Internal or external accountant: which to choose for your SME in France in 2026

En bref. Pour la grande majorité des PME québécoises, le comptable externe gagne le match des coûts : budget médian d'environ 3 000 $ par année, la plupart des entreprises se situant entre 500 et 6 000 $, basé sur les honoraires réels de 1 248 mandats conclus via Bankeo (2024-2026), sur plus de 15 000 demandes reçues. En face, un technicien comptable interne à temps plein coûte environ 61 500 $ par année charges incluses, et 69 000 à 77 000 $ tout compris. Notre calcul situe le seuil de rentabilité de l'interne autour de 25 à 30 heures de travail comptable récurrent par semaine. Ce guide pose la méthode complète, chiffres à l'appui.

The question eventually arises in almost every growing SME: at this stage, do we hire someone in accounting, or continue with our external accountant? Most of the answers we read remain qualitative: "it depends on your volume." We preferred to do the math. On one hand, the actual cost of an accountant's salary in mainland France, including employer contributions. On the other, the actual fees observed on 1,248 mandates completed through Bankeo. Between the two, a break-even point that you can recalculate for your own company in five minutes.

Internal, external, hybrid: three ways to organize your accounting

Before comparing costs, let's clarify the three models that actually exist in practice:

• The in-house accountant is an employee paid on your salary: bookkeeper, accounting technician, or senior accountant. They maintain the books daily, manage invoicing, bank reconciliations, and often handle payroll and routine tax returns. You assume all the obligations of an employer: DAS (Declaration of Social Security Contributions), CNSS (National Social Security Fund), unemployment insurance, RQAP (Quebec Pension Plan), FSS (Social Security Fund), CNESST (Quebec Workplace Safety and Insurance Fund), and vacation time.
• The external accountant is a firm or an independent professional, paid per mandate or flat fee: year-end (T1 and TP1 for a self-employed worker, T2 to the CRA and CO-17 to Revenu Québec for a company), VAT returns at 5% and VAT at 9.975%, and depending on the mandate, monthly bookkeeping, payroll and tax planning.
• The hybrid model combines both: a part-time in-house resource for data entry and invoicing, and an external accountant for tax matters, financial statements, and complex issues. This is the most common scenario among SMEs with 5 to 25 employees.

The right question is therefore not "internal or external?" in absolute terms, but: at what volume of work does the first internal salary become more profitable than external fees? This is what we quantify below.

The cost of an external accountant in 2026: what the Barometer data says

Côté externe, le point de repère le plus solide au Québec est le Baromètre Bankeo : un budget comptable médian d'environ 3 000 $ par année, la plupart des entreprises se situant entre 500 et 6 000 $, basé sur les honoraires réels de 1 248 mandats conclus via Bankeo (2024-2026), sur plus de 15 000 demandes reçues. Concrètement, la fourchette se lit ainsi :

• The lower end of the range corresponds to simple mandates: T1 and TP1 declarations of a self-employed person, with a few questions during the year.
• Around the median , we find the typical incorporated company: T2 year-end and CO-17, VAT returns, and basic support.
• The higher end of the price range covers extended services: monthly bookkeeping, payroll module with DAS, periodic reports, and year-end closing. For details on this option, see our guide on the cost of monthly bookkeeping .

Another key characteristic of external accounting is that costs follow volume. A slow season costs less, while a year of growth is billed proportionally. No fixed salaries are incurred during the off-season. And if you'd like to see who's behind these figures, you can browse the verified accountants in the Bankeo network .

The cost of an in-house accountant: advertised salary, actual cost

Côté interne, le salaire affiché n'est que le point de départ. Selon les données salariales du Guichet-Emplois du gouvernement du Canada, un technicien en comptabilité gagne le plus souvent autour de 27 à 30 $ l'heure au Québec, soit environ 50 000 à 58 000 $ par année à temps plein; un comptable d'expérience affiche une médiane autour de 36 à 40 $ l'heure, soit environ 68 000 à 76 000 $, et un comptable senior ou un contrôleur, souvent CPA, se recrute au-delà de 80 000 $.

To this salary must be added the mandatory contributions of the Quebec employer: Quebec Pension Plan (QPP), Employment Insurance, Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP), Health Services Fund, CNESST (Quebec's workplace health and safety commission), and labour standards, representing approximately 11 to 12% of the gross salary. Our complete simulation of the true cost of an employee in Quebec calculates this line by line: a salary of $55,000 costs approximately $61,500 including all charges, and once equipment, benefits, and recruitment are factored in, the total cost is most often between 1.25 and 1.4 times the posted salary, or $69,000 to $77,000 per year. Here are the five scenarios side by side:

How to read this table: the median external contract represents approximately 3% of the total cost of an in-house technician. Even the top of the Barometer range, at $6,000, is barely equivalent to more than a month of in-house costs. In other words, as long as your need lies in an external contract, the difference isn't a nuance: it's an order of magnitude.

