Why does a cheap bookkeeper often cost you more?

Because little money is left for the work itself once the software is paid for. A provider who charges € 50 a month and spends € 25 on software has almost 15 minutes of work a month left at an average rate of € 101 per hour. What does not happen in that time, such as checking, answering questions or reviewing a return, you pay for later. Sometimes as extra hours, sometimes as a penalty, tax interest or additional assessment. Towards the tax authority, you remain responsible for your own records.

A low price is not always wrong. It can add up if you do more yourself. This article shows how to work that out and which questions to ask a low-cost provider.

In this article

1. What do you get for € 50 a month?
2. What does the software a bookkeeper uses cost?
3. Does a low price say anything about quality?
4. What does an error in your records cost?
5. Who pays for your bookkeeper's mistake?
6. Which questions should you ask a low-cost provider?
7. Frequently asked questions about a cheap bookkeeper

What do you get for € 50 a month?

Not much time. A bookkeeper also pays for the software out of your monthly fee, and what is left is the time he can spend on your records. At a price of € 50 to € 75 a month for everything, a worked example gives a quarter of an hour to half an hour a month.

To work out how much time that is, you need an hourly rate. A benchmark of almost 400 accountancy firms and accounting offices, with data from July 2025 to June 2026, gives an average agreed rate of € 101 per hour at accounting offices and € 115 at accountancy firms (Simplicate, Benchmark Report Accountancy Q3 2026). What firms actually invoice per client hour averages € 112. At accounting offices it is € 109 (Accountant.nl, 20 October 2026). The benchmark does not say whether the rates include VAT.

An hourly rate is what a firm charges, not what the work costs. An independent bookkeeper can be cheaper than a firm. But even at half of € 101 per hour, the gap stays large. At € 50 a month that is about 30 minutes of work, against the 75 minutes in the example.

A low price can still add up. For example if the software suggests many entries itself, if you do the bookkeeping and the provider only files the return, or if you have few invoices. In that case you do more of the work yourself, or less is checked. That is a choice, as long as you know which one.

What does the software a bookkeeper uses cost?

Between a few euros and over € 50 a month per set of records, according to the suppliers' list prices. Who pays differs. Sometimes you take out a subscription yourself, sometimes the software is included in the bookkeeper's price.

These are the prices on the suppliers' own websites, accessed on 30 October 2026. None of these price pages says whether the price includes VAT.

What a bookkeeper pays per client is not in this table. Suppliers have separate prices and packages for accountants and bookkeepers, and these are not always on the price page. AFAS says different rates apply through an accountant. So use the table as a guide, not as your bookkeeper's costs.

Also watch the limits of a package. A cheap subscription sometimes has a maximum number of users, sets of records or entries. A business with many small purchases goes over it sooner.

Does a low price say anything about quality?

Not always, but there are two well-known risks. A low base price often comes with extra costs you do not see coming. And for accountants who audit financial statements, a price below the normal level goes together with weaker work.

The first risk is the extras. Economists showed in a model that firms can charge a low base price and earn on extras the customer does not count in, such as the ink for a cheap printer. According to their model, this persists even in a market with a lot of competition (Gabaix & Laibson, 2006). It is a theoretical model, not a measurement among bookkeepers. But the pattern is familiar: a low monthly price, and paying separately for questions in between, the income tax return, the year-end close or a letter from the tax authority.

The second risk is less work. Little research has been done on price and quality among bookkeepers for small businesses. It has been done for accountants who audit the financial statements of US listed companies. The further the audit fee was below the normal level, the weaker the audit. The researchers measured that by how far the company could steer its profit. The effect was stronger when the client had a lot of bargaining power (Asthana & Boone, 2012).

Another study looked at companies that later had to restate their financial statements. Companies that paid more than normal for their audit had to do so less often. According to the researchers, such a restatement points to too little work or an underestimated risk in the years before (Blankley, Hurtt & MacGregor, 2012).

