"How much should I be paying for bookkeeping?" It's one of the first questions small business owners in the Greenville, SC area ask us — and it's a fair one. Bookkeeping costs vary wildly depending on what you're getting, who's doing it, and how complex your business is.
We're going to give you an honest, detailed breakdown — including our own pricing at Beacon Accounting. No hiding the numbers behind a "contact us for a quote" wall.
The Four Tiers of Bookkeeping
Small business bookkeeping generally falls into four categories, each with different cost ranges, capabilities, and trade-offs.
Tier 1: DIY with Software ($0–$80/month)
This is where most businesses start. You sign up for QuickBooks Online, Wave, or Xero and do everything yourself.
- QuickBooks Online Simple Start: $30/month
- QuickBooks Online Plus: $55/month (most popular for small businesses)
- Wave: Free for basic accounting (paid add-ons for payroll and payments)
- Xero Starter: $29/month
The real cost: Your time. Most business owners we talk to spend 5-10 hours per month on bookkeeping when they do it themselves. If your time is worth $75/hour, that's $375-$750/month in opportunity cost — plus the risk of errors that create expensive problems at tax time.
Best for: Brand new businesses with fewer than 50 transactions/month, sole proprietors with simple income streams, businesses that genuinely enjoy the process.
Tier 2: Freelance Bookkeeper ($200–$600/month)
Hiring a freelance or part-time bookkeeper is the next step up. In the Greenville-Spartanburg area, here's what you'll typically see:
- Hourly rate: $25-$50/hour for an experienced bookkeeper
- Monthly retainer: $200-$600/month depending on transaction volume
- What you get: Transaction categorization, bank reconciliation, basic financial reports (P&L, balance sheet), accounts payable/receivable tracking
What you don't get: Tax strategy, tax preparation, payroll (usually), financial advisory, CPA oversight. If something is categorized incorrectly or a tax-relevant transaction is missed, there's no CPA reviewing the work.
Best for: Businesses with straightforward financials, owners who have a separate CPA for tax work, companies with 50-200 transactions/month.
Tier 3: Bookkeeping Service / Virtual Firm ($300–$800/month)
Companies like Bench, Pilot, or regional bookkeeping firms offer a middle ground — professional bookkeeping with some technology and process behind it.
- Bench: $299-$499/month (bookkeeping only, tax prep extra)
- Pilot: $599+/month (targets startups and tech companies)
- Regional firms: $300-$800/month depending on scope
Pros: Dedicated team, consistent process, technology-enabled, generally reliable.
Cons: Often no CPA involvement, limited industry specialization, can feel impersonal, tax strategy is usually not included or costs extra.
Tier 4: Full-Service CPA Firm ($500–$1,500+/month)
This is what we do at Beacon Accounting, so we'll be transparent about what this tier looks like — and what it costs.
A full-service CPA firm bundles bookkeeping with tax strategy, tax preparation, advisory, and CPA oversight. You're not just getting your books done — you're getting a financial partner.
At Beacon Accounting, our flat monthly pricing works like this:
- Essential tier: Starting at $500/month — full bookkeeping, monthly reconciliation, quarterly reviews, annual tax preparation, CPA access
- Growth tier: Starting at $800/month — everything in Essential plus payroll, more complex entity structures, advisory calls, multi-property or multi-entity support
- Premium tier: Starting at $1,100/month — full-service CFO-level support, cash flow forecasting, tax projection modeling, entity optimization, unlimited CPA access
You can see the full breakdown on our pricing page.
Why flat monthly pricing matters: Many CPA firms bill hourly, which means you're afraid to call with questions because every conversation costs money. Our flat-rate model means you can call, email, or text our team — Benjamin Chisholm, Thomas Chisholm, or Anna Hinterleiter — without watching a meter run.
What Drives Bookkeeping Costs Up?
Regardless of which tier you choose, several factors push costs higher:
- Transaction volume: A business processing 500+ transactions/month costs more to manage than one processing 75
- Multiple entities: Real estate investors with 3-4 LLCs need each entity's books maintained separately
- Payroll: Running payroll adds complexity and compliance requirements
- Catch-up bookkeeping: If you're behind, getting current costs extra (we see this constantly — more on that in our guide to catching up on bookkeeping)
- Industry complexity: Construction, real estate, and restaurants have more complex accounting needs than a typical service business
The Hidden Cost of Cheap Bookkeeping
Here's what we see regularly: a business owner pays $200/month for a freelance bookkeeper, then comes to us at tax time with books that are a mess. Uncategorized transactions, missing receipts, incorrect classifications that affect their tax liability. The cost to clean it up — and the taxes they overpaid because deductions were missed — far exceeds what proper bookkeeping would have cost.
We had a real estate investor come to us last year who'd been using a $250/month bookkeeping service. When we reviewed his books, we found $23,000 in missed deductions over two years. His "savings" on bookkeeping cost him roughly $7,000 in unnecessary taxes.
So What Should YOU Spend?
Here's our honest recommendation based on business stage:
- Pre-revenue or under $100K revenue: DIY with QuickBooks + a CPA for annual tax prep ($30-50/month + $500-1,500 for tax prep)
- $100K-$300K revenue: Freelance bookkeeper or entry-level CPA firm ($300-$600/month)
- $300K+ revenue or complex structure: Full-service CPA firm ($500-$1,100+/month) — the tax savings and strategic value more than cover the cost
- Real estate investors with 3+ properties: Full-service CPA firm regardless of revenue — the entity structure, depreciation strategy, and deduction optimization require CPA-level expertise
If you're in the Greenville, SC area and want to see exactly what Beacon Accounting would cost for your specific situation, check our pricing page or schedule a free consultation. We'll give you a straight answer — no surprises.