In Australia's competitive business landscape, small business accountants provide essential financial services ranging from tax compliance to strategic advice. Understanding accountant costs is critical for budget planning, with fees varying significantly based on service type, business complexity, and accountant expertise.
Small business accountant costs in Australia typically range from $500 to $8,000 annually for basic tax services, with ongoing monthly engagements costing $400 to $3,000 per month. However, the term "accountant" encompasses diverse roles including tax compliance specialists, management accountants, and strategic advisors, each with distinct pricing structures and value propositions.
This guide breaks down accountant costs by service type, helping Australian small businesses make informed decisions about financial expertise without overpaying for unnecessary services.
The cost of an accountant depends heavily on the services provided. Australian small businesses typically engage three types of accountants, each serving different needs.
Tax accountants focus on lodging tax returns, managing ATO compliance, and minimising tax liabilities. They are the most common accountant type for small businesses.
Annual tax return services range from $500 to $1,200 for sole traders, $1,200 to $2,500 for companies with simple structures, and $2,500 to $5,000 for companies with complex structures involving trusts or multiple entities. Quarterly BAS services cost $200 to $400 per quarter for simple businesses, $400 to $800 for complex GST reporting, and $800 to $1,200 when including tax planning consultations.
Melbourne Café Co, a sole trader with $400,000 annual revenue, pays $950 annually for tax return preparation, plus $300 per quarter for BAS lodgement, totalling $2,150 per year. The tax accountant spends 4 hours on the annual return and 1.5 hours per BAS, ensuring ATO compliance without ongoing strategic support.
Management accountants provide internal financial analysis, budgeting, and performance reporting to support business decisions. They typically charge monthly retainers rather than per-service fees.
Monthly retainer services include basic reporting at $800 to $1,500 per month for profit and loss statements and balance sheets, management reporting with variance analysis at $1,500 to $2,500 per month, and full financial management including forecasting and KPIs at $2,500 to $5,000 per month. Project-based services include business budgeting at $2,000 to $5,000, cost analysis at $3,000 to $8,000, and financial system setup at $2,000 to $4,000.
Sydney Tech Startup, with $2 million annual revenue and 15 employees, engages a management accountant at $2,200 per month for monthly profit and loss reviews, cash flow forecasting, and board reporting. The accountant spends 12 hours monthly analysing financial performance, identifying cost savings opportunities, and preparing investor-ready reports. This ongoing engagement costs $26,400 annually but provides strategic insights beyond tax compliance.
Public practice accountants combine tax compliance with light advisory services, serving as the primary accountant for many Australian small businesses. They offer bundled packages covering tax, BAS, and basic advice.
Annual package pricing ranges from $2,000 to $4,000 for micro businesses like sole traders under $500,000 revenue, $4,000 to $8,000 for small companies between $500,000 and $2 million revenue, and $8,000 to $15,000 for medium businesses between $2 million and $10 million revenue.
Brisbane Building Supplies, a company with $3 million revenue, pays $9,500 annually to their public practice accountant. This covers company tax return at $3,500, quarterly BAS lodgements at $1,600, payroll tax compliance at $1,200, tax planning consultations at $2,000, and ad hoc advice at $1,200. The accountant provides reliable compliance but limited strategic financial management.
Australian accountants charge either hourly rates or fixed fees depending on service predictability and client preferences.
Hourly billing is common for unpredictable or project-based work where scope cannot be defined upfront. Graduate or junior accountants charge $80 to $120 per hour, mid-level accountants with 5 to 10 years experience charge $120 to $180 per hour, senior accountants and partners charge $180 to $300 per hour, and specialist advisors for tax or restructuring charge $250 to $450 per hour.
Hourly billing typically applies to complex tax restructuring or ATO disputes, one-off advisory projects like business acquisitions, catch-up bookkeeping or historical cleanup, and urgent compliance work outside normal scope.
Adelaide Manufacturing Co faces an ATO audit requiring detailed transaction reviews and correspondence. Their accountant charges $200 per hour, spending 15 hours over two months resolving the audit, costing $3,000. This unpredictable work justifies hourly billing over fixed fees.