Translate this with care. It concerns audits of large listed companies, not a bookkeeper who files your VAT return. And these are associations, not proof that a low price causes errors. What does carry over: paying less buys fewer hours. Whether those hours were needed, you only find out when something goes wrong. What research says about errors in returns with and without an adviser is in Does a tax adviser make fewer errors than you do?

What does an error in your records cost?

First the tax itself, which you still have to pay. On top of that, interest and a penalty can follow. A late VAT return costs € 82.50, paying late 3% of the amount with a minimum of € 50, and an error through gross negligence 25% of the tax underpaid.

If the tax authority finds that you have paid too little, you receive an additional assessment for VAT or for income tax. That is an assessment after the event for the amount still due. These are the amounts and percentages that apply in 2026:

• Late VAT return. The law allows a penalty of at most € 165 (AWR, article 67b). The tax authority usually imposes half, € 82.50. If you file within 7 days of the deadline, there is no penalty (Decree on Administrative Penalties of the Tax Authority, section 22).
• VAT paid late or too little. The penalty is 3% of the amount, with a minimum of € 50 (Decree on Administrative Penalties of the Tax Authority, section 23). The legal maximum is € 6,709 (AWR, article 67c).
• No income tax return, even after a reminder. The maximum is € 6,709 (AWR, article 67a). Usually the penalty is 7% of that, € 469. For corporate income tax it is half of the maximum (Decree on Administrative Penalties of the Tax Authority, section 21).
• A penalty for culpable underpayment, a penalty for tax underpaid through your own fault. For gross negligence it is 25% of the tax underpaid, for intent 50% (BBBB, section 25). The law allows up to 100% (AWR, article 67f).
• Tax interest, if the tax authority can only issue your assessment late. From 1 January 2026 it is 5% per year, for all taxes (Belastingdienst, tax interest rates).

An example with made-up amounts. An inspection shows that a contractor deducted VAT on private spending for two years, € 2,000 in total. He pays back the € 2,000. If the inspector finds this is due to gross negligence, a penalty of 25% is added, € 500. That is about 10 months of a € 50 subscription.

More about interest and penalties, and how to avoid them, is in the article on provisional assessments, tax interest and penalties. If you keep your records yourself in a spreadsheet, also read how often spreadsheet bookkeeping contains errors.

Who pays for your bookkeeper's mistake?

You, towards the tax authority. The law places the duty to keep records on the business owner, not on the bookkeeper (General State Taxes Act, article 52). A late return or underpaid tax is therefore in your name, even if someone else did the work.

The most serious consequence is the reversed burden of proof. If your records are incomplete or not kept long enough, the tax authority sets your turnover and profit itself. If you disagree, you have to prove yourself that the calculation is wrong (Belastingdienst, records). The inspector can establish that you have not met the record-keeping duty with an information decision. Once that is final, the assessment stands unless you show that and by how much it is wrong (AWR, article 52a, AWR, article 25, paragraph 3).

For penalties, it does matter whom you engaged. According to the Supreme Court, you do not have to study the tax rules yourself if you have an adviser you could reasonably consider competent and whose care you had no reason to doubt (Supreme Court, 3 February 2017). In that case, according to the court of appeal, the firm only entered the data the client supplied. The court of appeal had to look at the penalties again. The correction of the tax itself stood.

So record what you agreed: data entry only, or checking and advice as well. If the bookkeeper makes a mistake, you may be able to recover the damage from him. That is a matter between you and the bookkeeper, separate from the tax authority.

Which questions should you ask a low-cost provider?

Ask above all about what is not included and what happens when things go wrong. These questions show whether a low price adds up, or whether you will pay more later.

1. What exactly is included in the price, and up to how many entries?

   Ask for it in writing. Look for a maximum number of invoices or entries, and what it costs if you go over it.

2. Who does the work, and who checks it?

   Ask who makes your entries, what experience that person has and whether a second person reviews the return before it is filed.

3. Is the income tax or corporate income tax return included?

   With low monthly prices this is often a separate charge. Also ask about the year-end close and, for a private company, the financial statements.

4. What do questions in between cost, and how quickly do I get an answer?

   A question about a new van, staff or a large job can be charged per hour. Ask at what rate.

