Outsource bookkeeping: Benefits, costs and alternatives
Regardless of whether in a small or large company: The subject of accounting can be very complex. If you are so involved in your business that you don't have time to deal with ongoing bookkeeping, tax returns and financial statements yourself, you can outsource your bookkeeping.
This allows you to have your back and concentrate on the essentials — always with the good feeling that your tax advisor will take care of everything and will also remind you of important deadlines, among other things.
The technical platform is operated by Integral Services GmbH. All reserved tasks are performed by Integral Tax GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft.
The key points
Saving time in everyday life
With external accounting, you save valuable time and can concentrate on your core business.
Digital tools
Documents can be easily uploaded and shared directly with your tax advisor.
More overview and planning security
Regular evaluations create the basis for well-founded decisions.
Flexible models
Whether freelancer or GmbH, there are suitable offers for every size of company.
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Why outsourcing bookkeeping makes sense
External accounting helps managers save time. Instead of having to book invoices yourself upon receipt, the relevant documents are simply forwarded digitally to the tax advisor, for example. This person will then take care of everything else — including reporting the sales tax correctly at the end of the respective period.
However, there are other reasons to ask yourself the question “Should I outsource my accounting? “to discuss. Anyone who chooses to work with an external accounting department benefits, among other things, from:
- More security and the good feeling of meeting all legal requirements. Because: Tax law and the obligations associated with bookkeeping are constantly changing. Here, it is important to always stay up to date, meet deadlines and meet requirements. In this way, the risk of errors and back payments, which are determined as part of tax audits, can be reduced.
- Transparent planning security. Regular evaluations such as the BWA, but also complete and accurate annual financial statements ensure that you can get a better overview of your company's income, expenditure and liquidity. This allows you to make more informed decisions.
- Less stress in everyday life. When you outsource your accounting, you no longer have to worry about receipts, advance sales tax returns and cash books. This creates space for your business.
And by the way: If you want to outsource your accounting, you should carefully consider how much you want to hand over. If you manage a GmbH or UG, you usually have different requirements than a small business owner. It is best to opt for a tax advisor who can grow with your company.
Bookkeeping outsourcing: Advantages and disadvantages at a glance
Anyone who has their bookkeeping handled by external service providers benefits from noticeable time savings and can concentrate more on their core business. At the same time, however, there are additional costs that must be planned for. If you have your bookkeeping done externally, you gain flexibility — especially if you opt for digital tax advice.
However, this solution also entails dependencies on availability and communication. To make the right decision, you should take a close look at the pros and cons. The following table gives you an overview of the most important points:
benefits
drawbacks
- You can outsource time-consuming tasks and focus on your day-to-day business.
- You are legally on the safe side because your tax advisor knows the current requirements and laws.
- The risk of tax errors being made is low.
- Regular evaluations provided by your tax advisor help you to plan investments better, for example.
- The options offered by digital accounting are so extensive that they can be easily integrated into everyday life and the collaboration with your tax advisor is smooth (and very paperless).
- An external tax advisor costs money.
- They are always dependent on its availability and accessibility to a certain extent.
- You may be losing some transparency with regard to accounting processes because you rely more and more on support.
- You must also ensure that data protection requirements are met when communicating with your tax advisor.
One thing is certain: external accounting noticeably relieves you and your company. However, you should keep an eye on the challenges mentioned above and take them into account. It is just as important to clearly structure the collaboration with your tax advisor from the start. This gives you more freedom for your day-to-day business.
What is integral?
Integral unites Tax advice, bookkeeping and payroll in a holistic service.
Through intelligent automation, personal support and seamless integration of your existing tools, Integral ensures that your company remains tax-compliant at all times.
Experience how modern tax advice can work — with a free initial consultation or a guided tour of our platform.
Here's how you can outsource your bookkeeping: A step-by-step guide
If you have decided to outsource your accounting, you should proceed in a structured manner. In this way, you ensure smooth processes right from the start. The following guide will help you not to forget important details:
Outsource bookkeeping in 5 steps
If you want your tax advisor to assist you with your ongoing bookkeeping, you can now digitally send him all documents that become relevant in this context. Many tools can be used via an app, among other things. For example, you can also enter and upload documents on the go using an app.
How the cooperation with your external accounting department is structured in detail also depends largely on your individual expectations. For example, it is enough for some clients to receive an evaluation of the latest figures once a quarter, while others expect regular updates.
