How Much Does Bookkeeping Cost for a Small Business in Canada?
Updated: Oct 2
Short answer: At Remote Bookkeeping, monthly bookkeeping costs $159 to $1,199 plus HST at current promotional prices, based on how many transactions you have each month. Every price is published on our pricing page. You build your own plan: pick a plan, add only the modules you need, and add payroll if you have staff. Prices are the same across Canada.
Bookkeeping cost is the monthly fee you pay someone to record, reconcile and report on your business transactions. Many firms only give a price after a sales call. We publish ours, so you can see your monthly total before you talk to anyone.
How much does bookkeeping cost per month in Canada?
As of September 2026, our bookkeeping cost depends on one thing: your monthly transaction volume. There are four plans, and each includes a set number of transactions and bank or credit card accounts.
Plan | Promotional price* | Standard price | Transactions per month | Bank and credit card accounts | Ideal for |
Starter | $159 | $189 | Up to 50 | 2 | Sole proprietors and startups |
Growth | $299 | $349 | Up to 100 | 3 | Small businesses scaling up |
Business | $499 | $599 | Up to 300 | 5 | Established small businesses |
Enterprise | $1,199 | $1,299 | Up to 800 | 7 | Multi-entity and high-volume businesses |
*Promotional prices apply to new clients for a limited time. All prices are per month and exclude HST.
Every plan includes:
Transaction categorization in QuickBooks Online or Xero
Monthly bank and credit card reconciliation
Monthly financial statements (Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet)
A dedicated senior bookkeeper
There are no setup or onboarding fees, and plans are month-to-month. You can cancel with 30 days' notice.
What counts as a transaction in a bookkeeping plan?
A transaction is any single entry recorded in your books. That includes a bank or credit card line, a bill, an invoice, a payment, a transfer between accounts, a payroll entry or a journal entry.
Two points surprise most owners:
A bill and its payment count as two transactions. The same applies to an invoice and the payment you receive for it.
Your plan follows your volume. If your count regularly runs above or below your plan's limit, we move you to the matching plan.
Online stores are counted differently, because one payout can hold hundreds of sales. If you sell online, contact us for a custom quote.
What does the monthly fee include, and what costs extra?
The plan price covers the core bookkeeping above. Everything else is an optional module, so you only pay for what your business uses. Module prices depend on your plan.
Module (per month) | Starter | Growth | Business | Enterprise |
Accounts Payable (bills and vendors) | $15 | $25 | $60 | $120 |
Bill Payments (through Plooto or your platform) | $15 | $25 | $60 | $120 |
Receipt Management (Hubdoc or Dext) | $15 | $25 | $60 | $120 |
Accounts Receivable (invoices and collections) | $15 | $25 | $60 | $120 |
Multi-Currency | $10 | $15 | $30 | $120 |
Intercompany | $10 | $10 | $15 | $20 |
Workers' Compensation Filing (WSIB, WorkSafeBC, WCB and others) | $20 | $20 | $20 | $20 |
HST Filing | $15 (annual) | $30 (quarterly) | $40 (quarterly) | $120 (monthly) |
If you also choose Multi-Currency, HST filing is $20, $45, $55 or $150 per month, by plan. Not sure whether you need to charge HST at all? Read when a small business has to register for GST/HST.
How much does payroll add to my bookkeeping bill?
Payroll has two parts. Payroll processing is priced by the number of employees and how often you pay them, and covers payroll runs and source deduction remittances (PD7A) to the CRA. T4 preparation is added to every payroll plan and is priced by the number of employees.
Employees | Monthly | Semi-monthly | Bi-weekly | Weekly | T4 preparation |
Up to 3 | $120 | $200 | $225 | $390 | $15 |
Up to 5 | $130 | $215 | $230 | $410 | $20 |
Up to 10 | $150 | $230 | $250 | $430 | $25 |
Up to 20 | $175 | $260 | $275 | $490 | $30 |
Up to 30 | $195 | $290 | $305 | $550 | $35 |
Up to 40 | $215 | $320 | $335 | $610 | $40 |
Up to 50 | $235 | $350 | $365 | $670 | $45 |
All payroll prices are per month, plus HST. Two extras:
Ontario Employer Health Tax (EHT) filing: $20 per month, only if your business has to pay EHT.
