QuickBooks Online Setup for US small businesses — or Zoho Books
QuickBooks setup for LLCs, S-corps and self-employed owners in any state: we build a chart of accounts that matches your tax return and connect your bank and card accounts so transactions flow in on their own. $200 one-time, the same for QuickBooks Online and Zoho Books.
Who needs QuickBooks setup
What our QuickBooks Online setup includes
QuickBooks setup and onboarding pricing
The price is the same for QuickBooks Online and Zoho Books. The software subscription is billed separately.
After setup you can keep the books yourself or hand them to us: monthly bookkeeping — from $200 a month, payroll in QuickBooks Payroll or Gusto — from $150 a month. See all bookkeeping prices →
How QuickBooks setup works: 4 steps
Setup is a one-time job. When it's done, the software is ready for monthly bookkeeping — whether you keep the books or we do.
A call about your business
We ask about your business type (single-member LLC, partnership, S-corp), your accounts and cards, and which return you file. The chart of accounts depends on it.
Subscription and access
You subscribe yourself and invite us as your accountant, or we set up the subscription for you. If you already have the software, access is all we need.
Setup
We build the chart of accounts, connect your bank and cards and check that transactions are coming in.
Next step
We agree on who keeps the books from here. If it's us, we move to a monthly package, and you get a Profit & Loss report from the first month.
What to prepare for setup
QuickBooks setup FAQ
How much does QuickBooks setup cost?
$200 one-time. Zoho Books setup costs the same. A books review with an intro call (onboarding) is $150, and setup plus onboarding together is $300, so you save $50. The software subscription is not included.
QuickBooks Online or Zoho Books: which should I choose?
We work in both, and both suit a small business. The choice depends on what you already use and whether you need payroll and project tracking. We run payroll in QuickBooks Payroll or Gusto. We pick the software and plan with you on the first call.
Who sets up and pays for the subscription?
The subscription is always paid separately from our fees. For QuickBooks Online there are two options. You can subscribe and pay Intuit directly, and we connect as your accountant at no charge. Or we can set up the subscription for you and add its cost, at Intuit's current rates, to your monthly invoice as a separate line item.
How is onboarding different from setup?
Setup is work inside the software: the chart of accounts and bank and card connections. Onboarding is a review of books you already keep plus a 30-minute intro call where we go over what to fix and how to keep the books from here. Both together cost $300.
My books already have errors. Will setup fix them?
Setup fixes the software itself: the chart of accounts and connections. If past months are categorized wrong, the books also need a year-end clean-up (from $300) or catch-up bookkeeping for the missed months (from $180 per month).
Cash or accrual: which accounting method should I use?
The cash method records income and expenses when money comes in or goes out; the accrual method records them when you invoice or receive goods. Under IRS rules your books use the same method as your tax return, so we choose the method with you during setup.
What happens after setup?
You can keep the books yourself or hand them to us: monthly packages start at $200 a month and include bank reconciliation and a Profit & Loss report every month. If you have employees, we add payroll — from $150 a month.
Let’s start with a free 15-minute interview
Send us a request — we’ll get back to you within one business day, hold a free 15-minute interview and give you a price.