Before you sign with any accountant, get the fee in writing, find out what moves it, and ask what happens between now and the day your return is due. Those three answers sort most firms. For reference, our own package starts at $750 a month as of 2026, flat, with a one-time onboarding fee of 2 times the monthly fee.

The list below works on a call with us or anyone else. A few of the questions are ones where the honest answer might send you somewhere other than our office: the last three before the one about the person signing the return.

What will this cost, in writing, and what changes it?

You want one number and the reasons it could go up. A fixed monthly fee with named drivers is easy to compare. "It depends" is fine for the first five minutes of a call and not fine after that.

On our side the drivers are transaction volume, how many people are on payroll, add-ons you choose, and catch-up work if your books are behind. Everything is on the pricing page before you talk to us.

Be cautious of a fee tied to the size of your refund, which fits a business that wants planning poorly.

What does onboarding or cleanup cost?

This is where the surprise bills hide. Ask whether there is a setup fee, what it covers, and what happens if your books turn out to be worse than you described.

Ours is a one-time fee of 2 times the monthly fee. It covers moving your data, connecting your systems, and talking to the agencies. If your books are behind, the cleanup is quoted separately before we start so the monthly fee stays what it says it is.

What do you do for me between tax seasons?

Some firms prepare your return in March and you do not hear from them until the next March. For plenty of businesses that is the right amount of accountant, so do not pay for more than you want.

If you want tax planning during the year, ask exactly how it works and whether it is included or billed by the hour. Our hourly rate for work outside the package is $300 (one rate, whoever does the work), and planning during the year sits inside the package.

Who handles it when a tax notice arrives?

Pick a scenario and ask: an IRS or state letter shows up on a Tuesday, you forward it, then what? A good answer names who reads it, how fast you hear back, and whether it costs extra.

With us, notice response is an add-on from $75 a month. Some firms include it, some bill by the hour, some will not touch notices at all. You should know which before the letter comes, not after.

What do you need from me every month, and by when?

Books close late when the owner is the bottleneck, and it is rarely the accountant's fault. Ask what they need (bank access, receipts, a few answers about unusual transactions) and what the deadline is. If the answer is vague, expect your financials to arrive vague too.

What software will my books live in, and do I keep access?

You should be able to open your own books, whatever happens to the relationship. We work in QuickBooks Online. Whatever a firm uses, ask whether the file is in your name and what happens to it if you leave.

Do you work with businesses like mine?

Ask for specifics about your kind of business, not a general yes. A landscaper, a law practice, and an optometry practice all have different money problems, and a firm that has seen yours will mention things you had not asked about.

Ask about size too. Our public band is businesses from $500,000 to $10 million in revenue and under 50 people. Outside that, we are probably not the best choice.

Who do you turn away?

This is my favorite question, because the answer is hard to fake. A firm that has thought about who it serves can tell you who it does not.

We are a poor fit if you are under about $500,000 in revenue, if you only want a tax return once a year, if you want advice added on top of someone else's books, or if your business runs on heavy inventory, job costing, or multiple entities. If that is you, we will say so on the first call.

When is a cheaper option the right call?

Often, honestly. A solo consultant with a few dozen transactions a month can run software, pay a part-time bookkeeper a few hours, and see a tax preparer once a year for less than a monthly package costs. If your business is that simple, a monthly firm is more than you need.

The calculus changes when payroll gets involved, when you have several revenue streams, or when you notice you are making decisions off numbers that are three months old. We covered the price side in Is $750 a Month for Accounting Expensive or Fair? and the wider range in How Much Does Monthly Accounting Cost for a Small Business?.

What about the person signing the return?

Anyone paid to prepare a return has to sign it and include a preparer tax identification number (PTIN), and the IRS has a page on choosing a tax professional that is worth reading before you hire anyone. Ask who will be named on yours.

Ready to run these on a call?

If you want to try the list on us, book a 30-minute strategy call at our booking page. Bring your last tax return and a rough idea of monthly transactions, and we will tell you plainly whether we fit.

Questions owners ask about this

What should I ask an accountant before hiring them?

Start with the fee in writing and what moves it, then what onboarding costs, who handles an IRS or state notice, what they do during the year, and what software you will use. Add one more: what kind of business they decline. The answers tell you more than any website does.

How much does an accountant cost for a small business?

It depends on transaction volume, how many people you pay, and whether your books are current. Our package starts at $750 a month flat, with a one-time onboarding fee of 2 times the monthly fee and add-ons from $75 a month. Other firms price differently, which is why you should ask each one what moves the number.

Is it a red flag if an accountant will not give a price before a call?

Not always, because a real quote needs your transaction volume and headcount. It is a red flag if they will not give you a starting figure or a list of what drives the price. We publish ours so you can compare before you talk to anyone.

Should I hire a bookkeeper or an accounting firm?

If you are under about $500,000 in revenue with a simple business, a part-time bookkeeper plus a tax preparer once a year is often cheaper and enough. A firm starts to make sense when you want payroll, tax, and monthly financials handled together and want someone looking at the numbers with you.