How Much Does Bookkeeping Cost in Edmonton in 2026?
How much does a bookkeeper cost in Edmonton? Learn about typical bookkeeping prices, what affects monthly fees, and what to look for when hiring a bookkeeper.
Andrew Kim
10/3/20264 min read
How Much Does Bookkeeping Cost in Edmonton in 2026?
If you're a small business owner in Edmonton, you may be wondering: How much does bookkeeping cost?
There isn't one set price. The cost of bookkeeping in Edmonton depends on the size of your business, the number of transactions you have, how many accounts need to be reconciled, and the services you need.
For many small businesses, bookkeeping can be a relatively manageable monthly expense. In this guide, we'll look at bookkeeping costs in Edmonton in 2026, what affects the price, and what you should consider when hiring a bookkeeper.
How Much Does a Bookkeeper Cost in Edmonton?
For many small businesses, monthly bookkeeping can range from approximately $200 to $1,000 or more per month.
Smaller businesses with relatively few transactions and straightforward finances may be on the lower end of that range. Businesses with higher transaction volumes, payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, or more complicated bookkeeping needs may pay more.
Some Edmonton bookkeepers charge an hourly rate, while others offer fixed monthly bookkeeping packages.
For small businesses, a monthly package can make budgeting easier because you know what your bookkeeping expense will be each month.
The important thing is to compare what is included in the price, rather than looking only at the monthly fee.
What Determines the Cost of Bookkeeping?
Every business is different, so a bookkeeper will usually consider several factors when determining their price.
1. Number of Transactions
Transaction volume is one of the biggest factors affecting bookkeeping costs.
A business with 30 transactions per month generally requires less bookkeeping work than a business with 500 transactions.
Transactions can include:
Sales
Purchases
Deposits
Cheque payments
Credit card transactions
Electronic transfers
Business expenses
The more transactions you have, the more time it can take to review, categorize, and reconcile them.
2. Number of Bank and Credit Card Accounts
The number of accounts your business uses can also affect your bookkeeping cost.
A business with one bank account and one credit card is generally simpler to maintain than a business with several bank accounts and credit cards.
Each account needs to be properly reconciled and reviewed.
3. Payroll
If you have employees, your bookkeeping requirements may be more involved.
Payroll-related bookkeeping can include:
Recording payroll transactions
Tracking payroll liabilities
Reconciling payroll accounts
Recording remittances
Some bookkeepers include payroll in their monthly bookkeeping packages, while others charge separately.
4. Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable
Basic bookkeeping may involve recording transactions and reconciling accounts.
If you also want your bookkeeper to manage accounts payable (AP) or accounts receivable (AR), your bookkeeping costs may be higher.
Accounts payable services could include entering bills, tracking amounts owed, and preparing payments.
Accounts receivable services could include invoicing customers, recording customer payments, and monitoring outstanding invoices.
5. GST
GST can add another consideration for Alberta businesses.
If your business is GST registered, your bookkeeping needs to properly track GST collected and GST paid on eligible purchases.
Depending on the arrangement, your bookkeeper may also help prepare the information needed for your GST return.
6. Catch-Up and Cleanup Bookkeeping
Ongoing monthly bookkeeping is different from catch-up or cleanup bookkeeping.
If your books are already organized and you simply need someone to maintain them each month, the work may be relatively straightforward.
If you've fallen six months or a year behind, there may be considerably more work involved.
Bookkeeping cleanup can include:
Reviewing old transactions
Correcting categorization errors
Reconciling accounts
Finding missing transactions
Correcting discrepancies
Bringing financial records up to date
For this reason, catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping is often priced separately from ongoing monthly bookkeeping.
Hourly Bookkeeping vs. Monthly Bookkeeping Packages
Bookkeepers generally use one of two common pricing models.
Hourly Bookkeeping
With hourly bookkeeping, you pay based on the amount of time your bookkeeper spends working on your books.
This can make sense for occasional bookkeeping or a one-time cleanup project.
The downside is that your monthly cost can vary depending on how much work is required.
Monthly Bookkeeping Packages
With a monthly bookkeeping package, you pay a set amount for an agreed-upon scope of work.
For example, a package might include:
Monthly bank reconciliation
Credit card reconciliation
Transaction categorization
Monthly financial statements
Review of the books
Monthly bookkeeping packages can be particularly useful for small businesses because they provide a predictable monthly expense.
How Much Bookkeeping Does a Small Business Need?
Not every small business needs the same level of bookkeeping service.
A sole proprietor with relatively few transactions may only need basic monthly bookkeeping.
A growing business with employees, multiple accounts, inventory, or a high volume of transactions may require more detailed bookkeeping.
The goal isn't necessarily to find the cheapest bookkeeper. It's to find a bookkeeping service that matches the needs of your business.
Is Hiring a Bookkeeper Worth the Cost?
For many business owners, the benefit of hiring a bookkeeper goes beyond having someone enter transactions.
Having accurate and up-to-date books means you can spend less time dealing with bookkeeping and more time running your business.
Current financial records can also make it easier to:
Understand your revenue and expenses
Monitor cash flow
Prepare for tax time
Identify unusual transactions
Make business decisions using current financial information
Your time has value, too. If bookkeeping takes several hours every month, outsourcing your bookkeeping may allow you to spend that time on customers, sales, and other areas of your business.
What Should You Ask Before Hiring a Bookkeeper in Edmonton?
Before hiring a bookkeeper, ask what is included in the quoted price.
Some useful questions include:
How much do you charge per month?
What bookkeeping services are included?
How many transactions are included?
Do you reconcile bank and credit card accounts?
Are monthly financial statements included?
Do you handle GST?
Do you offer catch-up or cleanup bookkeeping?
Do you provide accounts payable or accounts receivable services?
Is there a separate fee for year-end adjustments?
It's important to compare the scope of services, not just the monthly price.
A $300 monthly bookkeeping package from one Edmonton bookkeeper may include very different services than a $300 package from another.
Bookkeeping Costs for Small Businesses in Edmonton
If you're a small business owner in Edmonton, you may not need a large accounting firm to keep your books up to date.
For a straightforward business with a manageable number of monthly transactions, a small bookkeeping service may be all you need.
The right setup will depend on your transaction volume, accounting software, GST requirements, payroll, and the amount of bookkeeping you want to outsource.
Looking for a Bookkeeper in Edmonton?
At YEG Bookkeeping, we provide remote bookkeeping services for small businesses in Edmonton and surrounding communities.
Our bookkeeping services can include transaction categorization, account reconciliation, and monthly financial reporting. We use QuickBooks Online to help keep your books organized and up to date.
We also offer catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping for businesses that have fallen behind.
If you're looking for a bookkeeper in Edmonton and aren't sure what level of service you need, contact us to discuss your business and get a quote.
Looking for bookkeeping services in Edmonton? We're happy to help you determine what makes sense for your business.
