SME Accounting
Outsourcing bookkeeping in Quebec: advantages, costs and tipping point (2026)
23/7/2026
En bref. Externaliser sa tenue de livres coûte, au Québec, une fraction d'un poste à l'interne. Le budget comptable médian d'une PME est d'environ 3 000 $ par année, la plupart des entreprises se situant entre 500 et 6 000 $ : ces chiffres sont basés sur les honoraires réels de 1 248 mandats conclus via Bankeo (2024-2026), sur plus de 15 000 demandes reçues. Un technicien comptable salarié coûte de son côté entre 62 500 et 70 000 $ par année une fois les charges de l'employeur et les coûts cachés ajoutés. Le seuil de bascule vers l'interne arrive donc tard : tant que la comptabilité courante n'occupe pas au moins deux jours par semaine, l'externe gagne presque toujours.
“Should I hire someone for my accounting, or outsource it?” This question comes up in almost every match we make at Bankeo, and most of the answers published online avoid providing a specific figure. We wanted to do better: this guide compares the actual cost of an in-house accounting position in France with the actual fees observed on the market, then gives you a simple, three-step method to calculate your own tipping point. The external ranges come from the Bankeo Barometer ; the internal costs follow the Quebec social security contribution model (QPP, Employment Insurance, QPIP, FSS, CNESST).
Outsourcing means entrusting day-to-day accounting to an external professional, such as an accountant or accounting firm, rather than to an employee. An outsourced bookkeeping agreement typically covers:
What generally remains with the accountant, whether in-house or external, is the year-end financial statements, tax returns (federal T2 and Quebec CO-17 for an incorporated company, T1 and TP1 for a self-employed individual), and tax planning. To differentiate between the roles and fees of each, consult our comparison of CPAs and accountants: who costs what . The real choice is therefore almost never "all in-house" or "all outsourced": it's about where to draw the line for day-to-day accounting.
The advertised salary is just the starting point. Let's make a realistic assumption of $50,000 per year for an accounting technician, within the range of current job postings in Quebec. To this must be added the six mandatory employer contributions: CNSS (National Social Security Fund), unemployment insurance, RQAP (Quebec Parental Insurance Plan), FSS (Quebec Health Insurance Fund), CNESST (Quebec Workplace Safety and Insurance Board), and contributions related to labour standards, which together represent approximately 11 to 12% of the gross salary. The position already brings the salary to around $55,500 to $56,000 per year.
Next come the costs that the cost calculators do not show:
In total, an employee typically costs between 1.25 and 1.4 times their stated salary: our €50,000 technician therefore actually costs between €62,500 and €70,000 per year. The complete, line-by-line calculation is in our guide to the true cost of an employee in Quebec . And one detail that changes the calculation: hiring internally does not replace the external accountant for year-end closing and taxes. The two costs are cumulative.
De l'autre côté de la balance, voici ce que les entreprises paient réellement. Le budget comptable médian d'une PME québécoise est d'environ 3 000 $ par année, la plupart des entreprises se situant entre 500 et 6 000 $ selon le secteur et l'étendue du mandat. Ces montants sont basés sur les honoraires réels de 1 248 mandats conclus via Bankeo (2024-2026), sur plus de 15 000 demandes reçues, et détaillés secteur par secteur dans le Baromètre Bankeo.
A single bookkeeping engagement, for a low volume of transactions, falls at the lower end of these ranges; a full engagement that includes year-end closing and tax returns approaches the median and may exceed it. To translate these amounts into a monthly budget, consult our guide to the cost of bookkeeping per month in Quebec .
Let us now bring the two columns together side by side, from the same sources: Barometer ranges for the external, full cost charged for the internal (salary of $50,000, factor 1.25 to 1.4).
| Formula | | Realistic annual cost | Monthly equivalent | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|
| External: Bookkeeping only | 500 to 2000? | ~€40 to €165/month | Self-employed individuals, small service businesses; |
| External: full mandate (accounting, year-end, taxes) | 2,000 to 6,000? | ~€165 to €500/month | Incorporated companies, payroll, sustained volume |
| Internal position: part-time (2 days/week, expenses included) | ~25,000 to 28,000? | ~$2,080 to $2,330/month | High volume plus daily administrative tasks |
| Internal: Full-time (technician at $50,000, full cost) | ~62,500 to 70,000? | $5,210 to $5,830/month | High volume, expanded financial role |
How to read this chart: even at the top of the Barometer range, at $6,000 per year, an external consultant costs about four times less than the smallest realistic internal position, a two-day-per-week part-time job. The gap doesn't close through negotiation; it closes with volume. No one hires for three hours a week; as long as your accounting needs are met within a few hours, an internal consultant forces you to pay for a position you only use a fraction of, or to fill it with other tasks.
