Accountant pricing for MEI and micro-enterprises: what to expect
How much does an accountant cost for an MEI or micro-enterprise? Understand what's included in the price, what's essential, and where you shouldn't cut corners.
Accountant pricing for an MEI (individual micro-entrepreneur) or micro-enterprise varies widely. One firm charges R$ 99 a month and another charges R$ 500. The difference isn’t arbitrary — and understanding what lies behind the price helps you avoid surprises.
This article explains what you can expect to pay, what each price tier includes and, most importantly, what you should never give up, even on the tightest budget.
Why an accountant charges what they charge
Accountants don’t sell a product — they sell time and expertise. Every ancillary obligation your company has to meet consumes the accountant’s hours. The more complex the operation, the more hours. The more hours, the higher the price.
For an MEI, the obligations are relatively simple: monthly, there’s the DAS (the Simples Nacional unified tax form), the fixed INSS contribution and payroll (if there’s an employee). But even the simplest MEI needs tax guidance, regime review and planning.
The accountant’s price reflects:
- The volume of ancillary obligations
- The need for personalized attention
- The expertise required for the company’s sector
- Geographic location (São Paulo has a different price range than the interior of Pernambuco)
- Reputation and specialization
Price tiers for MEI and micro-enterprises
Tier 1: R$ 100 to R$ 200 a month
In this tier, you’re probably hiring an accountant who works on high volume. The service tends to be more bureaucratic: meeting deadlines, filing returns, calculating taxes. Personalized attention is limited.
What’s usually included:
- Monthly DAS
- DIRF (if there’s an employee)
- INSS and FGTS payments
- Support by WhatsApp or email, with response times of up to 48 hours
What’s NOT included in this tier:
- Tax planning
- Regime review
- Guidance for strategic decisions
- Real-time support
When it makes sense: An MEI with no employees, no complex tax decisions, that only needs basic compliance.
Tier 2: R$ 200 to R$ 400 a month
Here you’ll find firms that manage to balance volume with attention. The accountant still works at scale, but can give more attention to each client.
What’s usually included:
- Everything in Tier 1, plus:
- Quarterly regime review
- Guidance on legislative changes that affect the company
- Phone or video support
- SPED Fiscal and Contábil (tax and accounting digital bookkeeping) where applicable
When it makes sense: Micro-enterprises with employees, that earn above the MEI threshold (R$ 81,000 per year) or that need more frequent guidance.
Tier 3: R$ 400 to R$ 800 a month
Firms that work on a consultative advisory basis start in this tier for micro-enterprises. The focus isn’t just delivering obligations — it’s helping the company make better tax decisions.
What’s usually included:
- Everything in Tier 2, plus:
- Quarterly tax planning
- Cash flow analysis
- A full regime review once a year
- A direct line to a senior accountant
- Support with response times under 24 hours
When it makes sense: Growing micro-enterprises that are approaching revenue thresholds, or that need support with decisions such as hiring as a PJ (incorporated professional) or under CLT, choosing a CNAE code, or defining their corporate structure.
What you should never give up, even at the lowest price
1. Direct communication with the accountant
If you can only reach a firm and never the accountant in charge, you’re buying a product, not a service. The relationship between a company and its accountant needs to be direct. If the accountant never calls you to explain a change, they’re just going through the bureaucratic motions.
2. Tax regime review
The wrong tax regime can cost more per month than the accountant charges per year. If the accountant never reviews whether Simples Nacional is still the best fit for your company, you’re paying little to lose money every month.
3. Proactiveness
A good accountant ANTICIPATES problems. They flag deadlines, warn about legislative changes, suggest adjustments before they turn into penalties. If you only hear from your accountant when you reach out to them, two things are missing: proactiveness and trust.
4. The security of your data
The company’s digital certificate needs to be kept somewhere secure and under your control. If the accountant holds the certificate and you have no access, you don’t have real control over your operation. This is a point many small entrepreneurs ignore until they have to navigate a crisis.
Signs the price is too good to be true
If an accountant charges significantly below the market, be wary. A price that’s too low can mean:
- An excessive volume of clients (fragmented attention)
- A lack of structure to handle urgent matters
- No tax planning at all (which costs you more at year-end)
- A digital certificate in the accountant’s name rather than the company’s (a security risk)
How to assess whether it’s worth it
The question isn’t whether the accountant is cheap. The question is: how much is correct accounting saving you or costing you? If you’re in the wrong regime and paid R$ 10,000 more in taxes over the year, the accountant who seemed expensive was actually the cheapest.
That’s why, when looking for a new accountant or evaluating your current one, ask for a regime review as part of the first engagement. If the firm doesn’t offer that right away, it’s probably thinking about volume, not results.
Talk to the VMAHUB team to understand what consultative advisory can do for your company or see how switching accountants works at /trocar-contador.
Going deeper
Read also: In-person or online accountant: which is better, Mistakes when choosing a new accountant for your company, and What to ask before hiring a new accountant. Explore the consultative content hub at /naprática.
Vivian Sampaio is an Accountant, Lawyer and founder of VMAHUB, with over 26 years of experience in accounting and tax law.