How to Choose Your Accounting Partner: In-House vs. Outsourced Solutions

When businesses start thinking about their accounting needs, the initial instinct is often to hire an in-house accountant. But is that the best approach? Before making this decision, it’s crucial to understand the real cost and structure of an internal accounting department and whether an outsourced solution might be a better fit.

The True Cost of In-House Accounting

If you decide to hire an in-house accounting professional, the most effective hire is a Senior Manager or above—someone experienced enough to handle complex financial matters and drive strategic decision-making. However, the cost of this hire is significant:

• A Senior Accounting Manager or Controller typically costs $150,000–$200,000 per year, including salary and benefits.
• This person is not going to want to handle basic bookkeeping and transactional work, such as coding invoices, reconciling cash, and processing payments—tasks necessary to maintain clean books.
• Within months of joining, they will likely advocate for hiring a Junior Accountant to manage these responsibilities.
• A Junior Accountant costs anywhere from $80,000–$120,000 per year (benefits included).

At this point, you’ve built an accounting department with a total cost of $230,000–$320,000 annually—and that’s just for maintaining day-to-day financial operations.

But here’s what’s often overlooked:

• Strategic planning and complex accounting issues still require external expertise. Even with an internal team, companies frequently engage external firms for tax planning, valuation support, financial modeling, or fundraising strategy.
• The burden of financial oversight and long-term planning often still falls on the owner or founder, adding to their already full plate.

While having an in-house team can be valuable for high-growth companies with large transaction volumes, it comes at a significant cost—one that may not be justifiable until you reach a certain size and complexity.

The Alternative: Outsourced Accounting Solutions

In today’s business environment, many companies choose outsourced accounting services for a more cost-effective and scalable solution. But not all outsourcing firms are the same.

• Basic Outsourced Accounting: Many firms provide back-office operations, meaning they handle tasks like categorizing expenses, coding transactions, reconciling accounts, and processing payroll. This is helpful, but it doesn’t give you the financial leadership or strategic insights needed for growth.
• Comprehensive Outsourced Accounting: A handful of firms offer access to senior financial experts who can provide guidance on fundraising, financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting—but these typically come with add-on fees for special projects.

At Fiscal Founders, we take a different approach.

Why Fiscal Founders? A Full-Service Accounting Partner

With our Growth Plan, you get everything in one package:

✅ Full back-office support – No need to worry about coding invoices, reconciling transactions, or payroll processing.
✅ Senior financial leadership – We provide monthly financial reviews, budget-to-actual analysis, revenue tracking, and forecasting.
✅ Strategic partnership – We advise on business growth, cost-saving opportunities, and financial structure, so you don’t have to navigate complex financial decisions alone.
✅ Technology optimization – We help you optimize your accounting tech stack, ensuring you have the right systems in place for efficiency.
✅ Payroll review & compliance – We evaluate payroll providers and benefits to make sure you’re not overpaying and are getting the best setup for your business.

And when your company reaches the point where it makes sense to bring accounting in-house, we don’t just leave you to figure it out—we help with the transition, including recruiting and training your internal team.

Making the Right Choice for Your Business

The bottom line? If you’re ready to spend $230,000–$320,000 per year and have the workload to justify a full in-house team, go for it. But for most businesses, the more flexible, cost-effective solution is outsourcing—especially when you have a partner who grows with you.

At Fiscal Founders, we’re more than accountants—we’re your long-term financial partners. If you’re looking for a solution that covers both day-to-day accounting and high-level financial strategy, let’s talk.

🚀 Schedule a call with us today to see how we can support your business growth!