Not a mystery invoice at month-end — a fixed scope, a fixed price, and books you can trust.
Three core engagements — bookkeeping, payroll, and reporting — spelled out to the deliverable and the dollar. Mix them, or start with one. You'll know the number before anything begins.
Three engagements, each one spelled out to the deliverable.
No vague "full-service" hand-waving. Here's what lands in your shared folder, when, and what it costs.
Monthly books, kept current
We work inside your existing software — QuickBooks, Xero, or Wave — so there's no forced migration. Every transaction gets categorized against a chart of accounts that mirrors how your business really earns and spends, then reconciled against the bank.
- Transaction categorization & bank/card reconciliationMonthly
- Chart of accounts set up & maintainedIncluded
- Books closed & locked by the 8th business dayGuaranteed
- Freelancer Basics — up to 75 transactions$385 / mo
- Small Business Monthly — unlimited transactions$720 / mo
Payroll that never misses a run
Scheduled runs, direct deposit, tax withholdings, and quarterly filings — for W-2 staff and 1099 contractors alike. We hold the payroll calendar so you don't have to keep it in your head, and we keep the withholdings straight so the quarterly filings are a non-event.
- Scheduled runs & direct depositOn time
- Federal, state & local tax withholdingsHandled
- Quarterly filings & 1099 prepIncluded
- Extra / off-cycle payroll run$65 each
- Books + Payroll — up to 8 employees$1,150 / mo
Financial reporting, translated
A short P&L, balance sheet, and cash-flow snapshot every month — each one topped with a two-line human note on what moved and what to keep an eye on. Custom cash-flow projections when you're weighing a hire, a lease, or riding out a slow stretch.
- Monthly P&L & balance sheetIncluded
- Cash-flow snapshot + plain-language noteIncluded
- 30-minute month-end review callIncluded
- Year-end packet, tied out for your CPAEvery April
- Bundled from$720 / mo
Line them up side by side.
One flat monthly number per plan — pick the column that matches your current chaos, or ask us to split the difference.
| What's included | Freelancer Basics$385/mo | Small Business$720/mo | Books + Payroll$1,150/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transactions categorized | Up to 75 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Accounts reconciled | 1 bank + 1 card | All accounts | All accounts |
| P&L & balance sheet | Quarterly | Monthly | Monthly |
| Cash-flow snapshot | — | ||
| Month-end review call | — | 30 min | 30 min |
| Payroll & filings | — | Add-on | Up to 8 staff |
| 1099 prep & year-end packet | CPA-ready P&L |
Not sure which column is you? That's what the free scoping call is for.
One-time jobs and extras, priced honestly.
Sometimes you don't need a monthly plan — you need a mess cleaned up or a single deadline handled. Here's the à la carte menu.
Back-book cleanup
$480–$1,900Neglected or tangled books, brought current and reconciled. We quote after a quick look — the range depends on the backlog, not on how stressed you sound on the call.
Software migration
$340Moving from spreadsheets or switching to QuickBooks or Xero. Clean opening balances, mapped accounts, and a walkthrough so nothing lands in the wrong bucket.
1099 filing season
$45 / formContractor 1099s prepared, verified, and filed before the deadline. Flat per-form price whether you have three contractors or thirty.
Off-cycle payroll run
$65A bonus, a correction, a final check for someone leaving. Slotted in outside your regular schedule with the withholdings handled.
CPA hand-off packet
$220A tied-out year-end packet built for whoever files your return — statements, reconciliations, and 1099s in one clean bundle, no follow-up emails required.
Cash-flow projection
$180A custom 6- or 12-month runway view for a specific decision — a hire, a lease, a slow season — so you're deciding on numbers, not vibes.
Before you book — the stuff people actually ask.
Do I have to switch accounting software?
No. We work inside whatever you already use — QuickBooks, Xero, or Wave. If you're on spreadsheets and want to move, that's an optional one-time migration ($340), not a requirement to start.
How does "per engagement" billing work?
You get a flat monthly number for a defined scope — no hourly meter running while you forward a receipt. If your scope genuinely grows (say you add payroll or double your transaction volume), we re-scope and tell you the new number before it takes effect. No back-billing, no surprises on the statement.
My books are months behind. Is that a problem?
Not at all — it's most of what we see. We quote a one-time cleanup ($480–$1,900 depending on the backlog) to get you current, then roll you onto a monthly plan so it never happens again.
When will my month actually be closed?
By the 8th business day of the following month, reconciled and locked. Your numbers reflect last month — not last quarter — so you can make decisions on current information.
Are you my accountant / do you file my taxes?
We're your bookkeeping and payroll shop — we keep the records clean and hand your CPA a tied-out packet at year end. If you don't have a CPA, we'll point you to one we trust. We stay in our lane, and that's on purpose.
Do you work with businesses outside San Francisco?
We're based on Valencia Street and everything runs remotely, so location isn't a blocker. That said, we know California payroll and local filing rhythms best — reach out at orders@basaltledger.com and we'll tell you straight if we're the right fit.
Ready to know your number?
Tell us where things stand and we'll scope the right plan on a free call — usually within one business day.
Book a scoping call