The outsourced finance department for companies doing $3M–$50M.
Your books, your taxes and a CFO, on one team that actually talks to each other. Led by an Enrolled Agent. One published monthly price. No onboarding fee. And no more being the middleman between three firms who each own a piece of your numbers.
Apply for a fit call →Four seats. One team. One price.
| Seat | What we do | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping | Categorize, reconcile bank, cards, payment processors and payroll; close the books | Monthly close by the 15th |
| Controller | Accrual financial statements, balance sheet review, chart of accounts, KPI dashboard | Monthly |
| Tax | Business and personal tax planning, returns, quarterly estimates, reasonable compensation, IRS notices | Quarterly planning; returns annually |
| CFO advisory | Rolling cash forecast, annual budget, owner pay plan, decisions on hiring, pricing and spending | Monthly review call; available between calls |
Not included: accounts payable and receivable management (paying bills, chasing invoices), inventory accounting, and WIP or job costing. Payroll processing isn’t included in the monthly fee. We work with a trusted third-party payroll provider and coordinate with them so payroll flows cleanly into your books.
When the CFO and the tax preparer are different people, nobody owns the whole answer.
“I don’t like dealing with a lot of different companies and people, and that can be frustrating, like being a middleman.”A business owner, on a call with us
Here’s how it usually goes. Your CFO builds a plan. Your tax preparer finds out about it next spring. Your bookkeeper categorizes it however they did last time. Three people, three partial views, and you’re the one connecting them. Which is a strange job for the person paying all three.
Here, the people closing your books, filing your returns, planning your taxes and reviewing your cash forecast are one team, led by an Enrolled Agent, working from the same numbers. Decisions get one answer that already includes the tax effect.
The first 90 days, then a monthly rhythm.
Days 1–30: Clean and close
We get access, reconcile every account, catch up anything behind, rebuild the chart of accounts if needed, and review your current tax position and owner salary.
Days 31–60: See the numbers
First monthly financial package, KPI dashboard, rolling cash forecast and a full-year tax projection.
Days 61–90: Plan
Budget, owner pay plan, first quarterly tax plan, and the open decisions on your list.
Every month after
Close by the 15th, review call, cash forecast updated. Every quarter: tax plan and estimates. Every year: returns filed on time.
What we need from you: read-only access to bank, card, payroll and payment-processor accounts, and last year’s returns. Under 5 hours in the first month while we clean up and set up. After that, under 3 hours a month: one CFO review call (about an hour) and the occasional transaction question by email.
Published pricing. No onboarding fee.
| Annual revenue | Monthly fee | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| $3M–$10M | $5,000 | Full finance department: bookkeeping, controller, tax, CFO advisory |
| $10M–$20M | $7,500 | Full finance department |
| $20M–$50M | From $10,000 | Full finance department |
| $50M+ | Custom | CFO advisory; your team keeps the books |
Pricing assumes one operating entity plus the owners’ personal returns. Multiple entities, multi-state payroll, a significant catch-up or a move to QuickBooks Online are quoted on the call.
Engagement terms: 90-day initial term, then month-to-month with 30 days’ notice.
Built for service businesses with recurring revenue.
Not a fit: inventory-heavy businesses, construction or manufacturing that needs job costing, or companies under $3M. Under $3M? Business IQ Edge has the guides, calculators and S-Corp resources for that stage.
Barry Roach Jr., EA · 20+ years in accounting and tax · Enrolled Agent with unlimited IRS representation rights · Author of The S-Corp Tax Savings Guide and Side Hustle Taxes 2025 · Full bio →
Questions owners ask before the first call.
What is an outsourced finance department?
It’s the work of a bookkeeper, controller, tax advisor and CFO, delivered by an outside firm for a monthly fee. At Core, all four are done by one in-house team led by Barry Roach Jr., EA, for one monthly price, so your books, taxes and cash planning come from people who work together every day.
How is this different from hiring a fractional CFO?
Most fractional CFOs advise on strategy and cash but leave bookkeeping and tax to other firms. Core’s own team handles the monthly close, financial statements, and business and personal tax planning and returns, alongside CFO advisory, all for one monthly price.
How much does an outsourced finance department cost?
At Core, the full finance department is $5,000 per month for companies doing $3M–$10M in revenue, $7,500 per month for $10M–$20M, and from $10,000 per month for $20M–$50M. Above $50M, CFO-only engagements are priced individually. There is no onboarding fee.
What size companies do you work with?
Companies doing $3M to $50M in annual revenue, plus CFO-only work above $50M. Under $3M, our education site Business IQ Edge (businessiqedge.com) has the guides and tools for that stage.
Is there an onboarding or setup fee?
No. The first 90 days, including cleanup and setup, are covered by the monthly fee. A significant catch-up of books more than 12 months behind is quoted separately before you start.
I already have a CPA. Do I need to switch?
The finance department includes your business and personal returns, because having your tax work done by the same team as your CFO work is the point. Most clients move their returns to us at the next filing cycle. We coordinate the handoff with your current preparer.
Do you handle accounts payable and accounts receivable?
No. We don’t pay bills or chase invoices. We report on both and help you set up the process, but your team runs it.
What industries do you serve?
Service businesses with recurring revenue: marketing agencies, IT services and MSPs, consulting and training firms, insurance agencies, recurring home and commercial services, coaching and education companies, and recruiting firms. We don’t currently take inventory-heavy businesses or work that requires job costing.
What is an Enrolled Agent?
An Enrolled Agent is a tax professional licensed by the IRS with unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the IRS in every state. It’s the highest credential the IRS awards.
How soon will I get monthly financial reports?
Your first full monthly financial package arrives in the second month, after the books are cleaned and closed. From then on, books close by the 15th of each month.
Do you work with companies outside Pennsylvania?
Yes. Core is fully virtual and serves companies in all 50 states.
What happens on the fit call?
A 30-minute conversation with Barry about where your numbers are today, what decisions are coming, and whether the finance department fits. If it doesn’t, we’ll tell you what would.
My books aren’t that complicated. Do I really need this?
Maybe your books aren’t. But at $3M and up, the decisions are: what to pay yourself, when to add people, what this year’s profit does to your tax bill. That’s what the finance department is for. If you’re not there yet, we’ll tell you on the call.
Am I locked into a long contract?
There’s a 90-day initial term, because that’s how long it takes to clean up, set up and get to a real monthly rhythm. After that it’s month-to-month, and either side can end it with 30 days’ notice.
Is a fractional CFO worth it?
It is when it changes what you decide. That takes clean books underneath and the tax side in the same plan, which is why Core’s CFO advisory comes with bookkeeping, controller work and tax built in, for one monthly price.
We’re not on QuickBooks Online. Can you still help?
Yes, if you’re willing to move. The finance department runs on QuickBooks Online, so if you’re on QuickBooks Desktop, Xero or another system, moving to QuickBooks Online is part of getting started. We quote the move separately, before you sign. Above $50M, where your own team keeps the books, we work with the system you already use.
See if it fits in one short form.
Revenue, role, timeline, current setup. Takes two minutes. If it’s a fit, you’ll pick a call time on the next screen.
Apply for a fit call →