Outsourced bookkeeping
vs. in-house: which is right for you?
An honest comparison of cost, control, expertise, and risk — so you can make the right decision for your business.
Book a Discovery Call →The Real Cost
In-house bookkeeping costs more than the salary.
A full-time bookkeeper in the US earns $45,000–$65,000 per year in salary. Add employer payroll taxes (7.65%), health insurance ($6,000–$12,000/year), paid leave, and any software or equipment costs, and the true annual cost is typically $55,000–$80,000. That's $4,600–$6,700 per month for a single person doing one job.
Then there's the management overhead: hiring (4–8 weeks, often with a recruiter fee), onboarding, performance management, and the risk of turnover. When your bookkeeper leaves — and they will eventually — you start again. Any institutional knowledge they had walks out the door with them.
Outsourced bookkeeping eliminates most of these costs and risks. You pay a flat monthly fee for a team — not a single person — with no hiring overhead, no benefits, no turnover risk, and no single point of failure. The question is not whether outsourcing is cheaper. It almost always is. The question is whether the trade-offs in control and proximity are acceptable for your business.
"The hidden cost of in-house bookkeeping isn't the salary — it's the management time, the turnover risk, and the months of disruption when they leave."
Side by Side
In-house vs. outsourced:
an honest comparison.
Monthly cost
In-House
$4,000–$6,000/month (salary + benefits + payroll taxes)
Reckonwell
From $300/month — flat fee, no hidden costs
Time to hire
In-House
4–8 weeks average, plus onboarding time
Reckonwell
Set up within 48 hours of discovery call
Coverage when sick or on leave
In-House
Work stops or falls to you
Reckonwell
Team-based — no single point of failure
Software expertise
In-House
Depends on the individual hire
Reckonwell
Xero / QuickBooks certified, set up properly from day one
Scalability
In-House
Hire again when you outgrow them
Reckonwell
Scales with your business, no rehiring
Management overhead
In-House
You manage them — performance reviews, HR, etc.
Reckonwell
We manage ourselves — you review the output
Tax filing
In-House
Bookkeeper may or may not handle tax prep
Reckonwell
Not included — but your CPA gets clean books, not a mess
Institutional knowledge
In-House
Leaves when they leave
Reckonwell
Documented processes, continuity guaranteed
| Factor | In-House Bookkeeper | Reckonwell |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $4,000–$6,000/month (salary + benefits + payroll taxes) | From $300/month — flat fee, no hidden costs |
| Time to hire | 4–8 weeks average, plus onboarding time | Set up within 48 hours of discovery call |
| Coverage when sick or on leave | Work stops or falls to you | Team-based — no single point of failure |
| Software expertise | Depends on the individual hire | Xero / QuickBooks certified, set up properly from day one |
| Scalability | Hire again when you outgrow them | Scales with your business, no rehiring |
| Management overhead | You manage them — performance reviews, HR, etc. | We manage ourselves — you review the output |
| Tax filing | Bookkeeper may or may not handle tax prep | Not included — but your CPA gets clean books, not a mess |
| Institutional knowledge | Leaves when they leave | Documented processes, continuity guaranteed |
When in-house makes sense: Very high transaction volumes, physical presence requirements, or businesses at a scale where a full finance team is justified. For most founder-led businesses under $10M revenue, outsourced bookkeeping is more cost-effective and more reliable.
Tax Filing Note
Reckonwell handles bookkeeping and finance operations — not tax preparation or filing. Whether you choose in-house or outsourced bookkeeping, you'll still need a CPA for federal and state tax returns. If you don't have one, we can refer you to a trusted partner.
"Do you file my taxes? No — but your CPA will thank you for how clean your books are."
Questions & Answers
Frequently asked questions
Get Started
Ready to see what outsourced
bookkeeping actually looks like?
Book a 30-minute discovery call. We'll review your current setup, answer your questions honestly, and let you decide if it's the right fit.
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