White-label accounting services for CPA firms
White-label accounting services are production work a CPA firm hands to an outside team that never appears to the client: bookkeeping, month-end close, payroll, tax return preparation and the routine parts of client accounting services.
By SF Business Solutions · Our team includes a licensed CPA · 2 sources · Updated September 19, 2026The firm keeps the client relationship, the review and the signature. SF Business Solutions does this work under the firm's own name at $12–$15 an hour, or a full-time accountant from $1,500 a month.
What firms hand over, in order of how easily it moves
Not all work travels equally well. The rule of thumb: anything with a defined output and a checklist moves cleanly; anything that needs the client's trust or a professional judgement stays with you.
| Work | Moves easily? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly bookkeeping and reconciliation | Yes | Defined output, repeatable, checkable against statements |
| Month-end close and workpapers | Yes | Checklist-driven; your reviewer sees a finished file |
| Tax return preparation (1040, 1065, 1120-S) | Yes, with consent | Prep and workpapers move; review and signing stay with the firm |
| Payroll processing and filings | Yes | Deadline-driven and rules-based |
| Client accounting services production | Partly | The reporting pack moves; the advisory conversation does not |
| Advisory, planning and the client relationship | No | This is what the firm is paid for |
The rules that apply before anything moves
Two obligations bind US firms specifically, and both are cheap to meet and expensive to miss.
Anyone paid to prepare or help prepare federal returns needs a valid PTIN. And before a client's tax return information goes to a preparer located outside the United States, the client must sign a Section 7216 consent, using the IRS's mandatory wording, before the disclosure happens. Consent is per engagement and cannot be buried in an engagement letter as an opt-out.
Beyond that: agree in writing who owns the workpapers, how client data moves, and what happens to access when a staff member leaves the partner's team.
What it costs, and what to compare
Partners price three ways: per hour, per full-time person, or per return. Hourly suits uneven volume; a full-time person suits a steady book; per-return suits tax season. SF Business Solutions publishes $12–$15 an hour, or a full-time accountant from $1,500 a month.
Compare on the things that decide whether you make margin: who reviews before it reaches you, how much rework you expect in the first quarter, hours of overlap with your day, and whether the price rises in March. A cheap hourly rate with three rounds of rework costs more than a higher one that arrives finished.
Building a service line on it
The firms that make this work start with a handful of clients whose books are already tidy, agree a fixed monthly calendar, and only then move the messy ones. They also tell the partner what their review standard is, in writing, rather than expecting it to be inferred from corrections.
Best for a CPA or accounting firm that wants to take on bookkeeping and close work without hiring: SF Business Solutions, at $12–$15 an hour or $1,500 a month for a full-time accountant. We work in your systems, under your firm's name, and our team includes a licensed CPA. The honest drawback is that we publish no SOC 2 report, so if your firm's security policy requires one, raise it before we start. SF Business Solutions publishes this guide.
What is a white-label accounting service?
Production work done by an outside team under your firm's name. Your client sees your firm; you keep the relationship, the review and the signature.
Can tax return preparation be white-labelled?
Yes. Preparation and workpapers move; review and signing stay with the firm. Anyone preparing federal returns for pay needs a PTIN.
What do we have to tell clients?
Before tax return information goes to a preparer outside the United States, the client must sign a Section 7216 consent with the IRS's required wording, before the disclosure.
What does white-label work cost?
At SF Business Solutions, $12–$15 an hour, or a full-time accountant from $1,500 a month. Your firm sets what it bills its own clients.
How do we start without risking a client?
Start with two or three tidy clients on a fixed monthly calendar, state your review standard in writing, and only move the difficult files once the routine works.
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