Ask three bookkeepers for a price and you might get three quotes in three different formats: an hourly rate, a fixed monthly fee and a tier based on transaction volume. Two quotes that look $100 apart can differ by much more once you account for scope: reconciliations, sales tax, payroll, catch-up work and year-end packages.
This guide is about pricing structure: how Canadian bookkeeping services are priced in 2026, what each model includes and excludes, how to estimate your transaction volume, and which scope questions to ask before you sign. We use Accelo Bookkeeping's published prices as one concrete reference point, and labelled illustrative numbers for everything else. We don't quote "average market rates," because they vary widely by province, city, experience and scope, and published surveys rarely compare like with like. (For hidden costs of doing it yourself and the price of bad books, see our separate article on the real cost of bookkeeping.)
| Model | How it works | Best for | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | Billed by time spent | Irregular or one-off work; very small books | Unpredictable bills; messy months cost more |
| Fixed monthly fee | Set fee for a defined scope | Businesses wanting predictable costs | Scope creep; extras billed separately |
| Tiered by volume | Fixed fee by transaction band or revenue | Growing businesses with measurable volume | Moving up a tier when volume spikes |
Many firms combine them: a fixed monthly fee for routine work, plus hourly or project pricing for catch-up, cleanup or advisory work.
You pay for time. The rate depends on the bookkeeper's experience, credentials and location. Hourly billing is transparent per hour, but total cost depends on how organized you are. Missing receipts, unreconciled accounts and back-and-forth emails all add hours.
You pay one amount for a defined list of services. The provider takes on the risk of a slow month; you take on the risk that what you need isn't on the list. A good fixed-fee proposal spells out exactly what's included.
Fees scale with the number of transactions, usually bank and card lines, each month. This is easy to estimate from your statements and scales predictably.
Before you ask for quotes, count your monthly transactions:
Example numbers for illustration only.
| Account | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business chequing | 58 | 64 | 71 |
| Business credit card | 34 | 29 | 40 |
| Payment processor | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Total | 98 | 100 | 119 |
The average is 317 ÷ 3 ≈ 106 transactions a month, with a peak of 119. A business like this sits near a typical tier boundary, so ask how the provider handles months that go over.
Price only means something next to scope. List what you need:
| Service | Do you need it? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction categorization | Almost always | The core of bookkeeping |
| Bank and card reconciliations | Always | Should be standard |
| Monthly financial statements | Usually | Income statement and balance sheet |
| Cash or accrual basis | Depends | Accrual needs AR, AP and adjustments |
| Sales tax tracking | If registered | Single or multiple provinces |
| Sales tax return preparation or filing | If registered | Preparing differs from filing and remitting |
| Payroll processing and remittances | If you have employees | Often priced separately |
| Accounts payable (paying bills) | Optional | |
| Accounts receivable (invoicing, collections) | Optional | |
| Inventory tracking | If you sell goods | |
| Catch-up for past months | If behind | Usually a separate project |
| Year-end package for your accountant | Yes | Tax returns are filed separately |
| Software subscription | Check | Included, or extra? |
Example numbers for illustration only. These are hypothetical providers, not market data.
A Manitoba business with about 100 transactions a month needs reconciliations, monthly statements and GST/PST tracking.
| Provider A (hourly) | Provider B (fixed) | Provider C (tiered) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stated price | $60/hour | $300/month | $250/month |
| Estimated hours or extras | 5 hours/month | Sales tax prep +$75/month | Included |
| Catch-up of 3 months | 15 hours | $600 project | 3 × monthly fee |
| Monthly routine cost | $300 | $375 | $250 |
| Year 1 total incl. catch-up | $3,600 + $900 = $4,500 | $4,500 + $600 = $5,100 | $3,000 + $750 = $3,750 |
Provider B's headline is $300, but it costs $375 a month once sales tax prep is added. Provider A's $300 holds only if the books stay at five hours. In a messy month at eight hours, A costs $480.
Accelo Bookkeeping publishes its prices, which makes it a useful reference point. According to its website:
| Plan | Price | Transaction volume | Key inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $199/month, first month free | Under 100/month | Dedicated bookkeeper, accurate books and year-end tax-ready financials, uncategorized lines workflow, single-province sales tax tracking, file health and performance, cash-basis accounting |
| Growth | $349/month | 100–200/month | Everything in Starter, plus cash and accrual accounting, multi-province sales tax tracking, sales tax reconciliation (prepare), unlimited messaging |
| Custom | Scoped on a 15-minute call | Higher volume or added services | Everything in Growth, plus payroll (process, file, remit), sales tax (process, file, remit), AP, AR, inventory, and third-party software (QuickBooks Online and Wave) |
Other points on Accelo's site:
Example numbers for illustration only. The business from Step 1 averages about 106 transactions, which falls in Growth's 100–200 band.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Growth plan | $349/month |
| 12 months | $4,188 |
If the same business needed payroll processing and sales tax filing, those would be Custom scope, priced on a call.
Compare any quote, from Accelo or another provider, against the scope checklist above, not the headline number alone. See current Accelo plans.
Bookkeeping fees cover monthly record keeping. Your accountant bills separately for financial statement preparation, T2 or T1 returns, tax planning and CRA representation. Clean monthly books usually reduce year-end work, but they don't replace the accountant.
It depends on how predictable your books are. Fixed pricing protects you from messy months; hourly can cost less for very small, organized books.
Usually each line on your bank and credit card statements. Ask each provider how they count.
Usually not income tax returns. Some providers prepare or file sales tax returns as an added service. With Accelo, Growth includes sales tax reconciliation (prepare), while filing and remitting are Custom scope.
According to its website, Starter is $199/month (under 100 transactions, first month free), Growth is $349/month (100–200 transactions), and Custom is scoped on a 15-minute call.
Most providers price it separately. Ask for a quote based on the number of months behind and the volume.
The right bookkeeping price in 2026 depends on volume, scope and how much predictability you want. Count your transactions, write down your scope, compare quotes line by line and ask about contracts and ownership of your records. A published, tiered price like Accelo's gives you a reference point for the comparison.