Transparent Insights into Costs, Services, and Real Savings for Business OwnersYou are considering outsourcing your financial accounting but are unsure what it will cost you? In this article, we show you through concrete examples from our 15 years of experience what external financial accounting really costs – and why the investment pays off for most companies.
How Financial Accounting as a Service works at Konsultec
Before we get to the numbers, let us explain what “Financial Accounting as a Service” actually means and what concrete benefits you can expect from it.
What you receive from us
Complete takeover of your financial accounting:
- Recording and account assignment of all business transactions
- Booking of incoming and outgoing invoices
- Account reconciliation and balance verification
- Monthly BWA (Business Management Evaluation)
- DATEV export for your tax advisor
- GoBD-compliant archiving of all documents
Your Personal Contact: No anonymous call center, but a dedicated accountant who knows your company and its specific requirements. When you have questions, you reach them directly – without waiting queues.Digital, Yet Personal Workflow: You simply photograph your receipts using our app or send them via email. We take care of the rest. Every month you automatically receive your management report and have access to your current figures at any time.
How a typical month works
- By the 5th of the month: You submit your receipts from the previous month
- By the 15th: We have recorded and reconciled all transactions
- By the 20th: You receive your management report and all evaluations
- As needed: Brief phone call to discuss any notable figures
That’s it. While you take care of your business, we ensure that your numbers are correct.
Realistic cost examples: What companies actually pay
Now to what really interests you: What does it cost specifically? Here are three realistic examples from our client base (names changed, figures are real):
Example 1: Mustermann Electrical Engineering (12 employees)
Company data:
- Annual turnover: €1.8 million
- 180 bookings per month
- 2 bank accounts, 1 cash box
- Standard business without special requirements
Monthly costs at Konsultec: €1,290 netIncluded services:
- Complete financial accounting
- Monthly BWA with prior-year comparison
- Account reconciliation and balance verification
- DATEV export for tax advisors
- Personal contact person
- Digital document archiving
Mr. Mustermann says:”I used to spend 2-3 hours every evening dealing with receipts. Now I just photograph them. The €1,290 is the best investment I have ever made.”
Example 2: TechSolutions GmbH (28 employees)
Company data:
- Annual turnover: €3.2 million
- 320 bookings per month
- International business, various currencies
- Project business with complex cost allocation
Monthly costs at Konsultec: €1,890 netAdditional services:
- Foreign currency bookings
- Project-related evaluations
- Advanced cost center accounting
- Weekly liquidity overview
The managing director reports:”We previously spent 6 months searching for an accountant. The costs for recruitment consulting, training, and salary would have cost us over €80,000 per year. At Konsultec we pay less than €23,000 and have immediate expert knowledge.”
Example 3: Schmidt Bakery (8 employees, family business)
Company data:
- Annual turnover: €650,000
- 120 bookings per month
- High volume of cash, daily cash closings
- Seasonal business
Monthly costs at Konsultec: €890 netSpecial features:
- Daily cash recording
- Seasonal evaluations
- Support with inventory
- Simple, easy-to-understand BWA
The Schmidt family:”As a family business, it was important to us to have a dedicated contact person. The digitalization initially worried us, but it works perfectly. Our daughter now takes photos of the receipts – that’s it.”
What determines the costs?
