For most small businesses, accounting costs fall into two main categories. Some opt for ongoing monthly support, covering bookkeeping, BAS and payroll, while others only require one-off annual work, such as financial statements and tax returns. In 2026, fixed-fee packages are becoming the norm, replacing the uncertainty of open-ended hourly billing.
Ongoing accounting support for small businesses typically ranges from $300 to $1,200 per month. Pricing depends on your transaction volume, GST and BAS lodgement frequency, payroll requirements and the level of advisory support you need.
If cost certainty is important, Coleman Financial Group provides a straightforward option. Our Small Business Compliance Package starts at $300 plus GST per month, with fixed monthly fees.
Typical Accountant Pricing for Small Businesses
Across Australia, business accountant fees for small businesses depend on the type of service you need and how complex your financial records are.
Here are common price ranges seen around Australia, often using Sydney as a benchmark, along with what each service typically includes.
| Service | How it’s commonly billed | Typical pricing examples (AUD) |
| BAS lodgement | Per lodgement or bundled monthly | $150–$300 per BAS lodgement |
| Bookkeeping | Hourly or bundled monthly | $30–$75/hour |
| Ongoing bookkeeping + BAS | Fixed monthly | $300–$600/month |
| Payroll + STP | Fixed monthly | $100–$250/month |
| Company annual tax return | Annual / one-off | $1,200–$2,500 (depending on scope) |
| Small business tax return (overall) | Annual / one-off | $1,500–$5,000 depending on size/complexity |
| SMSF Compliance | Annual / one-off | $1,800-$3,500 (depending on the complexity of the account) |
| Business advisory | Monthly or annual | $250–$500/month or $1,200–$6,000/year |
These figures are guidelines, not guaranteed pricing. Your actual costs will
depend on what your accountant looks after, their own pricing structure and how complex your business is.
Factors Influencing Accounting Costs
Accounting fees shift with the workload and level of responsibility. It’s worth looking at the specific factors that drive your final quote.
1. Business Structure: Sole Trader vs Company vs Trust
Your legal structure is the primary factor in determining your accounting costs. A sole trader has the most straightforward reporting, as business income is often included in a personal tax return.
However, once you move into a company or trust structure, the ATO requires separate financial statements, a dedicated company tax return, and compliance with ASIC requirements.
If you operate multiple entities, such as a family trust that owns shares in your trading company, the complexity increases, as your accountant must reconcile inter-entity loans and distributions.
| Feature | Sole Trader | Company | Trust |
| Reporting Complexity | Low – Business income is usually part of your personal tax return. | High – Requires separate financial statements and a company tax return. | High – Requires a trust tax return and distribution minutes. |
| Legal Entity | You and the business are the same legal entity. | A separate legal entity from the owners/directors. | A relationship where a trustee holds assets for beneficiaries. |
| Compliance Requirements | Minimal (TFN/ABN). | Significant (ASIC fees, financial records, director duties). | Moderate to High (Trust deed, annual resolutions). |
| Tax Treatment | Taxed at individual marginal rates. | Taxed at the corporate rate (e.g., 25% for base rate entities). | Income is generally taxed at the beneficiaries’ marginal rates. |
| Accounting Cost | Lowest – Ideal for small startups or simple contractors. | Higher – Due to rigorous ATO and ASIC reporting standards. | Higher – Requires specialised knowledge of trust law and distributions. |
2. Transaction Volume
This is one of the most direct drivers of cost because it dictates the hours needed to keep your books accurate.
- More transactions = more coding time: Every bank line needs to be allocated correctly (income type, expense category, GST treatment, supplier/customer mapping).
- More invoices/bills = more matching and tracking: If you invoice customers, your accountant/bookkeeper must manage accounts receivable, invoice allocation, and payment matching. The same goes for bills and accounts payable.
- Messy or inconsistent data adds time: duplicated transactions, unclear descriptions, mixed personal/business spending, and missing receipts all create follow-up work.
- Complex categories add decision time: Inventory purchases, asset buys, split transactions, international subscriptions, and mixed-use expenses take longer than routine “rent” or “fuel” lines.
A business with 60–100 transactions a month often sits in a very different pricing tier than one with 800–1,500 transactions a month.
