Short answer: in Acadiana, most small businesses pay a CPA somewhere between a few hundred and a couple thousand dollars a month for ongoing accounting and tax support, depending on scope. A one-off individual tax return is typically a few hundred dollars; a small-business return runs more. The biggest cost drivers are bookkeeping volume, payroll, the number of entities, and how much advisory you want. Below is how that breaks down — and why a flat monthly fee usually serves an owner better than hourly billing.
What drives the price
Two businesses with the same revenue can pay very different fees, because price tracks work and complexity, not just size:
- Bookkeeping volume — more accounts, transactions and reconciliations mean more monthly work.
- Payroll — running or overseeing payroll adds filings and deadlines.
- Entity count & structure — an S-corp, multiple LLCs, or business-plus-personal returns add complexity.
- Advisory depth — basic compliance costs less than forecasting, KPIs and a fractional-CFO relationship.
- Clean-up — messy or behind books usually need a one-time catch-up before monthly work begins.
Flat monthly fee vs. hourly
Traditional firms often bill by the hour, which creates two problems: you hesitate to call (the meter’s running), and you get surprise invoices. A flat monthly fee fixes both — you know the cost up front and can ask anything without watching a clock. That’s the model we use; you can see our actual tiers on the pricing page, which start at a few hundred dollars a month and scale with scope.
Is it worth it?
Once you have real revenue or employees, a proactive CPA usually pays for itself — through tax planning that lowers your bill, mistakes that never happen, and the owner’s time it frees up. The key word is proactive: a good CPA plans all year, so April is a formality, not a surprise. If you’re a brand-new side hustle with tiny income, a basic tax preparer may be enough until you grow into real tax planning.
Rule of thumb: if you’re spending hours wrestling with books, or you’re ever surprised by your tax bill, the right CPA almost certainly costs less than the problem.