Fixed fees provide cost certainty for recurring services, increasingly preferred by Australian small businesses using cloud accounting software like Xero. Typical fixed fee services include annual tax returns at $600 to $2,500 depending on complexity, quarterly BAS lodgement at $150 to $400 per quarter, monthly management accounts at $500 to $2,000 per month, and payroll processing at $200 to $800 per month depending on employee count.
Fixed fees offer predictable monthly budgeting, no surprises from scope creep, and encourage proactive communication without concern about billing hours.
Perth E-commerce Store negotiates a fixed fee package at $1,800 per month covering monthly management accounts, quarterly BAS, annual tax return, and unlimited email and phone support. This predictability allows the owner to budget effectively, compared to the previous accountant's variable hourly billing that ranged from $1,200 to $3,500 monthly.
Several business characteristics drive higher accountant fees, often justified by increased complexity and expertise required.
Larger businesses with higher revenue generate more transactions, require more reporting detail, and face greater compliance obligations. Businesses under $500,000 revenue typically pay $2,000 to $5,000 annually for simple structures with limited complexity. Businesses between $500,000 and $2 million revenue pay $5,000 to $12,000 annually for company structures with employee management and moderate complexity. Businesses between $2 million and $10 million revenue pay $12,000 to $30,000 annually for multi-entity structures with significant compliance and strategic planning needs.
Complex structures involving trusts, multiple companies, or partnerships require more expertise and time. Sole traders have the lowest complexity and base pricing. Companies with single entities cost base pricing plus 30 to 50 percent. Companies with discretionary trusts cost base pricing plus 50 to 80 percent. Multiple entities including holding companies and unit trusts cost base pricing plus 100 to 200 percent.
Sydney Property Developer operates through a unit trust, holding company, and three subsidiary companies. Annual accounting fees total $22,000 compared to $8,000 for a similar-sized single company, reflecting the multi-entity complexity requiring consolidated reporting and inter-company reconciliations.
Certain industries have unique compliance or reporting needs demanding specialist knowledge. Construction and building businesses with retention accounting and progress claims face 20 to 40 percent higher fees. Medical and healthcare businesses with private health rebates and Medicare compliance face 15 to 30 percent higher fees. Primary production businesses with farm management deposits face 20 to 35 percent higher fees. Import and export businesses with customs and GST deferral face 25 to 50 percent higher fees.
Accountant rates vary significantly across Australian regions due to cost of living and market competition. Sydney and Melbourne command $120 to $250 per hour as the highest rates due to living costs and competition. Brisbane and Perth charge $100 to $220 per hour, about 10 to 15 percent below Sydney rates. Adelaide and Hobart charge $90 to $200 per hour, about 15 to 20 percent below Sydney rates. Regional areas charge $80 to $160 per hour, about 20 to 35 percent below metro rates.
Identical tax return preparation costs $1,800 in Sydney CBD but $1,200 in regional Victoria for the same complexity level, saving $600 annually purely based on location.
Small businesses have multiple options beyond traditional accountants, each with distinct cost profiles and service levels.
Bookkeepers handle transaction recording and basic compliance, while accountants provide strategic advice and complex tax work. Bookkeepers charge $300 to $1,200 per month for transaction processing, BAS, and payroll. Accountants charge $2,000 to $8,000 per year for tax compliance and light advisory. Many businesses use bookkeepers monthly at $600 per month totalling $7,200 per year, plus an accountant annually at $2,500 for tax returns, totalling $9,700 per year for comprehensive coverage.
This combined approach provides ongoing transaction accuracy through bookkeeping, with strategic tax planning from the accountant, often more cost-effective than an accountant handling all tasks monthly.
Hiring an in-house accountant involves salary, superannuation, and overhead costs. According to SEEK, in-house accountants in Australia earn $70,000 to $90,000 annually, plus 11.5 percent superannuation, totalling $78,050 to $100,350 per year or $6,504 to $8,363 per month. This excludes recruitment costs at $5,000 to $15,000, training, office space, and software.