3. GST and BAS Frequency
BAS is not just “press lodge.” It’s the outcome of clean, correctly coded data.
- Quarterly BAS: Fewer lodgement cycles (4/year) means fewer deadlines, and generally fewer check-ins, which can keep fees down.
- Monthly BAS: 12 lodgements/year, so you’re paying for more frequent reviews, reconciliations, GST checks and reporting. It’s often chosen when:
- turnover is higher,
- GST liabilities are material (cash flow planning matters),
- businesses want tighter reporting cadence.
- More frequent BAS can reduce year-end pain: While monthly BAS costs more across the year, it can reduce catch-up work and surprises at EOFY because issues are identified sooner.
Payroll and Compliance
Payroll isn’t just paying people. It’s a compliance system with rules and reporting.
- STP (Single Touch Payroll): Every pay run must be reported through payroll software. That means setup, correct pay items, pay categories, and consistent reporting.
- Super processing: Calculating super correctly, ensuring it’s paid on time, managing changes in rates, salary sacrifice, and handling exceptions.
- Allowances and overtime: These add setup and verification work. The more varied your pay conditions, the more time it takes to manage.
- Leave management: Annual leave, personal leave, long service leave accruals, and leave loading (where applicable) require correct configuration and checks.
- Terminations and onboarding: New employees need setup (TFN declarations, super choice, pay templates). Terminations can involve final pays, leave payouts, redundancy calculations, and correct STP finalisation.
- More staff = more admin: Payroll pricing commonly scales by headcount and pay frequency (weekly vs fortnightly vs monthly).
Industry Reporting and Extras
Certain industries carry additional reporting burdens that influence the cost of an accountant. These “extras” require specialised knowledge and additional lodgement time to ensure you stay compliant with the ATO and state revenue offices.
To make this easy to digest, here are the most common industry-specific requirements:
- Building and Construction (TPAR): If you pay contractors for building and construction services, you must lodge a Taxable Payments Annual Report (TPAR). This helps the ATO identify contractors who may not be reporting their full income.
- Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT): If you provide non-salary benefits to employees, such as company cars for private use, car parking, or entertainment like staff meals, you may need to lodge an annual FBT return.
- Payroll Tax: Once your total Australian wages (including superannuation and certain contractor payments) exceed the state-based threshold, you must register and pay payroll tax. Each state has different rates and thresholds.
- Medical and Allied Health: Practitioners often have complex “service fee” arrangements or payroll tax considerations regarding how contractors are engaged, which require specific accounting oversight.
- E-commerce and Retail: High-volume sales across different platforms (like Shopify or Amazon) often require specialised software integration and inventory tracking to ensure the data is accurate for tax time.
Catch-Up Work and Record Keeping
The state of your records has a big impact. If your books are messy with missing receipts, unreconciled accounts or late lodgements from past years, your accountant will need to do catch-up work before offering forward-looking advice. Clean, digital records in software like Xero or MYOB cut down manual data entry so your accountant can focus on strategy instead of fixing errors.
Hourly billing vs fixed-fee packages
Many small businesses begin with hourly billing, then switch when they want more predictable costs.
Hourly billing
- Best for: One-off jobs, clean books, minimal follow-up questions
- Watch-outs: Every email, call, or “quick check” can add cost
Fixed-fee packages
- Best for: Ongoing BAS/bookkeeping/payroll + steady support through the year
- Upside: Clearer budgeting, fewer surprise invoices, more proactive touchpoints
Coleman Financial Group pricing and what’s included
If your main goal is compliance and cost certainty, Coleman Financial Group offers two accounting package options.
Small Business Compliance Package (from $300 + GST per month)
Coleman Financial Group’s fixed monthly fees start at $300 plus GST and cover a Xero subscription, receipt coding with Hubdoc, basic reconciliations, payroll, super processing, BAS preparation and lodgement, EOFY financial statements and tax returns, tax planning and review meetings, plus ongoing support via phone, Zoom or email.
This type of inclusion list matters—it makes it easier to compare cheap pricing with what’s actually included.
