Pricing guide · British Columbia
How much does a bookkeeper cost in BC?
Short answer: $45–$85 per hour, or $175–$1,300 per month on a flat-rate package. Where you land depends on transaction volume, how many accounts you run, whether you have payroll, and how far behind your books are. Below is what those numbers actually buy in 2026 — and what we charge here in the Fraser Valley.
Bookkeeping hourly rates in British Columbia
Hourly rates vary with experience and what happens behind the scenes — a firm that reviews its own work costs more per hour than a solo data-entry service, and catches more before it reaches the CRA.
| Who you hire | Typical rate | What that usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance / part-time bookkeeper | $30 – $50 / hr | Basic data entry, limited advice |
| Experienced bookkeeper (BC average) | $45 – $65 / hr | Reconciliation, GST, payroll |
| Bookkeeping firm with review process | $60 – $85 / hr | Second set of eyes, backup coverage |
| Accountant doing bookkeeping | $120 – $250 / hr | Rarely worth it for routine entry |
| In-house bookkeeper (salary) | $48,000 – $65,000 / yr | Plus CPP, EI, vacation, software |
Ranges reflect what small businesses in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley are typically quoted in 2026. An in-house hire also carries CPP, EI, vacation pay, software and training on top of salary.
Monthly bookkeeping cost: what we actually charge
We price monthly and flat, so there's no meter running when you email a question. These are our real 2026 rates — no "starting from" games.
Starter
$175/month
Perfect for small businesses with fewer than 75 transactions and quarterly GST filing — we can customize pricing if your needs are even simpler.
- Up to 75 monthly transactions
- 1 bank + 1 credit card reconciled
- Monthly P&L + Balance Sheet
- Quarterly GST filing
Essentials
$375/month
Small businesses ready to scale beyond Starter with more transactions and support.
- Up to 200 monthly transactions
- Up to 3 bank accounts reconciled
- Monthly P&L + Balance Sheet
- Quarterly GST filing
Growth
$695/month
Established small businesses with employees, GST/PST and growing volume.
- Up to 250 monthly transactions
- Up to 3 accounts reconciled
- Payroll for up to 5 staff (incl. T4s & ROEs)
- Monthly GST/PST filings
Premium
$1,295/month
Multi-entity, e-commerce, trades or inventory-heavy operations.
- 500+ transactions / multi-entity
- Unlimited accounts reconciled
- Payroll for up to 15 staff
- Inventory & COGS tracking
What makes bookkeeping cost more or less
Two businesses with the same revenue can be quoted twice apart. These six factors explain almost all of the difference.
Transaction volume
The single biggest driver. 40 transactions a month is a very different job from 400 — every one has to be categorized and matched.
Number of accounts
Each bank account, credit card, PayPal, Stripe or Square feed adds another reconciliation every month.
Payroll
Payroll runs, source deductions, T4s and ROEs are specialist work with real CRA deadlines attached.
GST / PST filings
Quarterly is standard; monthly filers and businesses collecting PST need more frequent attention.
How far behind you are
Catch-up work is quoted separately. Twelve months of unreconciled records costs more than a clean handover.
Industry complexity
Trades with job costing, e-commerce with inventory, or multi-entity setups all take more time than a simple service business.
Bookkeeping prices in the Fraser Valley
Fraser Valley rates typically run a little below downtown Vancouver for the same scope of work, and we work remotely or in person across the Valley. If you'd like local context for your city, start here:
FAQ
Bookkeeping cost questions
The questions BC business owners ask us before signing on.
Most BC bookkeepers charge $45–$85 per hour, or $175–$1,300 per month on a flat-rate package depending on transaction volume, number of accounts, payroll and GST/PST filings. A sole proprietor with one bank account typically lands around $175–$300 per month, while a growing business with payroll and monthly filings sits closer to $600–$800 per month.
Monthly flat-rate is usually better value and far easier to budget. Hourly billing makes sense for one-off cleanups or catch-up work, but for ongoing bookkeeping a fixed monthly fee means you know the cost up front and you're never charged for asking a question.
Cheap quotes often exclude the work that actually protects you: bank and credit card reconciliation, GST/PST filing, payroll remittances and a year-end package your accountant can use. Always compare what's included per month, not just the headline number.
Cleanup is quoted separately because it depends on how many months are behind and how messy the records are. As a rough guide, expect one to two months of your regular monthly fee per year of backlog. We'll review your file and give you a fixed quote before starting any work.
Usually yes. Clean, reconciled books mean your accountant spends their time on tax planning instead of sorting receipts. Many BC businesses find the reduction in year-end accounting fees offsets a meaningful part of the bookkeeping cost.
Yes. Bookkeeping and accounting fees are a deductible business expense on your T2125 or corporate return, and the GST you pay on them is generally recoverable as an input tax credit if you're registered.