The break-even point: the three-step method

Here is the calculation that is missing from most comparisons, and which you can reproduce with your own figures:

• Step 1: Determine the total annual internal cost. Target salary multiplied by 1.25 to 1.4. For a technician at €55,000: between €69,000 and €77,000 per year.
• Step 2: Translate this into an actual hourly cost. Divide by the actual productive hours, approximately 1,600 per year after deducting vacation, holidays, and administrative time. Result: $43 to $48 per hour for our technician.
• Step 3: Calculate the threshold in hours. Divide the total annual internal cost by the equivalent external hourly rate, often $40 to $70 per hour for external accounting. At $50 per hour: $69,000 divided by $50 gives 1,380 hours per year, or about 29 hours per week over 48 weeks. At $60 per hour, the threshold drops to around 24 hours per week.

The numerical conclusion: the first in-house accounting salary starts to pay for itself around 25 to 30 hours of recurring accounting work per week , year-round. Below 15 hours per week, there's no debate: external or hybrid solutions are far more advantageous. Here is the resulting decision framework:

What the numbers don't tell

The break-even point settles the financial question, but four qualitative factors deserve to be taken into account in the decision:

• Continuity. An intern takes vacation, gets sick, and might resign: you alone bear the risk of turnover and the cost of a replacement. An external firm distributes the work across a team.
• Seasonality. If your accounting volume skyrockets during tax season and then drops off, a fixed salary covers slower months. External billing is based on your company's actual activity.
• The breadth of expertise. One person cannot cover everything: bookkeeping, payroll, VAT, social security contributions, financing. External consultants provide access to a range of skills that no single entry-level salary can provide.
• Internal control. In a small team, separating data entry, approval, and reconciliation reduces the risk of errors. An independent external review adds a layer of verification that internal control alone cannot provide.

The winning staircase for most SMEs

In practice, French SMEs that successfully manage this transition almost all follow the same path. Initially: a single external accountant, a single contract within the range outlined in the Barometer, and nothing else. During growth: a hybrid model, a part-time internal resource handles the overflowing data entry, while the external accountant retains the tax services; our guide on outsourcing accounting details what tasks are best delegated. Then, when recurring workload consistently exceeds 25 to 30 hours per week: the first full-time accountant is hired, with the external accountant retained for year-end tasks, planning, and reserved assignments.

The costly mistake is skipping steps: hiring someone for $60,000 for a position that only requires 10 hours of work per week, or conversely, exhausting an assistant with 30 hours of accounting work that deserves a proper position. Accurately recalculating the threshold based on your actual hours worked protects against both extremes.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an external accountant cost for a small business?

La médiane est d'environ 3 000 $ par année et la plupart des entreprises se situent entre 500 et 6 000 $, basé sur les honoraires réels de 1 248 mandats conclus via Bankeo (2024-2026), sur plus de 15 000 demandes reçues. Le bas de la fourchette correspond aux déclarations d'un travailleur autonome, le haut aux mandats avec tenue de livres mensuelle et paie. Le détail par secteur est publié dans le Baromètre Bankeo.

How much does a full-time in-house accountant cost?

An accounting technician earns between €50,000 and €58,000 per year, according to Job Bank. Add approximately 11% to 12% in mandatory employer contributions (QPP, Employment Insurance, QPIP, FSS, CNESST, labour standards): a salary of $55,000 costs approximately $61,500 including all charges. Including equipment, benefits, and recruitment, the total cost is most often between 1.25 and 1.4 times the salary, or $69,000 to $77,000 per year. A senior accountant, often a CPA, costs significantly more.

At what volume does an in-house accountant become profitable?

Approximately 25 to 30 hours of recurring accounting work per week, year-round. The method: divide the total annual internal cost (for example, $69,000 for a technician) by the equivalent external hourly rate, often $40 to $70 per hour for bookkeeping. At $50 per hour, the threshold is approximately 1,380 hours per year, or about 29 hours per week for 48 weeks. Below this volume, outsourcing or a hybrid model remains more cost-effective.

Can we combine internal and external accounting?

Yes, and this is the most common scenario for SMEs with 5 to 25 employees: an internal resource (clerk or technician) handles data entry, invoicing, and often payroll, while the external accountant takes care of T2 and CO-17 forms, financial statements, and tax planning. Even SMEs with a full in-house accounting department generally retain an external professional for year-end closing and specific projects.

Can my in-house accounting technician do everything, including corporate taxes?

In practice, rarely. A technician keeps the books, prepares payroll and routine GST/QST returns, but T2 (CRA) and CO-17 (Revenu Québec) returns, tax planning, and year-end financial statements are almost always handled by an external accountant. Certain engagements, such as auditing and reviewing financial statements, are reserved for CPAs holding a public accounting license issued by the Ordre des CPA du Québec.

How do I find the right external accountant for my SME?

Describe your specific needs (sector, transaction volume, incorporated or not, payroll or not), compare a few profiles, and validate the proposed fees against an independent benchmark like the Bankeo Barometer . The Bankeo matching service is free for entrepreneurs and without obligation: we present you with verified accountants from our network based on your profile, often within 48 hours, and we support you for as long as necessary.

Official sources

1. Guichet-Emplois, gouvernement du Canada, salaires et perspectives par profession
2. Revenu Québec, source deductions and employer contributions;
3. Revenue Agency of the | Canada , deductions;
4. Revenu Québec, VAT and VAT;
5. Quebec CPA Order