How much does it cost to have a tax advisor handle your bookkeeping?
Not every entrepreneur wants to take care of their bookkeeping themselves. If you want to focus on your day-to-day business, you can easily outsource all important tasks related to accounting and tax returns.
However, one question that arises in this context is: What are the accounting costs if I hire a tax advisor?
The following sections provide the appropriate answers. They also show how the prices are made up and which specifications form the basis for all calculations.
The technical platform is operated by Integral Services GmbH. All reserved tasks are performed by Integral Tax GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft.
The key points
Accounting costs with tax advisors
These depend primarily on monthly turnover, the number of documents and expenses.
Basis of billing
The basis for billing is usually the Tax Consultant Remuneration Ordinance.
Tax deductible
You can deduct all costs that were caused by your business. This includes the costs for your tax advisor.
Complex structures
The more complex your bookkeeping, the more budget you should plan for.
Cost optimizations
If you want to optimize costs for your tax advisor, you should use digital options, among other things.
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How much does an accounting accountant cost?
The costs of a tax advisor in the area bookkeeping depend heavily on whether it is a private individual, a self-employed person or a company. While private individuals generally do not need ongoing bookkeeping, but only assistance with income tax returns, the situation is different for self-employed people and companies: Here, recurring accounting services are required on a monthly or quarterly basis.
The basis for the fees in Germany is the Tax Consultant Remuneration Ordinance (StBVV). It defines a fee framework that is based, among other things, on turnover and the volume of business transactions. This results in big differences: If you only have a few documents, you pay less than a company with complex accounting.
Our model not only takes into account the requirements of the StBVV, but also supplements them with practical averages from the sector. Important here: The calculation of our prices always includes the combination of tax advice and accounting — in other words, the complete package that companies actually need. With our Tax advisor cost calculator Can you get an impression of how high the fees would be for your individual case.
For operating limited liability companies or UGs, for example, there is a base fee depending on the annual turnover:
- up to 312,000€ turnover: a fixed annual price of approx. 4,380€ (around 365 €/month)
- Turnover of between 312,000€ and 1.2 million €: approx. 1.4% of turnover
- Turnover of over 1.2 million €: approx. 1% of turnover
In addition, if relevant, variable payroll costs, which we calculate in the computer at around €15 per employee and month.
This results in a realistic cost range per year and month, which is derived from the theoretical tabular values of the StBVV, but better reflects market prices.
This is how accounting prices are made up — from hourly rate to flat rate
Accounting costs per month can vary significantly. They depend primarily on the scope of services, the number of booking records and the complexity of the business cases.
In most cases, you can choose between:
- monthly packages
- hourly rates
- Remuneration under the Tax Consultant Remuneration Ordinance
decide. There is no “better” or “worse” here. The choice of billing method depends on the law firm and your individual requirements.
Monthly flat rates
Monthly flat rates are often used as part of ongoing bookkeeping. In most cases, small companies and self-employed people pay between 80€ and 300€ per month. Larger companies often pay significantly more. In the end, the price depends on the number of documents to be booked and the annual turnover.
Hourly rates
The hourly rates of tax firms are in most cases between 60€ and 164€. This compensation model is particularly suitable when irregular work is required and the services of the tax advisor are only used, for example, to prepare the annual financial statements.
Billing in accordance with the Tax Consultant Remuneration Ordinance
When billing under the Tax Consultant Remuneration Ordinance, the object value plays an important role. The higher this is, the higher the basic fee that is charged to the client.
Tax advisor tax deducting accounting costs — That's how it works
You can deduct the accounting costs associated with your company as operating costs. It is important that they are directly related to your business activities. This means that you can claim, among other things, expenses for ongoing bookkeeping, advice and preparation of advance sales tax returns and profit calculations.
However, it should be noted that costs that were initiated exclusively privately cannot be deducted. A typical example of this is the cost of your private income tax return.
- As a sole trader or as a freelancer, you enter the costs as operating expenses in the EUER attachment.
- In the case of corporations (such as a GmbH or a UG), they are recorded in the income statement.
The following applies to both variants: The expenses incurred by your tax advisor reduce your profit. That means you pay less tax.
For example, if you have a tax advisor Having commissioned both areas, it is important to clearly separate the “operational” and “private” areas. This ensures that your accounting costs are recorded correctly and avoid queries from the tax office — even in the event of an audit.
Special cases: Costs for employers, sales from abroad and information for self-employed people
The accounting of different companies can differ significantly from each other in some cases. And not all processes are equally complex (or simple). Details that can determine the structure of an accounting system include the general company structure, the number of employees and the business model. The following table goes into more detail about different scenarios.
