What Is a Fair Bookkeeping Fee in Korea? Monthly Fees and Annual Total for Sole Proprietors and Companies (2026)

For foreign nationals: some of these rules apply differently depending on whether you are a resident or a non-resident for Korean tax purposes. Check your residency status before relying on this article.

There is no fixed price for bookkeeping. The fee depends on sales volume, number of transactions, industry, number of employees, and the scope of work you hand over. The same monthly amount can cover different work. So compare quotes by the annual total (monthly fee × 12 + year-end closing and filing fee). Barun Tax & Accounting starts at KRW 100,000 per month for sole proprietors and KRW 120,000 per month for companies. The adjustment fee is separate.

Five factors that set the fee

Factor	When the fee goes up
Sales volume	Higher sales mean more transactions and documents, so the fee rises by sales bracket
Monthly transactions	Many tax invoices, card payments, and cash transactions, or receipts that are not organized
Industry	Industries that need inventory and cost accounting, overseas transactions, or a mix of taxable and tax-exempt sales
Number of employees	Payroll ledger, withholding tax, four social insurance filings, and year-end tax settlement are added
Business type	A company is legally required to keep double-entry books, close its accounts, and make tax adjustments, so it takes more work than an individual

What makes up the cost: monthly fee + adjustment fee + extra work

Component	What it is	When you pay
Monthly bookkeeping fee	Keeping the books each month and regular filings such as VAT and withholding tax	Every month
Closing and filing fee (adjustment fee, 조정료)	Closing the year’s accounts and filing comprehensive income tax (individuals) or corporate tax (companies)	Once a year
Extra work fee	Work outside the scope (for example, filing for capital gains, inheritance, or gift tax, or a refund claim (경정청구))	Each time

How to calculate the annual total

Annual total = monthly fee × 12 + adjustment fee + extra work fee

If the monthly fee is low but the adjustment fee or the payroll fee is large, the annual total can end up higher. If you collect quotes from several offices, set them to the same scope of work first, then compare the annual totals.

Barun Tax & Accounting bookkeeping fees

Type	Monthly fee	Adjustment fee
Sole proprietor	From KRW 100,000 per month	Separate – quoted after a consultation
Company	From KRW 120,000 per month	Separate – quoted after a consultation
Only comprehensive income tax or capital gains tax filing	–	Quoted after a consultation

Included in the monthly fee: monthly bookkeeping, VAT and withholding tax filing, four social insurance filings, year-end tax settlement — if you have employees, the fee may vary with the number of employees
Separate: the once-a-year closing and filing fee (adjustment fee) for comprehensive income tax (individuals) or corporate tax (companies), and the confirmation fee for sole proprietors subject to the faithful filing confirmation (성실신고확인)

The bookkeeping fee is confirmed after a consultation, based on transaction volume and scope of work. Amounts by industry, sales, and number of employees are in Bookkeeping fee examples by situation.

The fee is an expense, and there is a bookkeeping tax credit

Bookkeeping and adjustment fees are business costs, so they are treated as expenses.
If a simplified-bookkeeping filer files with double-entry books, you get the bookkeeping tax credit (기장세액공제). It is 20% of the calculated tax on business income from the books, up to KRW 1 million.
If you file without books, a no-bookkeeping penalty tax (무기장가산세, 20% of the calculated tax on income without books) may apply instead. Businesses in their first year and businesses with prior-year revenue under KRW 48 million are excluded.

When you can do it yourself · When to hand it over

You can handle it yourself if

You are a simplified-bookkeeping filer, your sales and expenses are all in Hometax, and you only need to file yourself

Better to hand it over if

You are required to keep double-entry books, or you run a company
You have employees, so payroll and four social insurance filings come up every month
You have many transactions and bookkeeping takes a lot of time

Barun Tax & Accounting handles bookkeeping for foreign residents and foreign-owned companies, starting at KRW 100,000 per month for sole proprietors and KRW 120,000 per month for companies. We reply to emails within one business day. contact@barun-tax.com · KakaoTalk · +82-10-2701-6199

Frequently asked questions

What is a fair bookkeeping fee?

There is no fixed price. The fee depends on sales volume, number of transactions per month, industry, number of employees, and the scope of work you hand over. The same amount can cover different work, so look at the annual total (monthly fee × 12 + year-end closing and filing fee) together with what is included.

How much does Barun Tax & Accounting charge for bookkeeping?

From KRW 100,000 per month for sole proprietors and from KRW 120,000 per month for companies. This includes VAT (부가가치세), withholding tax (원천세), and four social insurance filings, plus year-end tax settlement (연말정산). If you have employees, the fee may vary with the number of employees. The year-end closing and filing fee (adjustment fee, 조정료) is separate from the bookkeeping fee. It is confirmed after a consultation, based on transaction volume and scope of work.

What is the adjustment fee?

It is the fee for closing your books once a year and filing comprehensive income tax (종합소득세) for individuals or corporate tax (법인세) for companies. Many offices charge it separately from the monthly bookkeeping fee.

Is the bookkeeping fee a deductible expense?

Yes. Bookkeeping and adjustment fees are business costs and are treated as expenses. If a simplified-bookkeeping filer files with double-entry books, you can also claim the bookkeeping tax credit (기장세액공제): 20% of the calculated tax on income from the books, up to KRW 1 million.

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This article is general guidance based on Korean tax law as of the date written. It is not tax advice for your specific situation. Please consult us before acting on it.

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