Outsourced bookkeeping means a remote team keeps your books current: categorizing transactions, reconciling accounts and closing each month. Price usually scales with transaction volume, and RazaPro support starts from $75 per month. Check whether the price also covers sales tax and payroll tax work.
What is outsourced bookkeeping?
It is bookkeeping done by an outside team working inside your own accounting software, usually QuickBooks Online or Xero, instead of by an employee or by you on weekends. You keep ownership of the file. The team gets a limited user login, does the monthly work, and hands back reports.
It is different from two things people often mix it up with:
- An accountant or CPA. Bookkeeping records and reconciles what happened. A CPA advises, prepares and signs income-tax returns, and gives professional opinions. Many businesses use both.
- Accounting software alone. Bank feeds suggest categories, but someone still has to check them, reconcile to the statements and catch what the software gets wrong.
What is included, and what usually isn’t
| Usually included in a monthly plan | Usually quoted separately |
|---|---|
| Categorizing bank and credit card transactions | Catching up months of unreconciled books |
| Reconciling bank and card accounts to the statements | Cleaning up another bookkeeper’s file |
| Monthly profit and loss and balance sheet | Multi-entity consolidation |
| A list of open questions for you | Inventory costing and job costing |
| Receivables and payables tracking | Income-tax return preparation (a CPA or tax preparer does this) |
| Support for sales tax and payroll tax calculations, if bundled | IRS or state notices and representation |
If a quote doesn’t say which side of this table an item falls on, ask.
What does it cost?
Cost follows transaction volume, the number of accounts, and whether payroll or sales tax work is bundled. For RazaPro’s bookkeeping-only plan the monthly price is:
| Monthly transactions | Price |
|---|---|
| Up to 150 | $75 |
| 151 to 300 | $100 |
| 301 to 500 | $120 |
Each plan covers up to 5 financial accounts. Above 500 transactions is priced individually, and catch-up work is quoted separately. Bundles with sales tax and payroll tax are on the pricing page.
For comparison, traditional bookkeeping and CPA firms commonly start around $250 to $750 per month, as covered in how much small business bookkeeping should cost. A scoped plan can price lower because the boundary is clear: a transaction limit and an account count, instead of open-ended hours.
How a month-end close runs
A typical monthly rhythm, once your bank and card statements are available:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Day 0 | Statements are available. The team pulls the month’s transactions. |
| Day 1 | Transactions are categorized. Questions go to you in one list, not one at a time. |
| Day 2 | Accounts are reconciled to the statements, and adjusting entries are made. |
| Day 3 | You receive the package: reports, reconciliations and any open questions. |
The package is delivered about 3 business days after the statements are available. Your answers to the open questions are what move it from “done” to “final”.
Sales tax and payroll tax
Bookkeeping is the foundation for both. Sales tax needs accurate sales by state and jurisdiction. Payroll tax needs wages tied to the payroll register and the deposits. Bundled plans add calculations and worksheets; the business or its firm reviews and submits the returns under its own credentials.
- How sales tax support works and what economic nexus means
- How payroll tax support works and the Form 941 and 940 due dates
- The compliance calendar for Texas, Georgia, Colorado and federal payroll dates
Is it safe to give an outside team access?
It can be, if the access model is right. Look for: a named, limited user in your own software (not your login), no shared passwords, no banking credentials stored by the provider, and a written confidentiality agreement. Remove access any time through your software’s user settings. RazaPro’s approach is on the security page, with more in how client financial data should be handled.
Outsourced, in-house or software only
| Outsourced | In-house hire | Software only | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | An outside team | An employee | You |
| Cost shape | Monthly fee tied to volume | Salary plus payroll taxes, benefits, software and management time | Software subscription plus your time |
| Reconciliation to statements | Done monthly | Done if the employee does it | Easy to skip |
| Coverage when someone is out | The team | Gaps | None |
| Best when | Volume is moderate and you want it done | Volume is high and constant | Very few transactions |
For scale on the in-house side, the median US wage for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks was $50,670 a year in May 2025 before payroll taxes and benefits, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Averages vary by state; see the bookkeeper salary by state data.
How to start
- Gather the basics. List your bank and card accounts, your accounting software, and roughly how many transactions you run each month.
- Decide the scope. Monthly bookkeeping only, or with sales tax or payroll tax. Say whether the books are behind.
- Ask what’s included. Compare quotes against the table above.
- Start with a trial period. Begin on a defined scope so you can judge quality and turnaround before committing to an ongoing arrangement.
- Give limited access. Add the provider as a named user in your own software.
For vetting questions, red flags and a scorecard, see how to hire an outsourced bookkeeper. For the monthly routine itself, see the small business bookkeeping checklist.
Book a free consultation to get a quote for your volume.
Common questions
Do I need QuickBooks? Most outsourced bookkeepers work in QuickBooks Online or Xero. If you have no file yet, setup is usually a one-time charge; RazaPro’s starts from $99.
How long does onboarding take? It depends on how organized your records are and how fast access is granted. Books that are behind add a catch-up step, which is quoted separately.
Does it include my tax return? No. Income-tax returns are prepared by a CPA or tax preparer. Good bookkeeping makes that work faster and cheaper because the books are clean.
What if my books are behind? A one-time catch-up or cleanup is priced separately from the monthly plan, based on how many months need reconciling and how messy the records are.
Who is responsible for the final numbers? You are, with your CPA’s guidance. The provider prepares and checks the work and lists what it cannot decide; you or your firm make the tax and advisory decisions.
This article is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice.
Last updated October 3, 2026. Prices are RazaPro’s published plan prices on that date.