Record of Employment (ROE): $50 plus HST for the first ROE we submit in a calendar month, and $25 plus HST for each additional ROE submitted in that same month. For example, if we submit one ROE on September 5 and three more on September 19, the September cost is $50 + (3 × $25) = $125, plus HST. If we submit two more on October 1, a new month starts: $50 + $25 = $75, plus HST.
For how payroll deductions work, see how payroll works for a small business in Canada.
Example. A business on the Growth plan with quarterly HST filing and 5 employees paid bi-weekly pays $299 + $30 + $230 + $20 = $579 per month, plus HST.
Is it better to pay a bookkeeper by the hour or a flat monthly fee?
For regular monthly work, a flat monthly fee is usually better, because you know the cost in advance. For one-off projects, hourly billing makes more sense, because the work depends on the state of your books.
That is how we split it:
Flat monthly fee: ongoing bookkeeping, modules and payroll, as shown above.
Hourly, quoted after an assessment: catch-up or cleanup bookkeeping, historical reviews, year-end preparation and adjustments, CRA correspondence and calls, CRA audit support, custom reports, QuickBooks Online setup or migration, and transition support.
Catch-up and cleanup work is not priced by transaction count. We need to look at your books first, so contact us for an assessment and an estimate.
Are bookkeeping fees tax deductible in Canada?
Yes. The CRA says you can deduct accounting fees you incur to get advice and help keeping your records, and fees to prepare and file your income tax and GST/HST returns. If your business is incorporated, bookkeeping fees are a deductible business expense for the corporation too. Sole proprietors and partnerships claim them on line 8860 of Form T2125.
Our prices exclude HST. If your business is registered for GST/HST, you can generally claim the tax you pay on our fees back as an input tax credit, since the CRA lists professional fees (legal, accounting) as an eligible expense. The rate depends on the province; see the CRA's GST/HST calculator and rates.
What if my business doesn't fit a standard plan?
We build a custom plan with the same flat-rate, published approach. A custom plan fits if you have:
Higher volume: more transactions or accounts than the Enterprise plan covers
Multiple entities: several companies that need intercompany or consolidated bookkeeping
Industry needs: construction holdbacks, trust accounting or project billing
Complex payroll: more than 50 employees, several pay groups, union dues or remittances in more than one province
Catch-up plus ongoing work: a cleanup bundled with monthly bookkeeping
Tell us about your business, and you get a written, flat-rate quote within 1 business day. See custom pricing.
Our approach is simple: transparent, published pricing; you build your own services and pay only for what you need; and the same prices for small businesses anywhere in Canada. See every service on our services page.
Frequently asked questions
Are there setup or onboarding fees?
No. There are no setup or onboarding fees. Your monthly quote is what you pay, plus HST.
Do I have to sign a long-term contract?
No. Plans are month-to-month, and you can cancel with 30 days' notice.
Are your prices the same in every province?
Yes. Our prices are the same for small businesses anywhere in Canada. Only the sales tax on our invoice changes, because GST/HST rates differ by province.
How fast can I get a quote?
Use the calculator on our pricing page to see your estimate right away, then send it to us. We reply within 1 business day.
Sources
About Remote Bookkeeping
Remote Bookkeeping is a Canadian-owned firm providing monthly bookkeeping, financial reporting, payroll, HST/GST filing, year-end preparation and QuickBooks Online setup for small businesses across Canada. Founded by Lia and George, with 30+ years of experience. Call (289) 867-0808 or 1-800-880-9141. New to working with an online bookkeeper? Read what remote bookkeeping is and how it works.
This article is general information for Canadian small business owners. It is not tax, legal or accounting advice for your particular situation. Rates and thresholds change - always confirm against the source linked above or ask us.
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