Q:  Do you offer a free consultation?
A:  Yes.  HF$ Associates offers a complimentary one-half hour consultation either by phone or at our Perry Hall location.*  To schedule an appointment and find out what you should be prepared to discuss, please email info@hfs-associates.com or use our contact form.
*Should your session need to extend beyond a half-hour, our minimum hourly rate will be applied.

Q: What are your fees?
A: Because HF$ Associates, LLC customizes its services on a client-by-client basis, it is difficult to quote one single, hourly, weekly, or monthly fee.  The nature of our programs and services makes it possible for many of our clients to receive bookkeeping, consulting and tax preparation services as part of a single, yearlong program for less than the cost of a full-time bookkeeper.  (This is especially true for businesses with less than $200,000 in annual revenues.)

There are, however, general minimums for some of our services.

• Business Advisory Consultations: $175 per hour
• Monthly Bookkeeping: $30 - $65 per hour
• Tax Return Preparation – Personal: $225 and up for preparation of federal and state returns
• Tax Return Preparation – Schedule C Businesses: $400 and up
• Tax Return Preparation – Partnerships and Corporations: $650 and up

For information on fees based on your particular needs, please contact us for a consultation.

Q:  When does it make sense to hire a bookkeeper?
A:  The first tell-tale sign that you need to hire a bookkeeper is if you are spending more than three (3) hours per week doing your bookkeeping. 

Q:  How do I find a good bookkeeper?
A:  First, do not place an ad in the newspaper or via an online source.  The best resource for finding a good bookkeeper is your accountant.  He or she would be able to provide you with a bookkeeper on staff or refer someone to whom they outsource some of their client work.  If you are able to find a bookkeeper through your personal accountant or an accounting agency, make sure that the bookkeeper is in some way overseen by an accountant (you want to make sure that a qualified accounting professional is double checking the work).

An additional resource would be a staffing or placement agency that specializes in accounting (or accounting-related) services.