How Much Does a Bookkeeper Cost in Brisbane?

It is a fair question and a hard one to answer in a single number, because bookkeeping is not one service. A sole trader with thirty transactions a month and no staff is a completely different job from a business with five employees, two bank accounts and a payment gateway.

What we can do is explain honestly what drives the cost, so you can work out roughly where your own business sits and compare quotes properly.

The two ways bookkeeping is usually charged

Hourly

Straightforward and flexible. You pay for the time the work actually takes. It suits businesses with variable workloads, or one-off jobs like a catch-up. The downside is that your monthly cost is not fixed, which makes budgeting harder.

Fixed monthly fee

An agreed scope for an agreed price. You know exactly what you are paying, which most owners prefer. It works best when the volume of work is reasonably predictable — which, after the first couple of months, it usually is.

What actually drives the price

Rather than quoting a figure that will not fit your business, here is what any bookkeeper is weighing up when they price a job:

Transaction volume

The single biggest factor. Every transaction has to be recorded and reconciled. A business processing 60 transactions a month is a fraction of the work of one processing 600.

Whether you have employees

Payroll adds a recurring obligation — super, leave, Single Touch Payroll reporting — that has to be right every pay run. One or two employees adds modestly to the cost; a larger team with varied hours and awards adds more.

How clean your current records are

This one surprises people. If you are up to date, ongoing work is cheaper. If there are months of unreconciled transactions, there is a catch-up to do first, and that is normally quoted separately as a one-off.

How many accounts and systems are involved

Two bank accounts, a credit card, a payment platform and an e-commerce store means several data sources to reconcile rather than one.

Your software

A properly configured Xero or MYOB file with sensible bank rules is quicker to work in than a poorly set-up one. Sometimes the cheapest first step is fixing the setup, because it reduces every month after that.

How to compare quotes properly

Cheap quotes are often cheap because they cover less. When you are comparing, ask specifically:

• What exactly is included each month — reconciliation only, or reports too?
• Is BAS preparation included, or billed separately?
• Is payroll included, and for how many employees?
• What happens if volume goes up — is the fee reviewed, and how often?
• Is there a catch-up cost before the ongoing work starts?
• Who is doing the work, and is a Registered BAS Agent involved in BAS?

Two quotes that look hundreds of dollars apart often turn out to be nearly identical once you line up what is actually in them.

Is a bookkeeper worth the money?

The way to test it is to compare the fee against what it saves and returns:

• The hours you get back, valued at what you earn in those hours
• A lower year-end accounting bill, because your accountant is not fixing records
• Money recovered by actually chasing outstanding invoices
• Avoided penalties from late or incorrect lodgement
• Decisions made on real numbers rather than a feeling

For most small businesses the hours saved alone cover a good part of it. The better reporting is the part owners tend to notice second and value most.

Frequently asked questions

Is it cheaper to use an offshore bookkeeper?

The hourly rate is usually lower. What you are weighing against that is familiarity with Australian payroll, super and GST requirements, and how easy it is to get someone on the phone when something needs sorting out this week.

Do I pay for the software as well?

Xero and MYOB subscriptions are usually billed to you directly by the provider and are separate from bookkeeping fees. Worth confirming in any quote.

Can I start small and add services later?

Yes, and most clients do — commonly starting with reconciliation and BAS, then adding payroll or reporting as the business grows. Our BAS work is provided under the supervision of a Registered BAS Agent.

Do you charge for the first conversation?

No. The business health check is free, and its purpose is to work out what you actually need — which is sometimes less than people expect.

Get a straight answer for your business

The only way to know what bookkeeping will cost you is for someone to look at your actual situation — your volume, your software and where your records currently stand. That is exactly what we do in the free health check, with no obligation.

Springfield Lakes Accounting & Bookkeeping Services supports small businesses across Springfield Lakes, Greater Springfield, Springfield Central, Ipswich and Brisbane. Contact us for a quote based on your business rather than an average.