Three ways to run your S Corp. Only one is complete.
A local firm, a stack of separate providers, or one team that owns the whole thing. Here's what each really costs — in dollars and in your time.
Every broker with an S Corp ends up in one of these three places.
The local accounting firm
Looks like a one-stop shop — bookkeeping, payroll, and returns under one roof. In practice, most stop at compliance.
- Records what happened; rarely plans what's next
- Garbage in, garbage out — your numbers go on the return unquestioned
- No proactive monitoring of wages, distributions, or cash flow
- Typically $4,000–$8,000/year for compliance only
Piecemeal & DIY
A payroll service here, bookkeeping software there, a tax preparer in March. Looks flexible and cheap. It isn't.
- You become the project manager between providers
- No one owns the big picture or connects the dots
- Nothing gets flagged — errors surface after they become problems
- Hours spent coordinating are hours not spent closing deals
Our complete approach
One team, one price, full responsibility — built exclusively for CRE brokers.
- Tax strategy that looks forward, not just backward
- Proactive monitoring of wages and distributions
- Business and personal finances planned together
- Consistent communication — you always know where things stand
What piecing it together actually costs.
The trap in comparing prices one provider at a time: each looks cheap alone. But an S Corp needs all of these jobs done. Build the stack a working broker actually needs, and add it up:
| The Job | Typical Providers | Market Price | What's Still Missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping | Bench, Bookkeeper360, Better Bookkeeping, Pilot | $399–$600/mo | Tax strategy; S Corp-specific books |
| Payroll | Gusto, SurePayroll | $36–$55/mo | The wage decision is entirely on you |
| 1120S tax return | TurboTax Live Business, Pilot | $1,749–$2,450/yr | Year-round planning; it files what you hand it |
| Tax strategy | None of the above sell it | — | The part that actually lowers your taxes |
| Coordination | You | Your evenings | — |
| Annual total | ≈ $7,000–$10,300 | — and you're still the CFO |
Our service replaces the entire stack — for less than its top end.
Bookkeeping kept the way an 1120S tax return actually needs it. Payroll run and filed. The return prepared by the same team that kept the books. Quarterly planning, plus PTET, retirement, and vehicle strategy — the layer none of the providers above sell at any price.
$9,600 a year sits inside what the stack already costs — except this version comes with the strategy and zero project management. The other comes with a second job.
And if we also manage your S Corp's 401(k) (balances over $100,000), the fee drops to $700/month — $8,400 a year, below almost any version of the stack.
The providers, grouped by the job they do.
Every provider below does one slice well. Notice that no group on this list sells proactive tax strategy — and each row assumes you'll manage the others.
| Provider | Service Type | Pricing (One Business) | What's Missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping | |||
| Bench | Full-service bookkeeping | $399/month | Bookkeeping only — no tax strategy |
| Bookkeeper360 | Full-service bookkeeping | $399/month | Bookkeeping only — no proactive advice |
| Pilot Bookkeeping | Full-service bookkeeping | $499/month | Bookkeeping only — limited strategic involvement |
| Better Bookkeeping | Full-service bookkeeping | $600/month | Bookkeeping only — no S Corp management |
| QuickBooks Online | DIY bookkeeping software | $115/month | Software only — no human oversight or CRE guidance |
| Payroll | |||
| Gusto | DIY payroll service | $55/month | You decide wages and withholding — no strategy |
| SurePayroll | DIY payroll service | $36/month | Form processing only |
| Tax Preparation | |||
| TurboTax Live Full Service Business | 1120S tax return | $1,749 (starting) | No bookkeeping, no payroll, no ongoing planning |
| Pilot | 1120S tax return | $2,450 | Filing only — no year-round planning |
| Bundled | |||
| Local accounting firm | Bundled compliance | $4,000–$8,000 (varies) | Data entry and filings — no strategy |
Pricing is approximate and based on publicly available information at the time of publication. Actual costs may vary.
Focus on what you do best.
CRE brokers succeed by generating revenue — not by managing accountants, payroll services, and bookkeeping systems. The other options either look complete but stop at compliance, or leave you assembling and supervising the pieces yourself.
Ours is the one choice that combines compliance, planning, and strategy in a single service built for brokers — so the only thing on your plate is the next deal.
Provider names and prices are for market comparison only, are approximate, and are based on publicly available information at the time of publication; they are not endorsements. Our fee covers the services described in your engagement agreement. Advisory services offered through Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, LLC.