Local vs. digital providers: How to find the right service provider for your bookkeeping
Which option is better depends on your needs. You can have your bookkeeping done locally, for example by a tax advisor in Berlin, or opt for a digital provider. The following table gives you an overview of the respective advantages and disadvantages:
Digital tax advisor: Pros and cons
benefits
drawbacks
communications
Quick communication, often via app or email
No personal contact, almost exclusively digital support
digitization
Completely digital processes, for example via document upload and cloud data storage
Basic technical understanding required
expenses
Standardised rates, often cheaper than the local service provider
Additional costs for special services are possible
Local tax advisor: Pros and cons
benefits
drawbacks
communications
Personal communication on site — ideally suited for more complex topics
Often longer waiting times for appointments, limited availability
digitization
Documents can also be submitted analogously if, for example, a printed invoice has been sent by post
Processes are often less automated
expenses
Often individual pricing, adapted to clients' needs
Usually more expensive than a digital tax advisor
In general, the following applies: Anyone who values personal service and direct contact is making a good decision with a local provider. However, this type of collaboration also poses challenges. Especially for more complex questions, an appointment is not always immediately available. Digital tax advice, on the other hand, offers a high degree of flexibility. Evaluations and similar documents can be retrieved here around the clock.
External bookkeeping: Overview of costs and selection criteria
Before you outsource your accounting to a specific service provider, you should compare prices and services. How high the costs for your external accounting depend, among other things, on the scope of the services transferred, the size of the company and the billing method. Tax advisors in Germany are generally bound by the Tax Consultant Remuneration Ordinance. This specifies how the various services may be billed — for example according to object value, time spent or as a lump sum.
Many tax advisors charge for ongoing support via monthly lump sums. Additional services or contracts are then usually billed separately.
When choosing your tax advisor, you should also pay attention to the following criteria:
- Approval in accordance with § 6 StBerG
- Experience in your sector, company type and company size
- Collaboration that is as digital as possible, so that you can integrate communication with your tax advisor even better into your day-to-day work
- secure data transmission
- a certain scalability so that your tax advisor can continue to support you even as your company grows
Checklist: You should pay attention to this if you want to outsource your bookkeeping
☑ Which tasks would you like to submit? (for example, ongoing bookkeeping, payroll, advance VAT return, etc.)
☑ Review the structure of your records Is everything comprehensible?
☑ Choose service providers that are right for you.
☑ Collect offers and compare prices and services.
☑ Choose a provider and set a start date for the collaboration
☑ Provide all important access points.
☑ Clarify responsibilities Who does what? Who is allowed to communicate with the tax advisor?
☑ Determine how often receipts should be submitted and what deadlines apply between you and your tax advisor.
Even though the collaboration works quickly in most cases, make adjustments as needed. As your company grows, individual details of communication may need to be optimized to continue taking advantage of all the benefits of collaboration.
If you notice that the collaboration is no longer appropriate, you can cancel the existing contract. Then calmly consider what requirements a tax advisor should meet in the future. After that, you can easily contact the consultant or Change tax office.
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Digital documents are automatically entered, all others are simply uploaded via our platform.
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We prepare your tax returns and annual financial statements on time and submit them digitally to the tax office.
No surprises
You will receive an early overview of missing documents, tax obligations and upcoming deadlines.
Easy compliance
We make working together as easy as possible for you.
The technical platform is operated by Integral Services GmbH. All reserved tasks (Vorbehaltsaufgaben) are performed by Integral Tax GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft.
This is how you find the best provider for outsourcing accounting
It is usually not difficult to find a tax advisor who will relieve you and your company. It is best to use the Internet search, experience from your network and, among other things, the information that you can find on the pages of the Federal Chamber of Tax Advisors.
And if flexibility is important to you, it's worth taking a closer look at digital accounting. As a result, you benefit from easy accessibility, largely automated processes and collaboration that requires significantly less paper.
Relieve your bookkeeping — find the right accounting service now!
Frequently asked questions: Outsourcing accounting
Accounting outsourcing means that you hand over your company's accounting tasks — such as posting documents, advance sales tax returns or payroll — to an external service provider. This saves you time in everyday life and can be sure that legal requirements are met.
The biggest advantage of working with an external service provider is the relief that outsourcing entails. This allows you to make better use of your time resources in the company. If you also want to benefit from more flexibility, it's worth choosing a service provider that offers digital accounting.
Determine which work you would like to submit. Then start the search for suitable providers, check their qualifications and discuss the scope of services. As soon as the contract is signed, the transfer of documents and access data begins.
If you want to outsource your accounting, you can choose between local and digital tax advisors. Which option is better depends on your expectations, requirements, budget and how important personal contact is to you.
The costs depend on the scope of services, the size of your company and the respective provider. The basic framework is the Tax Consultant Remuneration Ordinance. Many providers charge flat rates or according to expenses for better planning. The costs of servicing smaller companies, freelancers or self-employed people usually start at around 100€.
Use our tax advisory and accounting costs calculator for an individual assessment.
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Conclusion
You can communicate directly with your contact person via our platform, clarify open issues and ask questions about your accounting.
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