What are you looking for a bookkeeping firm or is the Accountant promising you bookkeeping with tax?
Do you want Australian Registered Tax and BAS Agents or Offshore unregistered bookkeepers?
Who does the Bookkeeping or Tax Agent firm use to perform the bookkeeping duties?

• Inhouse staff, they train and employ in their physical office
• Outsourced Australian contracted registered BAS Agents
• Offshore accounting firm 

All the above will then be reflected in the cost of the payroll or bookkeeping services. 
Generally, firms that outsource their work overseas (Offshore) will be cheaper than a firm that only uses Australian professionals. 

In addition, if you want a service where they have excellent communication skills and keep you informed regularly will need to charge you more than a firm that does the work and speaks to you once or twice a year. 

Below are the normally fixed price packages you might encounter. The cheapest price will be for a firm that outsources offshore professionals to complete their duties, then as the price increases, you could assume that the work is completed by Australian staff inhouse at their physical address. 

Payroll prices will generally be more expensive than standard bookkeeping due to the training and expertise that is required to perform the work. 

FIXED PRICED PACKAGE
 

Simple Bookkeeping from $88 plus a month

Excel sheet or accounting software provided by you, the client

Bank Feeds coded by rules

Bank reconciliation

No payroll or superannuation

 

Mid Range Bookkeeping/BAS Preparation from $150 plus a month

Accounting software supplied with the smartphone app to capture receipts

invoices/expenses matched and/or bank feed rules

Bank reconciliation

Possibly 1 employee + super + STP

Quarterly BAS as part of the monthly package or charged separately

 

Higher Range Services - Usually requires a quote based on workload + payroll requirements

Accounting software supplied with the smartphone app to capture receipts

All invoices/expenses matched to the bank feeds

Bank reconciliation

Staff Payroll + Superannuation + STP