Ecommerce Accountant: What They Do, What They Cost and When to Hire One

An ecommerce accountant is an accountant or CPA who works mainly with online sellers. The core work is the same as for any business: keep accurate books, prepare financial statements and file taxes. What changes is the data. Store and marketplace payouts arrive net of fees and refunds, stock is paid for long before it sells, and sales tax can be owed in states where you have no office.

This guide covers what an ecommerce accountant does, how the role differs from a bookkeeper and a CPA, what it costs, and how to get more from the hours you pay for.

What an ecommerce accountant does

• Reconciles payouts. A Shopify, Stripe or Amazon payout is one deposit that mixes sales, refunds, fees and tax. The accountant splits it back into those parts and matches the total to the bank.
• Keeps inventory and cost of goods sold right. Product cost, freight and duty belong in the cost of stock, and they reach cost of goods sold only when the stock sells.
• Tracks sales tax. States can require an out-of-state seller to collect sales tax once sales pass a threshold, often $100,000 a year. Marketplaces such as Amazon and Etsy collect it on their own sales in most states, but sales through your own store are yours to report.
• Closes the month. Bank and card accounts are reconciled, the month's entries are reviewed and the period is locked, so reports stop changing.
• Prepares tax returns and plans ahead. Income tax returns, estimated payments and the choice of business structure.
• Explains the numbers. A good ecommerce accountant can tell you why margin fell or where the profit went, not only what the totals are.

Bookkeeper, accountant or CPA

Many ecommerce firms offer all three under one fee. When you compare quotes, compare the work covered, not the job title.

What an ecommerce accountant costs

The same guide notes that the number of sales channels and transactions drives the price more than revenue does. Other things that raise a quote:

• Several channels. Each store, marketplace and payment provider is another payout to reconcile every month.
• Inventory. Stock counts, landed costs and cost of goods sold take more time than a service business's books.
• Sales tax in many states. Each state with a filing adds monthly or quarterly work.
• Cleanup. Months or years of unreconciled books are usually billed as a separate project before monthly work starts.
• Tax returns. Many monthly fees cover bookkeeping only. Check whether income tax returns are included or billed per return.

How to pay for fewer hours

Most of an ecommerce accountant's monthly time goes into getting the records ready to review: downloading payout reports, splitting deposits and chasing receipts. When the records arrive ready, you pay for review and advice instead.

Invite your accountant to Nummbas with the Accountant role. They can record transactions, reconcile accounts, close months and reopen a closed month, and they see Nummbas Books only, not your dashboards, team or billing. An accountant uses one team seat. If your accountant prefers QuickBooks Online or Xero, Nummbas can send each payout to them as a summary instead.

When an online store needs an accountant

• Revenue is growing and you no longer know your profit by month without a spreadsheet.
• You sell on more than one channel, or you hold stock across warehouses.
• Your sales are close to a state's sales tax threshold, or already past one.
• A lender, investor or buyer has asked for financial statements.
• You are choosing between an LLC and an S corporation, or planning owner pay.
• Your books are more than two months behind.

If none of these applies yet, you can keep your own books in Nummbas Books and bring in a CPA for the annual tax return. The books will be ready when you need more help.

Questions to ask before you hire

1. Which sales channels and payment providers do you already work with?
2. How do you handle inventory and cost of goods sold?
3. Do you track sales tax thresholds by state, and who files the returns?
4. Is the income tax return included, or billed separately?
5. What does a monthly close include, and by which day is it finished?
6. Can you work in Nummbas Books alongside us?

Ecommerce accountant FAQs

Do I need an accountant for my online store?

Not on day one. Many store owners keep their own books at first and pay a CPA for the annual tax return. Bring in an accountant when you sell on several channels, hold significant stock, approach a sales tax threshold or need monthly reports you can rely on.

What does a Shopify accountant do?

A Shopify accountant splits each Shopify payout into sales, refunds, fees and tax, matches it to the bank deposit, keeps inventory and cost of goods sold current and handles sales tax and income tax. They usually work with the apps and payment providers Shopify stores use.

How much does an ecommerce accountant cost?

A finance firm for online brands put the cost at $500 to $1,500 a month for brands under $1 million in revenue, and $1,500 to $4,000 a month from $1 million to $5 million. Channels, transaction volume, inventory and sales tax filings move the price within those ranges.

Is a CPA better than a bookkeeper for an ecommerce business?

They do different jobs. A bookkeeper keeps the records current every month. A CPA is licensed to prepare and sign tax work and can represent you before the IRS. Most growing stores need monthly bookkeeping and a CPA at tax time.

Can my accountant work in Nummbas?

Yes. Invite them with the Accountant role and they can record transactions, reconcile accounts and close months in Nummbas Books, without access to the rest of your Nummbas account.