Offshore bookkeeping cost calculator for CPA firms
Compare what your bookkeeping costs in-house with the two offshore models CPA firms are quoted most often, hourly and dedicated FTE, by bookkeeping role or per client book and transaction band, using published 2026 market rates for India, and include the cost every rate card leaves out: the time your seniors spend reviewing offshore work.
Built by the Chartered Accountants at ADAPT & Associates LLP in Bodakdev, Ahmedabad, who do this work for US firms inside their own QuickBooks Online, Xero or Sage subscriptions. India is 9.5 to 13.5 hours ahead of US time zones, so work handed off at your close of business is usually done before your next morning.
Worked example: a firm moving two bookkeeping roles offshore
These are the calculator's default inputs. The wage is the US Bureau of Labor Statistics median for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks; the 30 percent loading, 8 review hours a month per role and $75 reviewer cost are placeholders to replace with your own numbers.
| Line | Working | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| In-house | 2 roles x $50,670 (BLS median) x 130% loading | $131,742 |
| Reviewer time | 2 roles x 8 hrs a month x 12 x $75 | $14,400 |
| Offshore hourly | 2 x 160 hrs a month x 12 x $8 to $20, plus review | $45,120 to $91,200 |
| Offshore dedicated FTE | 2 x 12 x $1,200 to $2,000, plus review | $43,200 to $62,400 |
Saving against in-house: hourly $40,542 to $86,622 (31% to 66%); dedicated FTE $69,342 to $88,542 (53% to 67%). The hourly range is wide because the top of the market rate, worked for a full month, approaches what a dedicated person costs. Reviewer time decides where in each range you actually land.
Worked example, per client book: 15 books at 100 to 300 transactions a month
Switch the calculator to Per client book to price by client file. Hours per book for each transaction band come from Catalyst CPA's 2026 figures (4 to 8 bookkeeper hours a month for 100 to 300 transactions). The 10 percent review share and 2 extra review hours per book during a 3-month ramp are placeholders; MYCPE ONE reports four to eight weeks for a new offshore team member to reach full speed.
| Line | Working | Per book a month | All 15 books a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-house | 4 to 8 hrs x $34 loaded hourly cost | $137 to $274 | $24,702 to $49,403 |
| Offshore hourly | hrs x $8 to $20, plus 10% review at $75 | $62 to $220 | $11,160 to $39,600 |
| Offshore dedicated FTE | 1 FTE x $1,200 to $2,000 shared over 15 books, plus review | $110 to $193 | $19,800 to $34,800 |
| US CPA firm fee for this band | Catalyst CPA 2026 range, for reference | $700 to $1,100 | |
| One-off onboarding | 15 books x 2 extra review hrs x 3 months x $75 | $6,750 |
Saving against in-house: hourly $9,803 to $13,542 a year; dedicated FTE $4,902 to $14,603 a year, before the $6,750 onboarding cost in year one. At 15 books this is 60 to 120 hours a month, under one full-time person, so a dedicated FTE is only part used: hourly is cheaper per book at the low end of the band and the FTE at the high end. Read the per-book cost against the fee you charge the client: that gap is your margin per file.
The three pricing models
| Model | How it is billed | Fits | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | Hours actually worked, about $8 to $20 an hour | Overflow, tax-season peaks, uneven volume | The meter rewards slow work and month-end bills move |
| Dedicated FTE | A fixed monthly fee per person, about $1,200 to $2,000 for a bookkeeper or staff accountant | Steady volume where you want one person who learns your clients | You still manage and review that person, and cover leave and attrition |
| Fixed monthly retainer | One number for a written scope (books, volume, close dates) | Firms that want the vendor to carry the efficiency risk | Only as good as the written scope; vague scope drifts |
2026 rates behind the numbers
Checked 24 October 2026. Vendor figures are published planning ranges, not a regulated tariff and not ADAPT's prices.
