daily records, so it makes sense to start there if your books are behind.
Do accountants charge for emails and phone calls?
Some include a set number of questions in a monthly package, and some bill for the time. Ask before you sign so you know what is covered.
Sources
- Ignition, 2025 U.S. Accounting and Tax Pricing Benchmark, reported by CPA Practice Advisor, 21 August 2025 (survey of 219 US firms using Ignition).
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors, median pay May 2025 (page checked 11 November 2026).
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks, median pay May 2025 (page checked 11 November 2026).
- Internal Revenue Service, Choosing a tax professional, reviewed or updated 21 August 2026.
Prices are survey bands and wage medians, not quotes. Fees vary by firm, location and the work involved.