Established Business Package (custom pricing)
For businesses with broader obligations, Coleman includes complex payroll, Fringe Benefits Tax, payroll tax, home warranty reporting, advisory services, BAS, EOFY work and support meetings.
A practical way to think about it:
- If your business runs straightforward payroll and standard BAS, the compliance bundle is usually the best fit.
- If you deal with FBT, payroll tax, additional reporting or need regular advisory, you generally move into a customised scope.
A Simple Budgeting Method You Can Use Today
Instead of trying to guess a single “all-in” number, it’s easier to budget in layers. This way, you can match your spend to what your business really needs.
1. Monthly compliance layer (the basics that keep you up to date)
This is your ongoing engine room—keeping records clean and meeting regular deadlines.
Usually includes:
- Bookkeeping (coding transactions, reconciling accounts)
- BAS prep and lodgement
- Payroll support (if you have staff) and STP reporting
Budget guide:
Plan for $300 to $600 per month for bookkeeping and BAS, with payroll add-ons if needed.
2. Annual layer (your end-of-year wrap-up)
This is the annual work that ties everything together and meets your tax reporting obligations.
Usually includes:
- Year-end financial statements—profit and loss, balance sheet
- Tax return preparation and lodgement for the business or entity
Budget guide:
Costs vary widely based on structure and complexity. A simple entity usually sits in the hundreds to low thousands, but multi-entity setups or complex reporting can push higher.
3) Advisory layer (optional, but where the real value shows up)
This is the “help you make better decisions” layer. Not every business needs it at first, but it becomes more valuable as your revenue and complexity grow.
Often includes:
- Tax planning meetings – before EOFY or quarterly
- Cash flow forecasting and budgeting
- Performance reporting and board-style dashboards
- Strategy sessions about growth, pricing or hiring
Budget guide:
Advisory is usually priced monthly or annually, depending on how involved you want your accountant to be.
Why Fixed-Fee Packages are Often Easier to Manage
If you want one predictable number, fixed-fee packages usually win because they bundle the layers together, typically monthly compliance plus annual tax, and sometimes planning meetings or advisory check-ins.
Questions to Ask Before You Commit to an Accountant
Use these questions to avoid paying for the wrong setup.
- What’s included in the fee (in writing)? BAS, EOFY financials, tax return, payroll, support calls, meetings
- Do you price fixed-fee, hourly, or hybrid? Then ask what triggers extra charges
- Who does what? What you handle, what your bookkeeper handles, what the accountant handles
- Do you cover my industry obligations? Subcontractor reporting, payroll tax, FBT or other reporting requirements
- What happens as my business grows? How pricing changes with more transactions, staff, entities or GST/BAS frequency
Talk to Our Accountant Today
If you want a clear monthly cost with the essentials covered, Coleman Financial Group’s Small Business Compliance Package starts from $300 plus GST per month and includes Xero, Hubdoc receipt coding, BAS, EOFY financial statements and tax return, plus tax planning and review meetings and ongoing support.
If you share your business structure (sole trader/company/trust), GST/BAS frequency, and whether you have employees or subcontractors, you can map your needs to a package scope faster and avoid paying for inclusions you won’t use. Contact us today to know more about our packages.
FAQs
How much does an accountant cost for a small business per month?
Many pricing guides put ongoing small business accounting in the $300 to $1,200 per month range, depending on scope, with bookkeeping and BAS often around $300 to $600 per month. Payroll support is usually priced on top.
Are accountant fees tax-deductible in Australia?
In many cases, yes. Expenses for managing your tax affairs, including registered agent fees, are generally deductible under ATO guidance, subject to the usual rules.
How often should I meet with my accountant?
While an annual meeting is the minimum for tax compliance, many successful small businesses benefit from quarterly reviews to monitor growth and adjust tax strategies.
Do I need a bookkeeper and an accountant?
A bookkeeper handles the daily data entry, while an accountant provides high-level oversight and tax advice. Some firms, like Coleman Financial Group, offer integrated services that cover both areas.
Do you still need an accountant if you use Xero?
Yes. Xero helps you organise records and reporting, but you still need the correct BAS and tax treatment, EOFY accounts and lodgements. Many businesses use Xero day-to-day, then rely on an accountant for compliance and planning.
