📒 Bookkeeping for small businesses
Monthly bookkeeping, invoicing and VAT-return preparation for sole traders and small firms. Suits: People with accounts, admin or bookkeeping experience; strong with spreadsheets and software.
Reviewed 2026-09-25 · what a review checks
Earnings are modelled, not measured: €25–€45 an hour (assumed hourly rate; often a fixed monthly fee per client) × your hours × 30–70% of those hours paid in the first months. Check local prices before you set yours.
Write down three small businesses you know personally whose owners hate paperwork. They are your first calls.
- Decide your service: monthly books only, or books + VAT returns
- Get a PI insurance quote
- Offer a fixed monthly price to three tradespeople or shops you know
To start: €50–€400 — accounting software partner account, professional indemnity quote.
Monthly: €20–€80 — software, insurance.
- Professional indemnity insurance is strongly advised.
- Anti-money-laundering obligations can apply to bookkeeping services — check before taking clients.
- Errors have real consequences for clients — stay within your competence.
- Clients who hand over a year of receipts in October.
Self-employed income; insurance and software are deductible.
Declaring side income as a PAYE worker. Side income is taxable from the first euro. If your net non-PAYE income is under €5,000 (and gross under €30,000) you can declare it on Form 12 through myAccount. At €5,000 net or more you are a “chargeable person” and must register for self-assessment and file Form 11 by 31 October. Source · checked 2026-09-25
VAT registration thresholds. You must register for VAT once turnover exceeds, or is likely to exceed, €42,500 a year for services or €85,000 for goods. Source · checked 2026-09-25
Business expenses. Costs incurred “wholly and exclusively” for the side business (tools, software, platform fees, a share of home costs) are deductible from the income before tax. Keep receipts for six years. Source · checked 2026-09-25
Educational information about Irish tax rules, not tax, legal or financial advice. Your position depends on your circumstances — check with Revenue or a qualified adviser.
Day-by-day actions for your first week, and what to do at your first customer, first €100, first €500 and when to scale. Included with Hustler (€9.99/month, 14-day free trial, cancel any time).