Cost to prepare quarterly estimates?

How much are you charging to prepare quarterly estimates? I treat it as anything else I do and bill by the hour. So if it takes me an hour that's $300. I have a number of low to mid six figure clients that are all self-employed. They don't seem to realize that before I even touch their tax returns they are $1,200 in the hole (an hour a quarter, give or take). Even though I explain this before I prepare the estimates. They don't want to give the IRS a cent more than required at the time, but also don't want to pay me to ensure they don't...

I include preparation of safe harbor estimates in the annual compliance fee.

If a client wants to rerun one or more quarters, I bill based on time used.

A client that has stable or growing income shouldn't need a fully dialed-in estimate each quarter right? Just get them paid into safe harbor. The math there is pretty easy.

Maybe we are the exception, but 99.9% of clients with estimates have the estimates set for when we finish the 1040 and we do not revisit the subject again until year end planning. So if I have a 100% S Corp Shareholder who had a $350k bottom line in 2021, then I might set his quarterlies for $25k each quarter in 2022. They will make the prepared quarterly estimates for the first 3 quarters and then maybe we adjust the 4th up or down.

But we are certainly not setting estimates each quarter. And not for self employed people either.

Same here. It's super easy with the tax software. If we need to get into details, we do so after tax season and I provide a quote based on complexity.

Maybe we are the exception, but 99.9% of clients with estimates have the estimates set for when we finish the 1040 and we do not revisit the subject again until year end planning. So if I have a 100% S Corp Shareholder who had a $350k bottom line in 2021, then I might set his quarterlies for $25k each quarter in 2022. They will make the prepared quarterly estimates for the first 3 quarters and then maybe we adjust the 4th up or down.

But we are certainly not setting estimates each quarter. And not for self employed people either.

Built into an inclusive price, so I don't charge.

But my ala carte fee would be $350 for the year (includes updates because they are simple to update).

I tell them to check in in August.

For my business clients Qtly Estimates are included in the base price.

For non business clients, particularly those that have massive Sch D income, it varies by what they pay me for other services. Oftentimes it gets buried in the base pricing.