Do you need a bookkeeper or a CPA for your startup?
You need both jobs done: monthly books, which software or an AI bookkeeper can cover while you are small, and a CPA to sign the tax return. Pilot starts at $99 a month, Zeni at $549, and a C-corporation return at $2,450 to $2,499 a year.
Updated · 5 min read · By the Accountable team
- Zeni Starter + CPA$494/mo + return $2,450$8,378/yr
Starting list prices for one Delaware C corporation, checked Sep 30, 2026, with every bookkeeping price billed annually and the same $2,450 CPA return (Pilot's starting C-corporation price) in each total. Pro is the plan that writes and closes the month; Free costs $0. Volume, entities and added services raise each total.
The short version
- A bookkeeper records and reconciles transactions every month, while a CPA advises on tax and prepares and signs the return.
- Pilot's Essentials plan is $99 a month for AI bookkeeping only, with tax and CFO help sold separately; Core, from $299 a month billed annually, adds a dedicated bookkeeper.
- Zeni's AI bookkeeping with a finance team starts at $549 a month, or $494 a month billed annually.
- Startup tax returns start at about $1,000 a year for a single-member LLC and $2,450 to $2,499 a year for a C corporation, before extra state filings.
- Until you have payroll, investors, contractors or several entities, accounting software plus a CPA at year end is usually enough.
A bookkeeper keeps the record; a CPA signs the return
A bookkeeper records every transaction, categorizes it, reconciles each account to the bank and closes the month. That work is daily and mechanical, and it is the part software and AI handle well. A CPA is a licensed accountant who prepares your tax return, advises on tax choices such as entity type and deductions, and can represent you before the IRS.
The IRS says anyone who is paid to prepare a return must have a Preparer Tax Identification Number, and that certified public accountants, enrolled agents and attorneys all prepare returns with different levels of skill and representation rights. It also says to ask about fees upfront and never to sign a blank return. You need a CPA for the return whatever you pay for bookkeeping.
- Categorizes every transaction
- Matches each account to the bank
- Packages the year for your CPA
- Reads the reconciled books
- Signs the tax return
- Represents you to the IRS
Accountant seats are free on every plan, so the CPA works from the books instead of a spreadsheet. Accountable Free covers one company and its first 100 transactions a month; Pro is $149 a month for 2. The CPA's own fee for the return is separate.
Bookkeeping starts at $99 a month, returns at about $1,000
These are starting list prices checked on September 30, 2026. A real quote rises with transaction volume, number of entities and how fast you want reports.
| Option | Starting price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Accountable Free or Pro | $0, or $149 a month ($1,490 a year, billed yearly) for 2 companies | AI categorizing and month-end checks, with an accountant seat that is always free. You review; no human bookkeeper. |
| Kick | $0 for 1 entity and 250 transactions a year; $40 a month (billed annually) for unlimited categorization | AI categorization and reconciliation; $100 a month adds accrual and multi-entity |
| Mercury Books | Free in 2026, then $35 a month | Accounting built into a Mercury account |
| Pilot Essentials | $99 a month, up to $100,000 of monthly expenses | AI bookkeeping only: categorizes and reconciles, cash-basis books, a year-end package for your tax preparer; tax and CFO help are add-ons |
| Pilot Core | From $299 a month, billed annually | US-based bookkeeper, cash or accrual, reports by the 10th business day |
| Zeni Starter | $549 a month, or $494 billed annually | AI bookkeeping for pre-revenue companies with a dedicated finance team |
| Zeni Growth | $799 a month, or $719 billed annually | For companies with revenue |
| Tax return, single-member LLC | From $1,000 a year at Pilot | Federal and state filing, quarterly payments |
| Tax return, C corporation | From $2,450 a year at Pilot; $2,499 to $3,899 at Zeni | Federal and state filing, Delaware franchise tax at Pilot; Zeni's range covers pre-revenue to $500,000 of revenue |
| Fractional CFO | From $1,750 a month at Pilot; $1,599 a month plus $2,000 setup at Zeni | Forecasting, investor reporting, cash planning |
Pilot lists additional state filings at $250 to $500 each, and Zeni lists payroll management from $199 a month. Read each page for what is excluded.
Three ways to cover a seed-stage C corporation's year
For two founders, no employees and one Delaware C corporation, software plus a CPA is Accountable Pro at $1,490 a year plus a return from $2,450, or $3,940. Pilot Core is $299 a month × 12 plus a return from $2,450, or $6,038. Zeni Starter is $494 a month × 12 plus the same $2,450 return, or $8,378 (Zeni's own return starts at $2,499). Each is a starting price, and volume, entities and added services raise the total.
The spread is the price of having a person on your books every month. Many founders pay for the person once outside investors, payroll or several entities arrive, and use software until then.
Software and a year-end CPA suit one simple company
- Software plus a CPA at year end is enough when you have one company, few or no employees, simple revenue and no outside investors asking for monthly reports.
- Add a bookkeeper when a month ends and you cannot explain the difference between your books and your bank, or when you stop having time to review the questions the software asks.
- Add a CPA earlier than year end when you form the company, choose a tax election, raise money, issue equity or hire your first employee.
- Add a fractional CFO when investors ask for forecasts, board reporting or a fundraising model.
A CPA is worth more when the books are clean. Hand over reconciled books and a tax package, and the hours you pay for go to advice instead of cleanup.
Six questions to ask before you hire either
Step 1: Who does the work, a person or software, and who reviews it?
Step 2: Is the price per month fixed, and what raises it: transactions, entities, payroll or speed?
Step 3: Do you keep access to your books and can you export everything if you leave?
Step 4: When do I get each month's reports, and what happens if the books do not reconcile?
Step 5: Who signs the tax return, and what is the fee for extensions, state filings and amendments?
Step 6: What are the credentials of the preparer? The IRS has a directory of preparers with credentials for checking.
Questions founders ask
Do I need a CPA for my startup?
You need a licensed preparer for your tax return, and a CPA is the usual choice. Hire one before year end if you are forming the company, raising money, issuing equity or hiring.
How much does a bookkeeper cost for a startup?
List prices checked on September 30, 2026 start at $99 a month for AI bookkeeping only at Pilot Essentials, $299 a month with a dedicated bookkeeper on Pilot Core, and $549 a month at Zeni. Real quotes rise with volume.
How much does a startup tax return cost?
Starting prices are about $1,000 a year for a single-member LLC and $2,450 to $2,499 a year for a C corporation, before extra state filings.
Can I do my own bookkeeping as a founder?
Yes, with software that connects to your bank and reconciles to your statements, plus a CPA for the return. The risk is time and unnoticed errors, so reconcile every month.
What is the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant?
A bookkeeper records and reconciles transactions. An accountant, such as a CPA, prepares statements and tax returns, advises on tax and can represent you before the IRS.
Clean books make your CPA's hours cheaper
Accountable keeps the books reconciled to your bank and packages the year for your CPA. Accountant seats are always free, and the Free plan covers one company.
Start freeSources, checked September 30, 2026: