Quote
Volume sets the floor. Complexity moves the tier. We do not match $250.
Industry modal is $250–$499. That is a P&L mill. Job costing is +30–50%. We quote the higher of the named floor and the math. Catch-up is 2–3× monthly times months dark — the $6,500 Friday Close is the wrap, not the industry number.
ProAxis catch-up (published)
Formula: months × complexity-adjusted dollars per month of backlog. Messy +15%. Reconstruction +30%. Rush +20% / +40%. Tax prep is a separate engagement. NJ / NY / PA, 2026.
| Their worked example | $/month of backlog | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Solo designer · 4 months · incomplete | $300–$350 | $1,200–$1,400 |
| Restaurant S-Corp · 8 months · messy · 8/12 | $850–$1,100 | $6,800–$8,800 |
| Four LLCs · 12 months · rush · forced complex | $1,300–$1,700 | $21,800–$28,600 |
What actually moves their rate
Tier is a jump. Score is 0–12 inside the band. Book condition and rush are uplifts after that. Accounts, AR/AP, entity count, and payroll size are now on the quote.
| Driver | Layer | How they move the rate | What we collect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transaction volume | Score | ~30 = 0 · ~80 = +1 · ~600 = +2 | Monthly txns |
| Accounts | Score | Each bank, card, merchant, loan is its own rec. Five = +1 | Accounts field |
| Industry | Score | +1. Contractors 30–60% above a service firm | Line |
| Payroll | Score | Owner-only is trivial. 6–20 employees = +2 | Payroll size |
| Inventory / job cost / WIP | Score | Simple +1. Why $1,200 service becomes $1,800 contractor | Job cost / ecommerce |
| AR / AP | Score | AP-heavy or AR-only = +1 in their examples | AR / AP field |
| Entity count | Jump | ≥2 LLCs forces complex. $1,200 floor + $300 / extra entity | Entity count |
| Book condition | Uplift | Incomplete 0. Messy +15%. Reconstruction +30% | Months dark |
Tax-season surcharge
Applies to project work that lands inside a wall. Not to a close client already paying the year.
| Clock | We take | Industry |
|---|---|---|
| On calendar / monthly retainer | 0% extra | 18% already in the year |
| Inside 30 days · after March 1 | +20% | 15–25% late-season; +20% last 30 |
| Inside 14 days | +40% | 40% under two weeks; wrap off |
| Inside 7 days, or the wall | Decline | Some shops take +50%. We do not. |
Transaction volume
Same transaction count, different industries, roughly the same hours — until complexity.
| Monthly txns | Industry fee | Hours | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–49 | $150–$250 | 2–4 | Solo / pre-revenue |
| 50–100 | $250–$400 | 3–5 | Freelancer, SMLLC |
| 100–250 | $400–$650 | 5–8 | Small service |
| 250–500 | $600–$1,000 | 8–12 | Established service |
| 500–1000 | $1,000–$1,800 | 12–18 | Restaurant, growing ecommerce |
| 1000–2500 | $1,800–$3,000 | 18–30 | High-volume retail |
| 2,500+ | $3,000–$5,000 | 30–45 | Multi-channel / multi-entity |