How much does a bookkeeper cost for a small business?
The cost depends on your business volume and complexity, but most small businesses pay somewhere between $200 and $2,000 per month for outsourced bookkeeping. The biggest factor is how many transactions flow through your accounts each month.
At Manetto Hill, full-service bookkeeping starts at $199 per month. Pricing scales with your monthly expense volume because more transactions mean more time spent categorizing, reconciling, and reviewing. A consultant with a handful of client payments and a few operating expenses has simpler needs than a home services company running dozens of jobs each week with multiple crews.
Compare that to hiring someone in-house. A full-time bookkeeper on Long Island costs $45,000 to $65,000 per year in salary alone. Add payroll taxes, benefits, software licenses, and management overhead and you’re looking at $60,000 to $85,000 in total cost. For most small businesses under $1 million in revenue, that math doesn’t work.
The other comparison is against doing it yourself or ignoring it until tax time. DIY bookkeeping isn’t free because your time has value. Every hour you spend reconciling bank statements is an hour not spent on client work or growing your business. And the catch-up work needed when you show up at your accountant’s office with a shoebox of receipts typically runs $1,500 to $5,000 or more. That’s just to get things in order. It doesn’t fix the missed deductions or errors that accumulated over the year.
What’s included matters as much as the price. Basic bookkeeping covers transaction categorization and bank reconciliation. Full-service typically adds financial reports, ongoing communication, and proactive cleanup of any issues. Some providers charge extra for things like payroll support or 1099 filing, so ask what’s included before comparing quotes.
Monthly bookkeeping also keeps you out of panic mode. When your books are current, you know where your business stands financially. You can make decisions based on real numbers instead of guessing. Working with Long Island bookkeeping services that understand small business needs means your accountant gets clean records at tax time instead of a puzzle to solve.
The right price is one where the value exceeds the cost. For most service-based businesses, professional bookkeeping pays for itself in time saved, stress avoided, and deductions captured.
Long Island's Small Business Bookkeeper
The Next Step:
A Quick Conversation
Tell us about your business and what you need. We'll ask a few questions and give you a straightforward quote.
More Questions
Do I need to send 1099s to my contractors?
If you paid a contractor $600 or more for services during the year, you generally need to send them a 1099-NEC. This applies to unincorporated workers like freelancers, sole proprietors, and partnerships. Corporations typically don't need one.
Read answerWhat is included in full-service bookkeeping?
Full-service bookkeeping includes transaction categorization, bank and credit card reconciliation, and monthly financial reporting. These core functions keep your books accurate, organized, and ready for tax time without you having to manage them yourself.
Read answerDoes my New York nonprofit have to file a CHAR500?
Most likely yes. If your nonprofit solicits donations or operates in New York, you need to register with the Attorney General's Charities Bureau and file the CHAR500 annually. Religious organizations are the main exemption.
Read answerDo I need a home improvement license in Nassau or Suffolk County?
Yes, if you do residential work. New York has no statewide license, but Nassau and Suffolk Counties each require their own home improvement contractor license. Clean financial records, liability insurance, and workers' comp documentation are needed to apply and renew.
Read answerHow do property management companies handle bookkeeping for owner funds?
Property management companies must keep owner funds completely separate from operating funds using dedicated trust or escrow accounts. Each property needs its own ledger tracking rent collected, expenses paid, and owner distributions. New York has specific rules about handling other people's money, making accurate fund segregation essential.
Read answerHow is bookkeeping for a nonprofit different from a regular business?
Nonprofit bookkeeping uses fund accounting to track money by purpose rather than measuring profit. It requires handling restricted donations, allocating expenses by function, and producing reports like Form 990 and the NY CHAR500 that for-profit businesses don't file.
Read answer
