Pricing

Straightforward Pricing. No Hourly Billing. No Surprises.

Most accounting firms bill by the hour. That means every question, every call, and every email has a cost attached to it and you never quite know what the invoice will look like until it arrives.

Clarke works differently. Every client is on a fixed-monthly fee that covers the full scope of agreed services. You know exactly what you’re paying before the month starts. And you’re always welcome to reach out to us.

What Affects Your Monthly Fee

Your monthly fee is based on the scope of services your business actually needs. A few factors that influence it:

  • Business size and revenue: larger businesses typically have more transactions, more complexity, and more reporting needs
  • Services included: bookkeeping only, bookkeeping plus tax planning, payroll, advisory support, or some combination
  • Complexity: number of entities, states, employees, and the current state of your books
  • Payroll: priced as a separate add-on based on the number of employees and pay frequency

 

No two businesses are exactly alike, which is why we build every scope individually after a discovery call.

 

Sample Client Pricing

To give you a sense of how pricing works in the real world, here are a few examples based on business type, size, and services included. Your actual monthly fee will be determined during the discovery call based on your specific situation.

 

Industry Annual Revenue Complexity Monthly Fee Payroll Sample Payroll Monthly Fee
Therapy $750K – $1M $700 – $1,000 10 Employees

Monthly Checks

 $200 – $300
Therapy <$300,000 $300 – $500 Solo entrepreneur

Monthly Checks

 Included
Therapy $2.5M – $3M $1,700 – $2,200 50 Employees

Semi-Monthly Checks

 $800 – $1,000
Medical $500K – $750K $600 – $900 2 Employees

Semi-Monthly Checks

 $100 – $200
Construction $3M – $5M $2,000 – $3,000 Solo Entrepreneur

Monthly Checks

 Included
Consulting $300K – $500K $600 – $900 Solo Entrepreneur

Monthly Checks

 Included
Legal $300K – $500K $600 – $900 Solo Entrepreneur

Monthly Checks

 Included
Landscaping $1.5M – $2M $1,000 – $1,300 3rd Party

17 Employees

 $80
Restaurant $1M – $1.5 $1,000 – $1,300 5 Employees

Bi-weekly Checks

 $200 – $300
Restaurant $7.5M+ $2,500 – $3,500 3rd Party

30 Employees

 $80
Beauty $500 – $750K   $900 – $1,200 12 Employees

Semi-monthly Checks

 $400 – $500
Retail <$300K   $700 – $1,000 Solo Entrepreneur

Quarterly

 Included

=Low Complexity

=High Complexity

Payroll Monthly Pricing

Service Level Pay Cycles Price (Starting at)
Full-Service Bi-Weekly $200
Full-Service Bi-Monthly $185
Full Service Monthly $150
Self-Service Bi-Weekly $150
Self-Service Bi-Monthly $135
Self-Service Monthly $125
3rd Party Bi-Weekly $37
3rd Party Bi-Monthly $37
3rd Party Monthly $37
Solo Monthly $75

 

*Clarke’s base payroll setup fee starts at $295.00 and increases based on the amount of complexity in getting the payroll set up in our systems.

Setup fee for new jurisdiction starts at $288.75 and increases based on the complexity of setting up payroll in the jurisdiction.

Full-Service Payroll

Clarke logs into the payroll system and processes client’s payroll for salaried and hourly staff, the fee is per pay-cycle. Pricing starts at an additional $200 per month.

Self-Service Payroll

Client opts to process payroll on their own, inside of our payroll provider (ADP). Clarke logs into the payroll system and approves client’s payroll for salaried and hourly staff. The fee is per pay-cycle and includes all payroll-related support issues. The self-service fee starts at an additional $150 per month.

3rd Party Payroll

Client opts to stay with current payroll provider. Fees start at $37 per month to get the information and processing into the books.

Ready to Find Out What Clarke Costs for Your Business?

The discovery call is about 30 minutes. We’ll learn about your business and put together a clear scope and monthly fee before anything starts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. If your business grows or your needs change, your scope may need to change too. We’ll always have that conversation before adjusting anything and give you the chance to review and approve.

Yes. There is a one-time setup fee that covers the initial onboarding process which includes getting your accounts connected, QuickBooks Online set up or cleaned up, and your financial systems organized before ongoing work begins.

Payroll is priced as a separate add-on based on the number of employees and pay frequency. It will be clearly outlined in your scope before anything starts.

Clarke engagements start with a one-year term. After that, the relationship continues month to month. The initial term gives both sides the time needed to build the systems, establish the rhythm, and see the full value of an ongoing accounting partnership.

Clarke is built around ongoing monthly relationships rather than one-time or individual services. If you’re looking for support across bookkeeping, tax, and payroll, we’re likely a good fit. If you only need a one-time tax return, we’re probably not the right firm for that.

Bi-weekly payroll runs every two weeks, resulting in 26 pay periods per year. Bi-monthly payroll, also called semi-monthly, runs twice a month on set dates, typically the 1st and 15th, resulting in 24 pay periods per year. The difference matters for payroll tax deposits, benefits deductions, and how employee paychecks are calculated. Clarke can help you determine which cycle makes the most sense for your business and set it up correctly from the start.