Outsourced accounting services cost $1,500 to $4,000 per month for similar scope, saving $2,000 to $5,000 monthly compared to full-time hires. Businesses under $5 million revenue rarely justify in-house accountants unless requiring 30 plus hours weekly of accounting work.
Canberra Consulting Firm with $4 million revenue considered hiring an in-house accountant at $85,000 annually plus $9,775 superannuation and $3,000 software costs, totalling $97,775 per year. Instead, they engaged an outsourced accounting service at $2,800 per month totalling $33,600 annually, saving $64,175 per year while accessing senior-level expertise across tax, management accounting, and strategic planning.
Embedded finance teams like Scale Suite combine bookkeeping, management accounting, and strategic CFO services in integrated packages, replacing both bookkeepers and accountants with a single provider.
Traditional model costs include bookkeeper at $800 per month totalling $9,600 annually, plus tax accountant at $4,000 annually, plus ad hoc advisory at $2,000 annually, totalling $15,600 per year. Embedded finance team packages cost $1,250 to $6,000 per month depending on business size, providing bookkeeping, BAS, tax planning, cash flow forecasting, and strategic advice through daily Slack integration.
For businesses requiring strategic financial guidance beyond tax compliance, embedded teams often deliver better value per dollar through comprehensive service scope and proactive communication.
Beyond quoted fees, small businesses should budget for additional accounting-related expenses.
Software subscriptions for Xero, MYOB, or QuickBooks cost $30 to $80 per month or $360 to $960 annually, often required by accountants. Payroll software like Employment Hero or Deputy adds $50 to $200 per month. Catch-up fees for clearing historical backlogs or unlodged BAS cost $1,000 to $5,000 depending on backlog size. Urgent work fees for last-minute tax lodgements or rush jobs add 50 to 100 percent premium. Additional entity fees for new trusts or companies add $1,500 to $3,000 per entity annually.
Hobart Retail Store switched accountants mid-year, requiring catch-up work to reconcile six months of transactions. The new accountant charged $2,200 for historical cleanup plus $150 per month ongoing, totalling $3,100 in the first year. Planning for these transition costs prevented budget surprises.
Small businesses can minimise accounting fees through preparation and strategic choices.
Maintain clean records by reconciling bank accounts monthly in Xero or MYOB, reducing accountant time on data cleanup. Use cloud accounting software to automate transaction coding and bank feeds. Prepare supporting documents including receipts, invoices, and contracts before meetings to avoid billable research time. Bundle services by negotiating annual packages covering tax, BAS, and advisory rather than paying piecemeal. Compare quotes from three accountants to understand market rates and service scope differences. Use bookkeepers for routine tasks and reserve accountant time for complex tax or strategic work.
Darwin Building Company reduced annual accounting costs from $12,000 to $7,500 by maintaining weekly Xero reconciliations, preparing quarterly BAS drafts for accountant review, and bundling tax return and BAS services. The accountant spent 40 percent less time on data entry, passing savings to the client through lower fees.
Businesses outgrow basic tax compliance services as they scale, requiring more sophisticated financial support.
Signs you need upgraded services include revenue exceeding $2 million annually requiring more detailed financial analysis, hiring 10 plus employees needing payroll tax compliance and workforce planning, raising capital from investors requiring professional financial reports and forecasts, expanding into multiple entities or states needing specialist structural advice, experiencing cash flow challenges requiring proactive management and forecasting, or planning major business decisions like acquisitions requiring due diligence support.
Gold Coast Tech Company at $3 million revenue relied on a $5,000 annual tax accountant for basic compliance. When raising Series A funding, investors demanded detailed financial forecasts, unit economics, and board-ready reporting. The company upgraded to a management accountant at $3,200 per month providing monthly variance analysis, cash flow forecasting, and investor reporting, enabling successful capital raising worth the increased accounting investment.
Small business accountants in Australia typically charge $500 to $1,200 annually for sole trader tax returns, $2,000 to $8,000 annually for company tax and BAS packages, and $1,500 to $4,000 per month for ongoing management accounting services. Hourly rates range from $80 to $300 depending on experience level.
