What does a bookkeeper cost for your startup?

One of the first questions founders ask when outsourcing their bookkeeping: what will it cost? The honest answer: it depends on the pricing model, and that model also determines what you get back. Here's how the price is built up, where the hidden costs sit, and what really matters for a startup.

The two pricing models: hourly or fixed per month

Bookkeepers charge in roughly two ways. The classic model is hourly: you pay per hour worked, and the rate depends on experience and specialisation. The alternative is a fixed monthly fee, where you know in advance what you pay and what's done for it.

For a startup that difference is bigger than it looks. With hourly billing, your invoice can grow with every question you ask and every busy month, exactly in the phases where you already lack overview. With a fixed fee you know where you stand and the price fits your stage.

What determines the price?

The price of a bookkeeper is mainly driven by four things:

• Your legal form: a BV brings more obligations than a sole proprietorship, such as corporate income tax and annual accounts that must be filed.
• Your transaction volume: more invoices, bank transactions and expense claims means more work.
• Staff: payroll is a specialism of its own and counts in the price.
• What's included and what isn't: just recording entries is very different from a complete service with filings, annual accounts and reporting.

So with every quote, don't just ask 'what does it cost' but above all 'what's included'. Two offers with the same monthly price can cover completely different services.

Where the hidden costs sit

The monthly price isn't always the whole story. Watch out for these items:

• Time-and-materials add-ons: a low monthly fee with 'extra work billed hourly' can turn out more expensive than an honest fixed rate.
• The annual accounts as a separate item: sometimes a hefty invoice still lands at the end of the year.
• Setup costs: some firms charge separately for onboarding or migration.
• Cost per question: with hourly billing, every email or call can cost money, which makes founders postpone questions. That's exactly what you don't want.

Cheap gets expensive when your figures are outdated

The real cost of a bookkeeper isn't on the invoice. A cheap bookkeeper who updates your administration once a quarter leaves you flying blind on your cash position, burn and runway the rest of the time. One wrong decision on outdated figures, or an investor meeting where you owe them the answer, costs more than a year of bookkeeping fees. So don't compare on price alone, but on what you get back: how current are your figures, and can you steer on them?

What does De Startup Accountant cost?

We keep it simple: fixed monthly fees, based on your transaction volume:

• Starter: 250 euros per month (up to 75 transactions)
• Growth: 325 euros per month (75 to 125 transactions)
• Scale: 475 euros per month (125 to 200 transactions)

Every plan includes your full bookkeeping, VAT and corporate tax returns, your annual accounts and daily-current figures in a real-time dashboard. No time-and-materials, no separate annual-accounts invoice and no setup costs: onboarding and migration are part of your monthly fee. Add payroll for 20 euros per employee per month. So you know exactly what you pay and what you get for it, in advance.

In short

• There are two pricing models: hourly and a fixed monthly fee. For startups, fixed gives the most grip.
• The price depends on your legal form, transaction volume, staff and what's actually included.
• Watch for hidden costs: hourly add-ons, a separate annual-accounts invoice and setup fees.
• Don't compare on price alone but on currency: outdated figures are the most expensive cost of all.
• With us: fixed monthly fees from 250 to 475 euros, everything included, no surprises.