Money in, money out. That’s business in a nutshell. But once you add HST, payroll, unexpected expenses and a few late client payments, things can get messy fast.
And sooner or later, every small business hits the point where DIY bookkeeping just doesn’t cut it. You don’t need a full-fledged finance department, but you do need someone keeping the numbers clean, consistent, and CRA-proof. That’s where a bookkeeper comes in.
How much should you expect to pay? We’re not here to give you the vague “it depends” response—stay tuned for an actual breakdown of the different variables, what’s included, and how to tell if you’re getting real value or just paying for peace of mind.
What Impacts the Cost of a Small Business Bookkeeper?
The Three Most Common Bookkeeping Options (and What They Cost)
- In-House Bookkeeper (Employee)
- Freelance Bookkeeper (Hourly or Contract)
- Bookkeeping Firm (Like AIS)
Price vs. Value: The Bigger Picture
How Much Should You Expect to Pay?
Inventory-Based or Multi-Entity Business
Don’t Overpay or Underbuy: Choose the Right Bookkeeping Fit
What Impacts the Cost of a Small Business Bookkeeper?
Not all bookkeeping is created equal. A solopreneur with one bank account and no payroll has very different needs than a growing team with inventory, GST/HST filings, and multiple revenue streams.
Here are the main factors that impact what you’ll pay:
- Business complexity: More accounts, more transactions, and more moving parts = more time and expertise.
- Frequency of service: Are you looking for weekly help or a once-a-quarter check-in?
- Scope of work: Do you just need data entry and reconciliations, or full-cycle bookkeeping that includes monthly reports, payroll support, and CRA compliance?
- Cleanliness of your books: If you’re months behind (or worse, years), catch-up work will be priced separately.
- Tech stack: Are you already using QuickBooks Online or Xero? Or are you still working off a shoebox and a spreadsheet, powered by hope and colour-coded Post-it notes?
These details don’t just shape the price tag. They determine who’s actually the right fit to handle your books without making things messier.
The Three Most Common Bookkeeping Options (and What They Cost)
There’s more than one way to get your books done. Here’s a look at the most common options for small business owners in Canada to explore:
1. In-House Bookkeeper (Employee)
Hiring a bookkeeper as an employee can make sense if you’ve got 40+ hours a week of ongoing financial work. But for most small businesses, it’s often overkill.
The average full-time bookkeeper salary in Canada falls between $45,000 and $65,000* per year, not including benefits, vacation, software licenses, or the time it takes to train and manage them.
If you’re a larger business with complex operations and a dedicated admin team, this could be a smart investment. But for everyone else, it’s usually more cost-effective to outsource.
*at the time of publish
2. Freelance Solo Bookkeeper (Hourly or Contract)
This route gives you flexibility, especially if your needs are occasional or project-based. Freelancers in Canada typically charge somewhere between $30 to $90 per hour, depending on their experience, certifications, and whether they specialize in a particular type of business.
The upside? You only pay for what you use. The downside? Availability and consistency can be hit or miss. And if your freelancer gets busy, retires, or decides bookkeeping isn’t their thing anymore, you’re back to square one.
3. Bookkeeping Firm (Like AIS)
This is the middle ground many Canadian small businesses land on: the expertise of a full-time bookkeeper without the hassle of hiring one yourself.
Firms like AIS Solutions typically offer flat-rate monthly packages starting around $500/month, with most small business clients falling somewhere between $700 and $1,500/month depending on complexity. If you have inventory, payroll, multiple currencies, job costing, or multiple bank accounts and credit cards that number can reach $2,500 or more.
The benefit of going this route isn’t just clear pricing. It’s the consistency. You get reliable systems, smart cloud tools, and a team that doesn’t disappear when someone’s on vacation or sick. Not just one person—an actual support system.
Another benefit of a firm like AIS is all their work comes with a money-back guarantee which you don’t typically get from a freelance solo bookkeeper.
What’s Actually Included?
Bookkeeping packages aren’t all built the same, so it’s important to understand exactly what’s included (and what isn’t) .
What’s usually included:
- Bank and credit card reconciliations
- Categorizing transactions
- Monthly financial statements (P&L, Balance Sheet)
- HST/GST tracking and remittance
- Support with year-end prep
What’s not typically included:
- Corporate tax filing (your accountant does this)
- Payroll (sometimes it’s add-on, sometimes it’s separate)
- Catch-up or cleanup work
- Strategic financial advice
Always get a clear scope before you sign anything. Just because it sounds like it should be included doesn’t mean it actually is.
Price vs. Value: The Bigger Picture
We get it—it’s tempting to make decisions based on sticker price. But when it comes to bookkeeping, the cheapest option isn’t always the most cost-effective (in fact, it rarely ever is).
An inexperienced bookkeeper might bill you at $40/hour but take four hours to do what a pro could do in one. A friend-of-a-friend might offer to “help out for a favour” but disappear the moment things get busy. Or worse, they make a mistake that triggers a CRA audit and you’re left holding the bag.
On the flip side, a good bookkeeper will:
- Catch issues early (before they become expensive problems)
- Keep you compliant with the CRA
- Give you clarity and confidence about your numbers
- Free up your time so you can focus on growth—not data entry
In other words, this isn’t just a cost. It’s an investment in your business’s stability. And when money’s on the line, it’s not the place to cut corners.
How Much Should You Expect to Pay?
Here’s a rough guide to what you might pay based on your business type:
Solopreneur
If you’re running a side hustle or working solo, you can expect to pay around $250 to $500 per month—assuming you have minimal transactions, no payroll, and are already set up with cloud-based tools.
Service-Based Small Business
A typical service-based small business might fall in the $600 to $1000 per month range. This usually includes monthly invoicing, one or two employees, and standard reporting needs.
Inventory-Based or Multi-Entity Business
For businesses dealing with inventory, multiple locations, or complex reporting requirements, costs can range from $1,000 to $2,500 or more per month, depending on the volume and frequency of the work involved.
And if your books haven’t been touched in six months (or six years)? Expect a one-time cleanup fee on top of your monthly rate.
Don’t Overpay or Underbuy: Choose the Right Bookkeeping Fit
Before you start comparing bookkeepers, make sure you’re asking the right questions. Hourly rates only tell part of the story. What really matters is how long things take and what’s actually included.
Be clear about what you’re looking for. Do you just need the basics covered, or do you want someone who can offer real insight along the way? Pick someone who understands your industry (it saves time and avoids confusion, trust us). And ask how they communicate. Will you hear from them regularly, or will it be radio silence until something goes wrong?
At AIS, we believe clarity matters. In your financials, and in your relationship with the people managing them. That’s why our pricing is always based on your actual needs—no upsells, no fluff, just a system that works.
Our small bookkeeping services aren’t just about cleaning up your books. We help you build a business that runs better, grows stronger, and doesn’t leave you scrambling when tax season hits.
Book a call and let’s talk about what your business really needs. No pressure, just practical advice.
Welcome to AIS Solutions. We’re a Canadian bookkeeping and cloud accounting firm with expertise in virtual bookkeeping, bookkeeping for ecommerce, SaaS companies, landscapers, and contractors.
We help business owners make good financial decisions by providing accurate real-time numbers.
You can learn more about our bookkeeping pricing here.
We also specialize in QuickBooks training.
- If you enjoyed this article, you might also like ‘How Much Does a Virtual Bookkeeper Cost?’
- If you’re a business owner interested in learning more about our bookkeeping services, we’d love to chat with you. Click here to arrange a time for us to meet.
- If you’re interested in QuickBooks training, head over here.