Main factors for pricing:
- Transaction volume (70% of the price)Under 150 transactions/month: from €890150-300 transactions/month: from €1,290300-500 transactions/month: from €1,890Over 500 transactions/month: Individual pricing
- Under 150 bookings/month: from €890
- 150-300 bookings/month: from €1,290
- 300-500 bookings/month: from €1,890
- Over 500 bookings/month: Individual pricing
- Complexity (20% of the price)Standard business: Base priceForeign currencies: +15%Project accounting: +20%Multiple entities: +25%
- Standard business: Base price
- Foreign currencies: +15%
- Project accounting: +20%
- Multiple companies: +25%
- Additional services (10% of the price)Cost center accounting: +€150/monthWeekly reports: +€80/monthDunning process: +€200/month
- Cost center accounting: +€150/month
- Weekly reports: +€80/month
- Dunning process: +€200/month
Fibu as a Service vs. In-house Accountant – An Honest Cost Comparison
Let’s do the math honestly. Here is the full cost comparison between an in-house accountant and our service:
The true costs of an in-house accountant
Direct costs (per year):
- Gross salary of accountant: €54,000 (mid-level)
- Employer costs (20%): €10,800
- Workplace + equipment: €3,600
- Software licenses (DATEV): €2,400
- Training: €1,500
- Total costs: €72,300 per year
Hidden costs:
- Recruitment + onboarding: €8,000 (one-time)
- Holiday replacement: €4,800 per year
- Sick leave: €3,200 per year (average)
- Protection against dismissal + severance risk: Unquantifiable
Risks:
- Loss of knowledge upon resignation
- No replacement during absence
- Training costs without guarantee of retention
- Labor law risks
Fibu as a Service at Konsultec
For a comparable company (250 bookings/month):
- Monthly costs: €1,490 net
- Annual costs: €17,880 net (€21,277 gross)
Included:
- Complete accounting team as backup
- Latest software and updates
- All training and certifications
- Replacement during holiday and illness
- Liability for all errors
- Immediate scaling during growth
The savings: €51,023 per year
That is over €50,000 in savings annually – without considering the hidden costs and risks.But it is not just about the money:Time savings: Our clients save an average of 12-15 hours per week that they previously spent on accounting. At an entrepreneur hourly rate of €80, that represents an additional €50,000 in opportunity costs per year.Risk minimization: We are liable for all errors. Should the tax office demand additional payments because we made an error, we cover these costs. This security is invaluable.Focus on core business: How many additional clients could you serve if you had 15 more hours per week? For most of our clients, our service pays for itself through just one additional client per month.
Reality check: When is an in-house accountant worth it?
Honestly: From a purely financial perspective, almost never. Starting at approximately 800-1,000 transactions per month (corresponding to approximately €8-10 million annual revenue), an in-house accountant can become economical – but then you need at least two to cover absences.An in-house accountant makes sense when:
- You have very specific industry requirements
- You have over 1,000 bookings per month
- You want to use accounting as a strategic tool
- You enjoy managing and developing your own staff
For everyone else, external outsourcing is the more economical solution.
Calculate your individual costs
Would you like to know what outsourcing your financial accounting would cost? You can find out here in 2 minutes:
Quick Check: What would your accounting cost?
Step 1: Count your monthly bookings
- Incoming invoices: ___
- Outgoing invoices: ___
- Bank transactions: ___
- Cash transactions: ___
- Total: ___
Step 2: Assess your complexity
- [ ] Standard business (Germany only, one currency)
- [ ] Foreign currencies or international business
- [ ] Project business or cost center accounting
- [ ] Multiple companies or complex structures
Step 3: Desired additional services
- [ ] Dunning process (+€200/month)
- [ ] Cost center accounting (+€150/month)
- [ ] Weekly reports (+€80/month)
Your estimated monthly costs:
Under 150 transactions: from €890 net/month150-300 transactions: from €1,290 net/month300-500 transactions: from €1,890 net/monthOver 500 transactions: Individual consultation requiredWith increased complexity: +15-25% on the base price
Your Return on Investment
Sample calculation for a company with 200 transactions/month:Your investment: €1,490 net/month (€17,880 net/year)Your savings:
- In-house accountant: €72,300 (total costs)
- Direct savings: €54,420 per year
Additional benefits:
- 15 hours/week more time for your business
- No risks of absence due to holiday/illness
- Always up-to-date accounting standards
- Professional BWA for better corporate management
Ready for the next step?
You have seen that external financial accounting pays off significantly in most cases. But every company is different. Therefore, we offer you:Free 30-minute consultation:
- Analysis of your current accounting situation
- Calculation of your exact costs
- Identification of optimization potential
- Non-binding and without sales pressure
What you should bring:
- Your latest BWA or an overview of your booking volume
- Questions about specific requirements
- 30 minutes of time for an honest conversation
Call us: 0221 / XXX XXX XXOr write to us: info@konsultec.deWe will respond within 24 hours – that is our promise.
