There is no single figure that responsibly answers how much accounting costs for a Slovak s.r.o., a limited liability company. Two companies with similar revenue can produce very different workloads. One issues a handful of consulting invoices. Another receives dozens of payments for goods every day and handles returns.
To assess a fee, you need to understand what the quotation covers. A monthly price only becomes meaningful when it is linked to a defined service. This article explains which details affect a quotation and what to ask about, so separately charged work does not come as a surprise.
Invoice numbers are a starting point
An accountant will usually ask about purchase and sales invoices, bank transactions and cash documents. These are useful starting points for a quotation. They do not capture everything that needs to happen to those records.
A single invoice may include different types of supply, several VAT rates or a purchase split between projects. A bank statement may contain five transactions or five hundred. With a payment gateway, the accountant may need to reconcile orders, fees, refunds and the amount eventually received in the bank.
Ask what the quotation means by a document and by an accounting entry. If the fee is based on entries, request an example using a normal month from your business. You will then know which figure to monitor when planning costs.
Equal revenue can mean different accounting work
Consider two hypothetical companies. The first issues ten invoices to regular customers each month and receives every payment into one bank account. The second sells the same total value of goods to hundreds of customers. Some payments come through a card terminal, others through a payment gateway, and a few orders are returned.
Revenue is the same in this example. The second company, however, generates more records and more relationships to check between them. That difference may affect the accounting fee even though neither company is larger in sales terms.
Explain your sales process when making an enquiry. Details about a shop, an online store, stock or recurring projects describe the work more accurately than annual revenue alone.
VAT and international transactions raise further questions
The company's VAT position and the nature of its transactions also matter. A business with straightforward domestic supplies needs different consideration from one purchasing goods or services abroad.
Overseas documents may require checks of the supplier, type of service, currency and tax treatment. A low invoice count does not automatically mean simple processing. For a useful quotation, identify the countries you trade with and give examples of the services you buy or provide.
Describing a business as not registered for VAT does not rule out every obligation involving overseas services. Certain services within the EU can trigger registration under Section 7a before the first transaction, regardless of its value. The treatment depends on the service and the parties involved. Slovak Financial Administration: VAT registration.
Make the payroll fee understandable
If your company employs people, state how many and give the basic types of employment arrangements. Starters, leavers and frequent changes during the month matter too. Irregular attendance or pay arrangements with changing monthly inputs may need additional attention.
Ask what processing one employee includes. The price might cover the monthly calculation and standard outputs, while onboarding administration or other tasks may be charged separately. The agreed service scope determines this.
If you have no employees yet but plan to recruit, request that scenario as well. Your monthly budget should not be based on circumstances that will change in a few weeks.
The condition of your records affects processing time
A complete set of readable records is different from a folder containing duplicates and unlabelled photographs. Time also goes into finding out which invoice matches a payment, who made a purchase and whether every page of a document has been supplied.
An automated export can make some work easier if the accounting software accepts it and the data is correct. Agree on the format before introducing a new tool. Buying an application does not by itself guarantee simpler accounting.
A clear handover deadline and one contact person in your company help as well. If the accountant raises five discrepancies, answering them fully in one message reduces follow-up questions. See the monthly accounting documents checklist for a practical preparation routine.
Check what falls outside the monthly fee
Review year-end work before accepting a quotation. Does the monthly price include the financial statements and the relevant tax return? How are unfinished earlier periods charged? What happens if records already handed over need correcting?
Ask about consultations, information for a bank and any representation in dealings with public authorities. Not every company needs these services regularly. That makes it useful to understand the pricing before a particular need arises.
Look at the full year when preparing a budget. If the monthly payment only covers ongoing bookkeeping, allow separately for the agreed year-end work. The quotation or contract should state the terms clearly, including whether prices include VAT.
What to send when requesting a quotation
Prepare a short description of your activity, approximate document volumes, the number of bank accounts and your payment methods. Add details of VAT, employees, stock and international business. If you are moving from another accountant, state the date through which the accounts have been completed.
For example, you could write: "We have a Slovak s.r.o. providing services to Slovak businesses. We invoice monthly and all payments go through the bank. We plan to hire one employee in the autumn." That description opens the right questions without requiring accounting terminology.
You can consult the Hanesy price list as a starting point; this page is currently in Slovak. A specific quotation should be based on your company's actual records and plans. Keep the agreed scope together with the price. As the business grows, you will have a clear reference for discussing changes.