Tax accountants focus on ATO compliance including tax returns, BAS lodgement, and tax minimisation strategies. Management accountants provide internal financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and performance reporting to support business decisions. Tax accountants charge per service or annually, while management accountants typically charge monthly retainers.
In-house accountants cost $78,000 to $100,000 annually including superannuation, justified only for businesses with consistent 30 plus hours weekly accounting work, typically above $5 million revenue. Outsourced services cost $1,500 to $4,000 monthly, providing flexibility and senior expertise for most small businesses under $5 million revenue.
BAS lodgement typically costs $150 to $400 per quarter for simple businesses, $400 to $800 for complex GST reporting, and is often bundled into annual packages at $200 to $300 per quarter. Registered BAS agents must lodge your BAS on your behalf if they prepare it.
Higher costs result from larger revenue generating more transactions, complex entity structures like trusts or multiple companies, industry-specific requirements like construction retention accounting, geographic location with Sydney and Melbourne charging premium rates, and specialist needs like R&D tax incentives or transfer pricing.
Bookkeepers handle transaction recording, bank reconciliation, and basic BAS preparation at $300 to $1,200 monthly. However, accountants are required for tax returns, tax planning, and complex advice. Most businesses use bookkeepers monthly plus an accountant annually for tax compliance, combining to $9,000 to $20,000 per year.
Fixed fee packages should clearly specify annual tax return preparation, quarterly or monthly BAS lodgement, number of included support hours or emails, software subscriptions if provided, payroll processing if applicable, and any excluded services like restructuring or audit support to avoid surprise charges.
Compare your costs against industry benchmarks for your revenue size, request quotes from 3 accountants to understand market rates, assess time spent on your work versus charges, evaluate value received beyond compliance like strategic advice, and consider switching if paying over $12,000 annually for revenue under $2 million without receiving management reporting or forecasting.
Businesses should consider CFO-level support when revenue exceeds $5 million requiring strategic financial planning, raising significant capital from investors, experiencing complex cash flow challenges, planning major growth initiatives like acquisitions, or when financial decisions significantly impact business direction. Fractional CFOs cost $3,000 to $12,000 monthly compared to $200,000 plus for full-time hires.
Ask about fee structure whether hourly or fixed, what services are included in quoted prices, experience with your industry and business size, qualifications and registrations like BAS agent or CPA status, communication frequency and response times, software they use and support, and references from similar-sized clients.
Scale Suite provides embedded finance services for Australian businesses seeking comprehensive accounting, bookkeeping, and strategic CFO support. Our Sydney-based team delivers daily integrated financial management through Slack, combining transaction processing, compliance, and strategic planning in fixed monthly packages starting at $1,250.
Our services replace both traditional accountants and bookkeepers with a unified finance function, including complete bookkeeping and Xero management, BAS preparation and lodgement through our registered BAS agents, tax planning and compliance coordination, monthly management reporting and variance analysis, cash flow forecasting and working capital management, and strategic CFO advisory for businesses.
Businesses choose Scale Suite when seeking an alternative to hiring in-house finance staff, requiring more strategic support than traditional accountants provide, wanting predictable monthly costs instead of variable hourly billing, or needing daily access to senior financial expertise through integrated communication.
For businesses comparing the cost of traditional accountants against integrated finance team solutions, Scale Suite typically delivers equivalent or superior outcomes at 40 to 60 percent of the cost of building an internal finance function, while providing broader expertise across bookkeeping, tax, and strategic financial management.
Visit www.scalesuite.com.au/services/finance to explore whether embedded finance services suit your business requirements.
Scale Suite delivers embedded finance and human resource services for ambitious Australian businesses.Our Sydney-based team integrates with your daily operations through a shared platform, working like part of your internal staff but with senior-level expertise. From complete bookkeeping to strategic CFO insights, we deliver better outcomes than a single hire - without the recruitment risk, training time, or full-time salary commitment.
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