To hire a bookkeeper or not
The next step is an online accounting program. These are now built to work with even a self-employed person without accounting knowledge. Many entrepreneurs use this to invoice themselves and only engage the accountant for checking and tax returns.
Are you looking for an accountant? Compare costs of accountants from your region? Request a free and non-binding quote online and compare yourself.
It is also not mandatory. So, you can do the entire bookkeeping yourself. You indeed save the costs of an accountant, but if you miss out on tax benefits because you are insufficiently aware of the rules, you will, of course, cut yourself. In addition, an accountant can automate things. Think of salary administration or other time-consuming matters for an entrepreneur to set up entirely independently.
With complex accounting, an accountant quickly pays for himself
Many entrepreneurs quickly outsource the income tax return and any salary administration, and in this area, a good accountant usually earns back his costs rapidly. As soon as the company is profitable and the accounting becomes too time-consuming, many entrepreneurs outsource VAT returns. Invoicing or matters such as journey or time registration are, of course, less easy to outsource. For that reason, accounting is often an interaction between an accountant and the entrepreneur himself.
Costs accountant
Is desired. The costs of an accountant for a sole proprietorship are on average between $500 and $1,500 per year, depending on the contact, how the figures are provided, and to what extent advice is given. These are averages, though. Rates of a bookkeeper can sometimes differ per region, office, or bookkeeper. Therefore, it can pay off to request a few quotes online and compare them.
But on the other part, you should consider whether a low-cost bookkeeper is the best. Hiring a good bookkeeper may cost a lot of money, but it can also pay off if he finds the right tax benefits for you. Many bookkeepers have different hourly rates per service.
Duties of a bookkeeper
He helps with bookkeeping, but what exactly does a bookkeeper do? It can differ per company. Many entrepreneurs do the invoicing themselves, but apart from that, many administrations are outsourced to an accountant. It then keeps the books of all financial transactions, verifies the accuracy of all financial-related documents, and prepares financial reports for specific periods, such as the annual accounts or the annual report.
Traditionally, a bookkeeper also collects the incoming and outgoing invoices and keeps track of which of them have been paid. Nowadays, these activities are often taken over by a digital accounting program mainly aimed at entrepreneurs themselves. As a result, the duties of the bookkeeper change to a controlling function. In addition, many entrepreneurs hire him for the turnover and income tax returns.
Differences between bookkeeper, accountant, and tax specialist?
In the past, accountants did all the tasks that came with the administration. Nowadays, accounting programs ensure that entrepreneurs can enter invoices themselves, which automatically updates overviews. The rise of internet banking also has simplified administration tasks, enabling entrepreneurs to do this themselves. As a result, accountants increasingly present themselves as specialists.
Previously, the accountant was often the specialist, but nowadays, more and more accountants call themselves acquisition advisers, tax advisers, or tax specialists. These positions existed before the advent of automation but mainly consisted of consultants for large companies. Nowadays, more and more medium-sized and even small companies use tax specialists. Therefore, a tax specialist is an accountant who has specialized in a particular part of his work. A specialism can not only convince customers; it also sometimes justifies a higher hourly rate.
Bookkeeper engaged? You remain responsible yourself!
Are you hiring an accountant because you don’t feel like delving into the administration yourself? You are certainly not alone! Few entrepreneurs enjoy getting to know all the tax regulations well. Of course, you can expect an accountant to be knowledgeable, but it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye on yourself.
It has a lot of influence on how you provide the figures yourself, but you also remain legally responsible for the accounting. Are you unsure about a specific choice? Do you regularly doubt? Then it is probably wise to look for another accountant! Then it never hurts to ask for a second opinion from the tax authorities themselves.
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