A CPA costs about $200 to $500 for a simple personal return and $1,500 to $5,000+ a year for a small business once you fold in the business return, your own return, and a little advice. Hourly rates land between $150 and $400. The exact number depends on three things: how many forms your situation needs, how clean your records are, and whether you want a one-time return or year-round bookkeeping plus tax.
We run a cleaning company in Tucson and an HVAC company in Sacramento, so we pay these invoices ourselves. This is the honest version of what a CPA charges a service business and when the spend is worth it.
A few forms, no business income. Honestly, this is the case where software for $0 to $120 often does the same job. Pay a CPA here mostly for the peace of mind or a question you can't answer yourself.
Side income, a rental, K-1s, or equity comp pushes the form count up. A CPA who knows your situation usually finds deductions that cover part of the fee.
Monthly bookkeeping, payroll filings, quarterly estimates, and the year-end return. The fee scales with transaction volume and how many bank and card accounts you run. This is where most service businesses land once they have employees.
We'd rather you spend the money where it pays off. You can probably skip a CPA if:
A CPA earns the fee the moment a single decision — entity choice, a big purchase, an audit letter — is worth more than the year's bill. For most service businesses with employees, it crosses that line fast.
The price clients judge you on starts with whether they can find and trust you online before they ever call. We build accounting websites with 24/7 AI lead capture from $249/mo, and add the monthly SEO engine and lead attribution at $597/mo. See accountant website design, accountant marketing, and accountant software for the practice-specific version, or local SEO cost for the marketing math.
We don't post stock testimonials. On a 15-minute call we screen-share the real dashboards behind our own businesses — live leads, rankings, and the exact page that produced each one. See the proof →
A simple return usually runs $200 to $500. Add a Schedule C, rental, or stock sales and expect $400 to $1,000. The fee follows the form count and how organized your records are.
Budget $1,500 to $5,000+ a year once you include the business return, owner return, and advice. Monthly books plus tax is often $250 to $1,000 a month depending on volume.
Both exist. Hourly runs $150 to $400. Many CPAs flat-fee returns and bookkeeping so you know the cost up front. Ask which you're getting before they start.
If you're a W-2 earner with a standard deduction and no side income, software handles it for $0 to $120. A CPA earns the fee once a business, rentals, or a real tax question is on the table.
Send your firm name and city — we'll confirm your market is open and build a working demo within 48 hours. Free, no card, no commitment.
Prefer email? [email protected]