The tipping point is the moment when an internal position becomes financially defensible. Here's how to calculate it for your company:
To quickly locate your business, here is the grid we use with entrepreneurs:
| Your situation | Typical accounting charge | Winning formula |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 100 transactions/month, no salary | A few hours a month | External, lower end of the range; |
| 100 to 300 transactions/month, simple payment | Half a day to a full day per week | External, around the median; |
| 300 to 500 transactions/month, payroll and inventory | 1 to 2 days per week | High-end external, or hybrid formula |
| Over 500 transactions/month, daily invoicing, collections, purchases | 3 days a week or more | Transition area: internal position, plus external accountant for the end of the year |
Outsourcing delegates the execution, not the obligation. Your accounting records remain your responsibility: the CRA and the Canada Revenue Agency require supporting documentation to be kept for six years, and VAT returns are filed in your company's name. This is why it's so important to entrust your books to an audited professional and maintain access to your accounting data at all times.
Even after the switchover, the winning model is almost always a hybrid: an employee for day-to-day operations and administration, an external accountant for financial statements, T2 and CO-17 tax returns, and tax planning. Outsourcing is therefore not a "starting" step that can be abandoned; it is a long-term component of the structure.
What the external partner brings, beyond the price:
And the limits, without embellishing them:
These limits can be managed: a monthly thirty-minute meeting, a centralized filing of documents and clear expectations on deadlines are sufficient in the vast majority of cases that are combined.
Bankeo connects you free of charge with audited accountants from its network of over 1,500 partners, selected based on your volume, sector, and budget. This free, no-obligation service often results in a match within 48 hours. And if the initial match isn't right, we'll introduce you to another one free of charge: we're always there to support you.
Find my accountantLe budget comptable médian d'une PME québécoise est d'environ 3 000 $ par année, soit autour de 250 $ par mois, la plupart des entreprises se situant entre 500 et 6 000 $ selon le secteur, basé sur les honoraires réels de 1 248 mandats conclus via Bankeo (2024-2026), sur plus de 15 000 demandes reçues. Une tenue de livres seule se loge dans le bas de ces fourchettes; le détail par secteur est dans le Baromètre Bankeo.
For a salary of around $50,000, the six mandatory employer contributions (QPP, Employment Insurance, QPIP, SSF, CNESST, labour standards) add approximately 11 to 12%, and the total cost, including vacation, tools, training, and recruitment, is most often between 1.25 and 1.4 times the salary, or about $62,500 to $70,000 per year. And this position does not replace an external accountant for year-end closing and taxes.
The tipping point is a workload, not a price: when day-to-day accounting occupies two to three days a week on a regular basis, generally around 500 or more transactions per month including payroll and inventory, an in-house position starts to be justified. Below that threshold, outsourcing is structurally less expensive, as the smallest realistic in-house position (two days a week) costs approximately $25,000 to $28,000 per year, including benefits.
No, if you choose a verified professional, but the responsibility remains yours: records and supporting documents must be kept for six years, and GST and QST returns are filed in your company's name with the CRA and Revenu Québec. Maintain access to your accounting data at all times and require fixed filing dates: this is your best protection.
Yes, and it's a standard part of the mandate. Each employee adds source deductions to be calculated and remitted to the CRA and the Canada Revenue Agency, with penalties for late submissions: it's one of the tasks that's easiest to delegate. Payroll processing is generally billed separately, depending on the number of employees and the frequency of payroll; make sure this is included in writing before comparing quotes.
Yes. Bankeo is completely free for entrepreneurs, with no commitment required. The accountants in our network pay a fee per completed transaction, an amount known in advance. You never receive an invoice from Bankeo, and if the initial agreement isn't working out, even months later, we'll introduce you to another free accountant: we're always there to support you.
General information provided for guidance purposes only, reflecting the current 2026 tax regulations. It does not replace the advice of an accountant or chartered accountant: always consult a professional for your specific situation.
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