Certified Public Accountants & Business Consultants
Leading small businesses & individuals
to the core of success
Entity Structuring > Affordability
What does our firm charge per hour?
First and foremost, please know that you can always call, email or stop by anytime. The first consultation is always at no cost to you and we offer reviewing your prior three years of tax returns at no cost to you as well.
A reasonable question, but one that requires a bit of a complicated answer. There are many ways in which our firm bills for our services and products. The first being a flat, hourly rate based on which professional is performing your services. As a general rule, hourly work provided by a paraprofessional staff member is billed at the rate of $70 per hour. Again, as a general rule, work provided by a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) within our firm is billed at the rate of $100 per hour.
However, with that being said, most of the work we perform is charged at a fixed, quoted price prior to performing the services. For example, we may charge $400 for a small business, Schedule C, individual tax return. Or we might charge $1,500 for a particular corporation return. Monthly bookkeeping, we may charge $275 per month for a smaller company or we may charge $1,000 for a larger company.
The ranges of pricing can be quite different due to each person's desired services and end needs. Further, because the complexity and work involved varies, prices (predictably) vary as well. To keep services affordable for most everyone, we accommodate each situation by preparing customized estimates and engagement letters. In doing so, this provides each party a more precise detailing of the expectations and end goals.
Some examples of the packages we offer are as follows, please note that this may not pertain to your situation exactly.
These are general examples:
Small Company
Monthly bookkeeping including payroll, $325 per month
Quarterly reporting for payroll, Included
Annual reporting for payroll, $35 per 1st form; $5 each additional
Tax planning & preparation, $450 annual fee
Large Company
(with several transactions)
Monthly Bookkeeping, $1,300 per month
Quarterly reporting for payroll , Included
Annual reporting for payroll, $55 per 1st form; $5 each additional
Tax planning & preparation, $2,500 annual fee
Individual - Schedule C business, Form 1040
Tax Planning, $275 annual fee
Tax Preparation, $450 annual fee
Individual - Itemizing, Form 1040
Tax Planning, $100 annual fee
Tax Preparation, $250 annual fee
Lastly, the final method of billing that we use is called value pricing. This method of billing is based on the level of expertise that is needed to complete your engagement. In essence, we are charging for the value of the solution and not for the mechanics of the process. The way to understand this concept best is to ask a question:“If your problem could be resolved, how would it help you?” This allows you to think of the value of the solution, not just the cost or time to achieve it.
Value pricing does not always mean a higher price. Value pricing could very well end up being a lower price to you. What is important is that the price is set commensurate to the value, and that could mean that some of the work we are doing ends with a cheaper price to you, our client.
It takes a great number of years and experience to solve problems for our clients. One thing we have learned is that individual productivity can't be enhanced by increasing the number of hours worked by each person. Labor hours do not solve problems - skill and professionalism do.
We achieve better value for each of you, our clients, by understanding your needs better than anyone and by better understanding the value driven core of your goals. The better our understanding of your unique situation, the greater the likelihood that more ways can be found to better serve you.
If you have any questions or comments regarding our pricing structure, please contact Kari A. Apel, CPA by email at KApel@Apelcpa.com or call 608.643.2700.
Thank you for your interest. We welcome the opportunity to work with you.
“To keep services affordable for most everyone, we accommodate each situation by preparing customized estimates and engagement letters. In doing so, this provides each party a more precise detailing of the expectations and end goals.”
Apel Associates, Inc. & Wrensch Apel Associates, LLC Copyright 2010 All rights reserved.
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