| Item | 2026 figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks, median pay | $50,670 a year, $24.36 an hour (May 2025) | US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Offshore basic bookkeeping, hourly | $8 to $15 an hour | Acculink, 2026 pricing breakdown |
| Offshore advanced bookkeeping, hourly | $12 to $20 an hour | Acculink, 2026 pricing breakdown |
| India general bookkeeping, hourly | $11 to $18 an hour | MYCPE ONE, 2026 US vs India comparison |
| Dedicated junior bookkeeper, India | $1,200 to $1,500 a month | MYCPE ONE, 2026 US vs India comparison |
| Dedicated staff accountant, India | $1,500 to $2,000 a month | MYCPE ONE, 2026 US vs India comparison |
| Dedicated senior accountant or team lead, India | $2,000 to $2,800 a month | MYCPE ONE, 2026 US vs India comparison |
| Bookkeeper hours per client book a month, by monthly transactions | Under 100: 2 to 4 hrs; 100 to 300: 4 to 8; 300 to 700: 8 to 15; 700 to 1,500: 15 to 25 | Catalyst CPA, How much does bookkeeping cost in 2026 |
| US CPA firm monthly bookkeeping fee per client, by monthly transactions | Under 100: $400 to $700; 100 to 300: $700 to $1,100; 300 to 700: $1,100 to $2,000; 700 to 1,500: $2,000 to $3,500 | Catalyst CPA, How much does bookkeeping cost in 2026 |
| Time for a new offshore team member to reach full speed | 4 to 8 weeks; plan a 90-day ramp with full onshore review | MYCPE ONE, 2026 US vs India comparison |
Related: US bookkeeping services from India, Offshore bookkeeping cost for CPA firms in 2026, offshore bookkeeping for US, UK, AU and NZ firms, QuickBooks Online bookkeeping from India, get a fixed monthly quote.
Frequently asked questions
How does the calculator estimate my onshore cost?
It starts from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics median pay for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks, $50,670 a year (May 2025), and adds the loading percentage you enter for benefits, payroll taxes, software seats and space. The 30 percent default is a placeholder, not a statistic. Replace both numbers with your own payroll data for a real answer.
Where do the offshore rates come from?
From rates other offshore vendors published for 2026: Acculink puts basic bookkeeping at $8 to $15 an hour and advanced at $12 to $20, and MYCPE ONE puts a dedicated bookkeeper or staff accountant in India at about $1,200 to $2,000 a month. The calculator shows the low and high end of those ranges. They are market planning figures, not a regulated tariff and not ADAPT's prices.
Why does the calculator add reviewer time?
Because review is where offshore savings disappear. Every hour a senior on your side spends checking or fixing offshore work is a cost the vendor's rate card leaves out. If your reviewer hours per role stay high after the first two or three months, the team is trained on the software but not on US bookkeeping practice, and cost per finished file is what you should compare.
How does the per-book view work?
Switch the calculator to Per client book and enter how many client books you would move, their typical monthly transaction volume and the platform. Hours per book come from the bands Catalyst CPA published for 2026 (for example 4 to 8 bookkeeper hours a month for 100 to 300 transactions). The calculator prices those hours in-house at your loaded hourly cost, offshore at $8 to $20 an hour or as dedicated FTEs, adds your review time, and shows the cost per book a month next to the fee a US CPA firm typically charges for that band, so you can see your margin per client file.
What does onboarding cost when we move books offshore?
Mostly your own reviewers' time. MYCPE ONE reports that a new offshore team member typically takes four to eight weeks to reach full speed and recommends planning a 90-day ramp with your team reviewing all output. The calculator charges that as extra review hours per book for the ramp months you enter (defaults of 2 hours and 3 months are placeholders) and shows the year-one saving after that one-off cost.
Which model should a CPA firm choose: hourly, dedicated FTE or retainer?
Hourly suits overflow and seasonal peaks. A dedicated FTE suits steady, year-round volume where one person learning your clients is worth more than flexibility. A fixed monthly retainer suits firms that want a written scope and want the vendor, not you, to carry the risk of slow work. Many firms start hourly for a pilot and move to FTE or retainer once volume is predictable.
What does ADAPT charge?
ADAPT & Associates does not publish USD rates. We price on a fixed monthly retainer scoped by number of client books, transaction volume and close calendar, give you one written number after a 30-minute scoping call, and start with a one-month paid pilot on real work. The work happens inside your own QuickBooks Online, Xero or Sage subscription.
B-103, Elanza Crest, Sindhu Bhavan Road, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad 380054, Gujarat, India
+91 70162 62615 · info@adaptassociates.com