DIY Cost Calculator

August 27, 2026

Financial Foothold · Free 3-minute calculator

What is doing your own books actually costing you?

"Free" bookkeeping isn't free — it's paid in your hours, your team's hours, and the mistakes nobody catches. Enter your numbers below and see the real annual price tag of DIY books.

Step 1 — Your time The hours are real even when the invoice isn't

Hours per month YOU spend on the books Data entry, reconciling, invoicing, chasing receipts, fixing QuickBooks

What an hour of your time is worth ($) Not sure? Annual revenue ÷ 2,000 hours is a fair floor

Hours per month your STAFF spends on books Admin or office manager time (0 if none)

Their loaded hourly cost ($) Wage + taxes + benefits; ~1.25× hourly wage is typical

Step 2 — What's already gone wrong Answer for the last 12 months

Did you pay any late fees, penalties, or interest — to the IRS, a state, or vendors — because of the state of your books? If yes, enter the total below; if you're not sure, estimate low.

Were your books messy or behind at tax time? Rushed year-end cleanup is where deductions get missed. We count a deliberately conservative $2,500/yr in missed tax savings.

Have you made a significant business decision this year without current, trustworthy numbers? Hiring, pricing, a big purchase. We count a conservative $2,000/yr for decisions made partially blind — most owners' real number is higher.

Are any receivables sitting uncollected past 60 days because no one is chasing them? We count a conservative $1,500/yr in write-offs and delayed cash — enter your own number if you know it's bigger.

Your result

Financial Foothold — True Cost of DIY Bookkeeping

Estimated annual cost of doing it yourself

That's of your year spent being your own bookkeeper.

Your time Staff time Penalties paid Conservative risk costs

Estimates use your inputs plus deliberately conservative placeholders for risk costs (noted above). This is a directional tool, not tax or financial advice — your real numbers may differ, and in our experience they're usually higher.