Estimated Tax Pricing

At least $500 per quarter. Someone's always going to be cheaper; it doesn't have to be you.

$300 per quarter for first 3 quarters. Then, ask or argue or demand or persuade your client that he/she needs to do tax planning in December. For Tax planning charge $700 and tell the client why your value is especially important in December.

What kind of LLC pays tax?  Most of them are partnerships or S corps, so it's really the owners' taxes you are estimating and you need to know what else is going on with their finances.  If it's paying tax as a C corp, tell him that when he gives you the profit you'll multiply it by 21% and bill him $100. 

Or is he talking about quarterly payroll returns?  There are companies that do that, even for small business, better and cheaper than you.  

Too many variables.  How many states?  Is there PTET involved?  If we're just trying to avoid penalties I tell clients they can make safe estimates (for free) or they can pay me to calculate their tax return four times per year.  What they pay me I'm keeping.  If they pay the IRS too much, they get it back later.

I'm bookmarking this conversation, so I come back to it after 4/15.

Thought:  If I have the g/l, such as with QBO, I can see what my clients spends his money on. And sometimes seeing extravagances, such as $500 on bar tabs, I feel more justified in billing higher.

Advisory:  This morning, I reviewed my notes, and I was reminded that my client and I discussed reasonable compensation last year.  The client didn't take my advice so I'm putting a custom paragraph in the letter.  And adding $400 to his bill - I'm thinking of this as 1. I'm protecting you from the IRS, and 2. You can pay me now to keep you out of an audit or you can pay me later to (try to) defend you in an audit.

I'd provide them a rule of thumb ("book profits instances X%, rounded up" or similar) to observe to their personal spreadsheet for no extra cost over the charge of the tax return. But if a consumer needs expert work accomplished 4 instances a year, they want to anticipate to pay for expert work being accomplished 4 instances a year.