Outsourcing bookkeeping: benefits, costs and alternatives

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 the correct reporting of the sales tax 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:
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· more safety and the good feeling of meeting all legal requirements. Because: Tax law and accounting obligations 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 book. 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's best to opt for a Tax advisor who works with your company can grow with you.

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 sign up for a digital tax advice Decide.
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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:

If you've 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 instructions will help you not to forget any important details:

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:

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. In principle, tax advisors in Germany are 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:
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· Approval in accordance with § 6 StBerG
· Experience in your industry, your company type and your 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.

☑ Which tasks would you like to submit? (for example, ongoing bookkeeping, payroll, advance VAT return, etc.)
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☑ Review the structure of your documents Is everything comprehensible?
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☑ Choose service providers that are right for you.
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☑ Collect offers and compare prices and services
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☑ Decide on a provider and set a start date for the collaboration
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☑ Provide all important access points.
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☑ Clarify responsibilities Who does what? Who is allowed to communicate with the tax advisor?
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☑ 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 larger, individual details of communication may need to be optimized in order to continue taking advantage of all the benefits of collaboration.
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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 the Change tax office.