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Playbook

Bookkeeping for small businesses

Monthly bookkeeping, invoicing and VAT-return preparation for sole traders and small firms.

Reviewed 2026-09-25 · what a review checks

At 5h a week
€160–€680/mo
At 10h a week
€330–€1370/mo
Start-up cost
€50–€400
First money
2–6 weeks
Difficulty
Some skill
Risk
Medium
Customer contact
Some
Where
Local or online

Start tonight

0/5 done · about an hour

Five small actions. No money, no website. Tick them as you go — your progress is saved on this device.

Who it suits

People with accounts, admin or bookkeeping experience; strong with spreadsheets and software.

What you need · how much it costs

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.

How to get your first customer

  1. Decide your service: monthly books only, or books + VAT returns
  2. Get a PI insurance quote
  3. Offer a fixed monthly price to three tradespeople or shops you know

How to price it

Assumed market range €25–€45 an hour (assumed hourly rate; often a fixed monthly fee per client). Start around €32 for your first three customers, then raise it for new customers once you have reviews. Check three local or platform listings before you publish a price.

Realistic earnings

€25–€45/hour × 5h a week × 4.33 weeks × 30–70% of hours actually paid ≈ €160–€680 a month, before costs and tax.

€25–€45/hour × 10h a week × 4.33 weeks × 30–70% of hours actually paid ≈ €330–€1,370 a month, before costs and tax.

The rate range is an assumption (assumed hourly rate; often a fixed monthly fee per client); the share of hours paid reflects the first few months, when most time goes on finding customers. Actual income depends on demand, pricing and how consistently you find customers. Capped at 20h a week.

What can go wrong

  • Errors have real consequences for clients — stay within your competence.
  • Clients who hand over a year of receipts in October.
  • Up to €400 spent before you know it works.

Irish tax (2026)

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.

Hustler · execution plan

What to do this week, and how to scale bookkeeping for small businesses

Free gets you started tonight. Hustler gives you the day-by-day plan for your first week and what to do at your first customer, first €100, first €500 and when to scale — €9.99/month, 14-day free trial, cancel any time.

Checking your account…

Sources

Want something that keeps earning without your hours? That is CashCow, our sister site for building income assets.