Fixed monthly or hourly: which way should you work with us?
Both are common here, and neither is a lesser option. The right one depends on how steady your needs are.
A fixed monthly engagement fits a business that needs the same work every month: bookkeeping, payroll, sales tax, reconciliations and, often, regular advice. You know what the ongoing work costs before it starts and can plan around it the way you plan around rent. Because we commit people and time to these clients in advance, a fixed engagement comes with a dedicated team that knows your business, preferred rates compared with billing the same work by the hour, and priority scheduling when deadlines bunch up. Every fixed fee is set out in a written proposal that lists what is included, and we agree on it before any work begins.
Hourly billing fits work that is occasional or hard to predict: a business that needs help a few times a year, a workload that swings widely from month to month, or a project where an all-in monthly fee would mean paying for work you do not use. You pay for the time the work takes, and we tell you up front how billing works and what drives the hours.
A simple test: if you can describe this month’s work and expect next month to look about the same, a fixed engagement is usually the better value. If you cannot, start hourly. Many clients begin hourly and move to a fixed engagement once their needs settle into a pattern, and we will suggest the switch when the numbers favor it.
What drives the price?
For ongoing accounting, payroll and compliance work, the fee depends mainly on:
- The number of transactions each month
- Whether the business runs payroll
- Sales tax compliance, and how many jurisdictions you file in
- The number of entities we account for
- Whether CFO-level advice is part of the work
The same factors shape the hours on hourly work. Other work is priced in the way that fits it. Catch-up or one-time write-up work, such as bringing a year of books current, is billed hourly, because the amount of work depends on what we find. Tax returns are priced by complexity: the forms and schedules involved, the number of entities and the number of states. The tax return fee estimate shows how this works for an individual return. Tax resolution begins with a power of attorney for each agency involved, a flat fee that includes the first hour with the agency; each later step, such as preparing missing returns or arranging a payment plan, is quoted in writing before it begins. The tax resolution roadmap lays out the likely steps for your situation. Virtual CFO advice beyond the scope agreed in your proposal is billed hourly, at rates that depend on the complexity and nature of the advice.
How does a proposal work?
It starts with an introductory call with our client services team about your needs, the scope of work and fit. If it makes sense to work together, we send a written proposal that sets out the services, what each includes, whether the work is a fixed monthly engagement or billed hourly, the fee or rates, and how billing works. Nothing starts until you have reviewed and accepted it. If your business changes later, we revisit the proposal with you rather than adjusting the bill without notice.
How do I get an estimate?
The estimator below asks a few questions about your business and shows an estimated range once you share your contact details. Treat it as the first step rather than the last: it indicates where you are likely to land, and the introductory call that follows is where we confirm what you need, explain how we work and prepare a written proposal with the actual fee.
What is a paid advisory session?
Some people want to talk through one specific question before deciding whether to engage the firm: a business they are thinking of buying, whether to elect S corporation status, or an IRS notice they have received. For that, we offer a paid advisory session with an advisor. It is real advice on your situation, which is why it is paid, and it does not commit you to anything further. If you do go on to engage us, what we learned in the session helps shape the proposal.