Services and fees
Four services, each priced as a fixed fee you agree to before we start. Most clients use two or three of them together; bookkeeping clients get planning for $500 less a year. Estimate your fees.
What will this cost?
Sample feesAnswer four questions for a yearly and monthly range, worked out from the fees on this page. It all happens in your browser; nothing you choose is sent or saved.
Your estimate
Sample feesThe top figure depends on a look at your accounts, so this shows where the fee starts.
What makes up the range
What moves you within it
- More owners, more K-1s, rental property or income from other states sit toward the top.
- Books that are reconciled and on time sit toward the bottom; months that were skipped are quoted as catch-up.
- The consult sets the final figure, and you get it as a written fixed fee before any work starts.
Choose at least one service to see an estimate.
We add these answers to the consult form for you to check. Nothing is sent until you press send there.
Tax preparation
Business returns and the owner returns that go with them, federal and Illinois.
Sole proprietors, partnerships, S corporations and C corporations, and the owners who file a 1040 alongside them.
Timing: Documents by March 1 for S corporations and partnerships, by March 20 for everyone else.
Included
- Federal and Illinois business return: Schedule C, Form 1065, Form 1120-S or Form 1120
- Each owner's Form 1040 and IL-1040, e-filed
- A 30-minute review meeting before anything is filed
- Answers to IRS or Illinois Department of Revenue letters about a return we prepared, for three years
Fees Sample fees
| Sole proprietor (Schedule C with Form 1040) | $650 to $950 |
|---|---|
| Partnership or S corporation, with the owners’ 1040s | $1,850 to $2,900 |
| C corporation (Form 1120 and IL-1120) | $2,400 to $3,600 |
Bookkeeping
Monthly books in QuickBooks Online or Xero, closed and sent to you by the 15th.
Businesses with 40 to 600 bank and card transactions a month.
Timing: Monthly, closed by the 15th of the following month.
Included
- Bank, card and loan accounts reconciled every month
- Profit and loss, balance sheet and a one-page summary by the 15th
- Illinois sales tax returns filed on time
- A clean year-end file for your tax return
Fees Sample fees
| Monthly, set by transaction count | $375 to $950 a month |
|---|---|
| Catch-up for months that were skipped | Quoted after a look; often $600 to $2,400 |
Payroll
Pay runs, tax deposits and every filing for 1 to 40 people.
Owners paying employees, an S corporation salary, or both.
Timing: Set up in about two weeks; first run on your next pay date after that.
Included
- Weekly, biweekly or twice-monthly runs with direct deposit
- Federal and Illinois withholding deposited on schedule
- Quarterly Form 941, Illinois IL-941 and IDES unemployment reports
- W-2s and 1099-NECs filed by January 31
Fees Sample fees
| Base fee | $95 a month |
|---|---|
| Each person paid | $8 a month |
Quarterly planning
Four meetings a year to set estimated taxes, owner pay and year-end moves.
Owners whose profit changes from quarter to quarter, or who want April to hold no surprises.
Timing: Meetings in the first two weeks of March, June, September and December.
Included
- A 45-minute meeting in March, June, September and December
- Federal and Illinois estimated payment amounts for the next quarter
- An owner pay and S corporation salary review
- A December list of moves to make before the year closes
Fees Sample fees
| On its own | $1,600 a year |
|---|---|
| With our bookkeeping | $1,100 a year |
From first call to first meeting
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Free 30-minute consult
By phone or at our office on Jefferson Avenue. Bring last year's return and a rough idea of monthly sales.
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A written fixed-fee quote
It lists what is included and what costs extra. Nothing starts until you sign it.
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Set-up and catch-up
We connect your bank feeds, open a secure document portal for you and bring any behind months up to date.
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Planning meeting
You leave with your estimated tax amounts and a short list of decisions for the next three months.
Questions owners ask before signing
- Can you take over partway through the year?
- Yes. Most new bookkeeping clients start mid-year. We bring the months since January up to date first, quoted separately, then move to the monthly routine.
- Do you work with businesses outside Naperville?
- Yes, anywhere in Illinois. Clients in Rockford and Champaign meet with us by video and send documents through the secure portal.
- What if my return is more complicated than the quote assumed?
- We tell you before doing the extra work and send a revised quote. You never find a surprise on the invoice.
- Do you handle IRS or Illinois letters?
- For returns we prepared, answering a notice is included for three years. For other years, Daniel quotes it after reading the letter, usually $150 to $450.
Get a fixed-fee quote
Book a free 30-minute consult. We'll ask about your business, look at last year's return if you have it, and send a written quote within three business days.
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.