5. Who takes over during illness or holidays?

   Deadlines keep running. A late return gets you a penalty, even if your bookkeeper was ill.

6. What happens if the tax authority asks questions, and what does that cost?

   Think of a letter with questions, a tax audit or an objection to an assessment. Ask whether that is included or charged per hour.

7. In whose name is the software, and do I get everything when I leave?

   You must keep your records for 7 years. Transferring them to another system is allowed, as long as the data stay complete and can be made readable within a reasonable time (AWR, article 52, paragraphs 4 and 5). Agree that you will receive a full export when you switch, at no extra cost.

8. Is the provider insured if he makes a mistake?

   Ask whether he has professional liability insurance, and up to what amount. Then you know whether there is money if you want to recover damage from him.

Then compare two providers on what you pay in total in a year, including the separate items. What a reasonable price is for your type of business is in the article on what a bookkeeper costs. Whether doing it yourself is cheaper for you is in the article on doing it yourself or outsourcing.

Frequently asked questions about a cheap bookkeeper

1. Is a cheap bookkeeper always a bad idea?

   No. With few invoices, good software and an owner who keeps tidy books, a low price can add up. Do make sure you know which work you do yourself and what is not checked.

2. How much time does € 50 a month buy?

   In this article's worked example, after € 25 for software and at € 101 per hour, almost 15 minutes a month. At € 75 a month, almost 30 minutes.

3. Do I get a penalty if my bookkeeper makes a mistake?

   You always pay the tax yourself. A penalty for culpable underpayment may lapse if you could reasonably rely on a competent adviser (Supreme Court, 3 February 2017). You are responsible yourself for a late return.

4. What is a reversed burden of proof?

   If your records are not in order, the tax authority sets your turnover and profit itself. You then have to prove that the calculation is wrong, instead of the other way round (Belastingdienst, records).

5. Can I do the bookkeeping myself and only outsource the returns?

   Yes. In that case, agree who checks the entries before the return is filed, because you remain responsible for what is in it.

Sources

• Simplicate (2026). Benchmark Report Accountancy Q3 2026. Data from almost 400 accountancy firms and accounting offices, 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026. simplicate.com
• Accountant.nl, Administratiekantoren realiseren meer per uur dan afgesproken, accountants evenveel (accounting offices realise more per hour than agreed), 20 October 2026. accountant.nl
• Odoo, Pricing, accessed 30 October 2026. odoo.com
• AFAS SB, Price, accessed 30 October 2026. afas-sb.nl
• Exact, Exact Online accounting: features and prices, accessed 30 October 2026. exact.com
• Moneybird, Prices, accessed 30 October 2026. moneybird.nl
• e-Boekhouden.nl, Prices, accessed 30 October 2026. e-boekhouden.nl
• Gabaix, X. & Laibson, D. (2006). Shrouded Attributes, Consumer Myopia, and Information Suppression in Competitive Markets. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 121(2), 505-540. doi.org/10.1162/qjec.2006.121.2.505
• Asthana, S.C. & Boone, J.P. (2012). Abnormal Audit Fee and Audit Quality. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, 31(3), 1-22. doi.org/10.2308/ajpt-10294
• Blankley, A.I., Hurtt, D.N. & MacGregor, J.E. (2012). Abnormal Audit Fees and Restatements. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, 31(1), 79-96. doi.org/10.2308/ajpt-10210
• Algemene wet inzake rijksbelastingen (General State Taxes Act), articles 25, 52, 52a, 67a, 67b, 67c and 67f, in force from 1 October 2026. wetten.overheid.nl
• Besluit Bestuurlijke Boeten Belastingdienst (Decree on Administrative Penalties of the Tax Authority), sections 21, 22, 23 and 25, accessed 30 October 2026. wetten.overheid.nl
• Belastingdienst, Overview of tax interest rates, accessed 30 October 2026. belastingdienst.nl
• Belastingdienst, Records, accessed 30 October 2026. belastingdienst.nl
• Hoge Raad (Supreme Court of the Netherlands), 3 February 2017, ECLI:NL:HR:2017:127. uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl