A dedicated virtual bookkeeper through delegateit starts at $900 a month part time for about 80 hours or $1,500 a month full time for about 160 hours. Specialists with deeper accounting skills start at $2,200 a month. What you actually need depends on transaction volume, the number of accounts and entities, how messy the books are today and whether you also want payroll, AR or reporting support.
Bookkeeping is one of the most common roles businesses move offshore, and cost is usually the first question. The honest answer is that it depends on how much work your books create. A café with a few hundred card transactions a month needs far less time than a distributor with many vendors and inventory. This post breaks down what drives the cost so you can estimate your own.
What you are paying for
When you hire a virtual bookkeeper, you are buying time and reliability. Time to categorize transactions, reconcile accounts, enter bills, send invoices and prepare reports. Reliability means it happens every week and the books are ready when your accountant or lender asks for them.
Monthly plans like ours give you a dedicated person for a set number of hours. Some bookkeeping firms instead charge a flat fee by transaction volume or an hourly rate. Each model has tradeoffs, covered below.
The factors that drive cost
Transaction volume
The single biggest factor. More bank and card transactions mean more categorizing and reconciling. Count roughly how many transactions hit your accounts in a typical month. That number gives you a starting point.
Number of accounts
Each bank account, credit card, payment processor and loan adds reconciliation work. A business with ten accounts needs more time than one with two.
Entities
Separate companies mean separate books. Inter company transactions add complexity.
Payables and receivables
If your bookkeeper is also entering bills, scheduling payments, sending invoices and chasing late payers, that adds hours. Collections work in particular can take more time than people expect, because follow ups repeat until the invoice is paid.
Payroll
Running payroll or preparing data for a payroll provider adds a recurring block of work. See our payroll virtual assistant guide.
Inventory
Businesses with inventory need more careful tracking and adjustments.
Cleanup
If your books are behind or messy, the first months will need extra time to catch up. Plan for it.
A rough way to estimate hours
Start by tracking how long bookkeeping takes you or your current bookkeeper in a normal month. If you have no idea, count monthly transactions and accounts and talk it through with us. We can give you a realistic estimate based on your setup.
As a general pattern, many small service businesses fit comfortably in part time hours. Businesses with higher volume, several entities or extra duties like AR and payroll often need a full time person. Use the estimator on our pricing page to model your situation.
Monthly plan versus hourly billing
Hourly billing looks flexible, but it can make you hesitate before asking a question because every minute costs money. It can also be hard to predict month to month. A monthly plan with a dedicated person gives you a fixed cost and someone who knows your books deeply. You can ask questions without watching the clock. Our post on hourly vs monthly virtual assistant pricing goes deeper.
Flat fee bookkeeping services sit in between. They are predictable but often limit what is included and who you talk to. If you value a consistent person who learns your business, a dedicated bookkeeper on a monthly plan is usually the better fit.
Costs beyond the plan
Budget for a few other items so there are no surprises.
Software
QuickBooks Online, Xero or another accounting platform, plus any add ons like receipt capture or bill pay tools. These are usually paid by the business directly.
Your accountant
A virtual bookkeeper keeps the books. You still need a CPA or tax professional for tax returns, tax planning and year end adjustments. Good books usually make that work faster, which can lower your accountant's bill.
Your time
Expect to spend some hours in the first month on onboarding, then a short weekly check in after that. Having bank feeds connected, logins ready and your chart of accounts explained before day one makes that time much more efficient.
For a broader look at extra costs, see our post on the hidden costs of offshore hiring.
Specialist or assistant level?
A bookkeeping assistant can handle data entry, categorization, reconciliations and simple reports under your accountant's guidance. A specialist brings more experience, like month end close, accruals, job costing or multi entity work, and can work with less supervision. Our specialist plan starts at $2,200 a month.
If your books are simple and your accountant reviews them regularly, an assistant level hire may be enough. If you want someone to own the close and produce management reports, a specialist is worth the difference.
How to judge value
The monthly price is only part of the picture. Consider what it costs you when books are late. Missed deductions, late fees, a delayed loan application or decisions made without good numbers. Also consider your own time. If you spend several hours a week on bookkeeping, those hours have a cost too.
A simple test is to compare the monthly plan against what you currently spend, including your own time at a fair rate, plus the cost of problems you have had from messy books. For many owners the decision becomes clear. Our virtual assistant ROI post explains how to run that math.
Getting an accurate quote
Before you talk to us or anyone else, gather a few numbers. Monthly transaction count, number of bank and card accounts, number of entities, whether you need AR, AP or payroll and how current the books are. With that, you can get a realistic recommendation in one conversation.
You can also read our full guide on how to hire a Filipino bookkeeper for what the role looks like once someone starts.
Questions to ask any provider
Whoever you talk to, ask the same few questions so you can compare fairly. Who exactly will work on my books, and will it be the same person every month? How many hours are included and what happens if I need more? Who reviews the work? What access will they need, and how is it protected? How do they work with my accountant at tax time? Clear answers to these tell you more than the price alone.
A word on cleanup projects
If your books are more than a few months behind, a cleanup comes first. A full time bookkeeper can usually move through a backlog faster, then you can decide whether to stay full time or drop to part time for ongoing work. Ask about this when you get a quote so the plan fits both phases.
Virtual bookkeeper cost questions
How much does a virtual bookkeeper cost per month?
At delegateit, part time starts at $900 a month and full time at $1,500 a month. Specialists start at $2,200 a month.
Do I still need an accountant?
Yes, for taxes and year end work. A good bookkeeper usually makes that work faster.
Who pays for accounting software?
Usually the business pays for and owns the accounting software and any add ons.
Is cleanup included?
Catch up work can be done within your plan hours. If the backlog is large, a full time plan for the first months may make sense.