An employer with multiple employees
If you, as an entrepreneur, decide to hire employees, your accounting requirements will automatically change. Payroll accounting is an important point. Strictly speaking, it is not part of traditional bookkeeping and is processed separately. The typical services that arise in this context include:
- Reports to health insurance, tax authorities and social security
- Maintaining payroll accounts
- Annual reports
- You should expect expenses of between 10€ and 30€ per employee per month
Sales abroad
Companies that operate across borders must take this into account when accounting. In this context, the following details, among others, are important:
- intra-Community supplies or services
- the reverse charge process
- Export deliveries to third countries
- the obligation to report summaries
Self-employed and freelancers
There are exceptions, of course, but in principle, the accounting of freelancers and self-employed people is more manageable than that of larger companies.
The often lower accounting costs are explained here, among other things, by the (usually) lower turnover, a lower number of booking records and the fact that there is no need to prepare a balance sheet here because an EU is sufficient.
For example, the monthly bookkeeping costs for freelancers and self-employed people are often between 50€ and 164€.
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The technical platform is operated by Integral Services GmbH. All reserved tasks (Vorbehaltsaufgaben) are performed by Integral Tax GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft.
Here's how you can effectively manage and optimize your accounting costs
Since a company's accounting framework can change over time, it makes sense to regularly review how accounting costs can be reduced, if necessary. At the same time, it is important not to make any compromises when it comes to clean bookkeeping.
The following tips can help to optimize the bookkeeping effort and associated costs for the tax advisor:
- Rely on the benefits of digital accounting.
Many tax advisors calculate their benefits based on expenditure. If you pre-sort, label and digitally submit your receipts, you relieve your tax advisor of a lot of work and thus save money. Anyone who uses digital accounting does not necessarily have to work with a tax advisor from the same location. If the tax advisor is based in Berlin, he can also serve clients from Munich, for example.
- Use accounting tools
With modern accounting tools, you can make preparing your accounting much easier. Many of these tools have practical interfaces, for example to DATEV companies online.
- Negotiate flat rates
Package prices offer you a high level of transparency. If your tax advisor settles on your basis, you can estimate exactly what consulting costs you will incur. In this way, you can sometimes prevent high back payments.
- Outsource only part of the accounting
If you want a tax advisor to help you with your bookkeeping and keep costs within limits, you don't necessarily have to hand over all tasks. You can also prepare your bookkeeping, do more yourself and reduce the workload for the tax advisor.
- Compare different providers
Depending on the tax advisor, prices can vary significantly. It is therefore worthwhile to compare the conditions of the various providers. If you are no longer satisfied, you can also cancel and change your tax advisor. However, you should never make the choice of your tax advisor solely dependent on price.
It is important that the provider fits you and your company and is flexible enough to respond to changes. Many companies work with their tax advisor right from the start of their business.
How to find the right tax advisor for your business
Anyone who organizes their bookkeeping efficiently and knows the pricing structure can manage tax advisor costs in a targeted manner. An experienced tax advisor with digital processes not only saves time but also money. This keeps your accounting costs predictable and transparent. So you can invoices, receipts and others tax documents Even easier to transmit.
It is worthwhile to regularly check whether work processes can be simplified or processed digitally in order to reduce accounting costs in the long term. The search for a tax advisor doesn't have to be complicated: Anyone who knows what is important and how the costs are made up can make targeted comparisons and make the best choice.
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You can communicate directly with your contact person via our platform, clarify open issues and ask questions about your accounting.
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Frequently asked questions about Accounting costs and tax advisors
The costs of bookkeeping with a tax advisor depend primarily on monthly turnover, the number of documents and individual expenses. For small to medium-sized companies, accounting costs are usually between €50 and €300 per month. The more complex your accounting, the higher the price.
The basis for calculating accounting costs is the Tax Consultant Remuneration Ordinance. This is based on the item value and therefore usually on the monthly turnover. Alternatively, law firms can also use flat rates or hourly rates.
Yes If 100% of the accounting costs can be attributed to your company, you can also deduct them for tax purposes and thus reduce your tax burden. Private benefits, such as for preparing an income tax return, are not deductible.
Compare several offers and ask specifically for package prices or digital solutions to reduce your accounting costs. Tips from fellow entrepreneurs can also help you find value for money.
The service package is tailored to your needs. On request, the experts can, for example, book ongoing business transactions, prepare advance sales tax returns and reconcile accounts. Of course, you can also entrust them with annual financial statements and balance sheets.
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