How much does QuickBooks Live full-service bookkeeping cost?

As of June 2026, QuickBooks Live Expert Full-Service Bookkeeping costs $300/month if your average monthly expenses are $0–$10,000, $500/month for $10,001–$50,000, and $700/month for $50,001 and up. There's also a one-time $500 cleanup/setup fee at the start of service, and your price is reassessed every quarter based on your prior three months' average expenses — so it can move up as you grow.

What's the total cost of QuickBooks Live with a QuickBooks Online subscription?

QuickBooks Live requires a QuickBooks Online subscription on top of the bookkeeping fee — $35–$235/month depending on the QBO tier, as of June 2026. That puts the real all-in cost at $335–$935/month, or roughly $4,000–$11,200 per year, plus the $500 setup fee in year one. Tax filing is still a separate cost on top of all of that.

Does QuickBooks Live include tax filing?

No. QuickBooks Live Expert Full-Service Bookkeeping is bookkeeping only. Tax preparation and filing is a separate paid product — QuickBooks Live Full-Service Tax — staffed by TurboTax experts, billed in addition to your bookkeeping and QBO subscription fees.

Is QuickBooks Live done by CPAs?

No. The work is done by QuickBooks-certified bookkeepers, not CPAs. They can categorize transactions and reconcile accounts, but they cannot sign your tax return, provide tax strategy or entity advice, or represent you before the IRS. If you want a licensed CPA on your books, QuickBooks Live isn't built for that.

Can my QuickBooks Live price go up after I sign up?

Yes, in two ways. First, your bookkeeping tier is reassessed quarterly based on your prior three months' average expenses — cross $10,000 or $50,000 in average monthly spend and your price jumps to the next tier. Second, the required QuickBooks Online subscription has its own pricing: QBO prices rose 15–25% effective May 1, 2026.

Is QuickBooks Live worth it?

It can be — if you're already committed to QuickBooks Online, your average monthly expenses are under $10,000 (the $300 tier), and what you need is transaction categorization and reconciliation while someone else handles your taxes. If you want tax strategy, entity advice, or one licensed professional handling both your books and your return, a solo CPA at a comparable flat monthly fee covers significantly more for similar money.

QuickBooks Live Bookkeeping: The Real All-In Cost in 2026

QuickBooks Live Bookkeeping: The Real All-In Cost in 2026By Timothy LeGendre, CPA · Florida License #AC62625 · Last reviewed 2026-05-25The real all-in cost of QuickBooks Live in 2026: $300–$700/mo bookkeeping tiers, the required $35–$235/mo QBO subscription, the $500 setup fee, and the tax filing it doesn't include.As of June 2026, QuickBooks Live Expert Full-Service Bookkeeping costs $300, $500, or $700 per month depending on average monthly expenses ($0-$10,000 / $10,001-$50,000 / $50,001+), with the tier reassessed every quarter off the prior three months' actual expenses. That sticker is not the real cost: a QuickBooks Online subscription is required on top ($35-$235/month — QBO prices rose 15-25% effective May 1, 2026), there is a $500 one-time cleanup/setup fee at the start of service, and tax filing is not included (QuickBooks Live Full-Service Tax is a separate paid product staffed by TurboTax experts). Real all-in cost: $335-$935 per month, roughly $4,000-$11,200 per year, before anyone touches the tax return. The work is done by QuickBooks-certified bookkeepers, not CPAs — they categorize and reconcile but cannot sign returns, provide tax strategy or entity advice, or represent you before the IRS, and at tax time the books get handed to whoever prepares the return. When QuickBooks Live is the right pick: average monthly expenses under $10,000, already committed to QuickBooks Online, and an existing tax preparer — the $300 tier beats my $500 floor for pure data entry. The alternative: a solo CPA practice at $500/month flat where a licensed Florida CPA (#AC62625) personally does every monthly close, the bookkeeping software is included with no QuickBooks subscription at all, terms are month-to-month, the ledger exports to standard CSV anytime, and tax returns are quoted separately flat-fee ($425 personal, $1,625 business as of June 2026).

Frequently asked questions

How much does QuickBooks Live full-service bookkeeping cost?: As of June 2026, QuickBooks Live Expert Full-Service Bookkeeping costs $300/month if your average monthly expenses are $0–$10,000, $500/month for $10,001–$50,000, and $700/month for $50,001 and up. There's also a one-time $500 cleanup/setup fee at the start of service, and your price is reassessed every quarter based on your prior three months' average expenses — so it can move up as you grow.
What's the total cost of QuickBooks Live with a QuickBooks Online subscription?: QuickBooks Live requires a QuickBooks Online subscription on top of the bookkeeping fee — $35–$235/month depending on the QBO tier, as of June 2026. That puts the real all-in cost at $335–$935/month, or roughly $4,000–$11,200 per year, plus the $500 setup fee in year one. Tax filing is still a separate cost on top of all of that.
Does QuickBooks Live include tax filing?: No. QuickBooks Live Expert Full-Service Bookkeeping is bookkeeping only. Tax preparation and filing is a separate paid product — QuickBooks Live Full-Service Tax — staffed by TurboTax experts, billed in addition to your bookkeeping and QBO subscription fees.
Is QuickBooks Live done by CPAs?: No. The work is done by QuickBooks-certified bookkeepers, not CPAs. They can categorize transactions and reconcile accounts, but they cannot sign your tax return, provide tax strategy or entity advice, or represent you before the IRS. If you want a licensed CPA on your books, QuickBooks Live isn't built for that.
Can my QuickBooks Live price go up after I sign up?: Yes, in two ways. First, your bookkeeping tier is reassessed quarterly based on your prior three months' average expenses — cross $10,000 or $50,000 in average monthly spend and your price jumps to the next tier. Second, the required QuickBooks Online subscription has its own pricing: QBO prices rose 15–25% effective May 1, 2026.
Is QuickBooks Live worth it?: It can be — if you're already committed to QuickBooks Online, your average monthly expenses are under $10,000 (the $300 tier), and what you need is transaction categorization and reconciliation while someone else handles your taxes. If you want tax strategy, entity advice, or one licensed professional handling both your books and your return, a solo CPA at a comparable flat monthly fee covers significantly more for similar money.