Your 6-Step Roadmap to Becoming a Successful Freelance Accountant

One thing to prepare for as a freelancer is the lack of a fixed salary. You’re not employed by one firm, and you only earn depending on how many gigs and clients you actually get. Online accounting degrees are designed to develop the necessary skills, expertise, and experience to prepare for the field’s present and future. Online degrees are also 100% coursework and can be done without the need to visit a campus.

Small businesses, startups, and sole proprietors often require accounting and bookkeeping services but may not have the resources to hire full-time staff. Guru is a freelancing site that houses job listings for anything from programming and development work to administrative and secretarial duties, and yes, that includes accounting and bookkeeping. There are over 72,449 freelancers capable of performing accounting duties that can either be paid for contract work or long-term positions depending on the needs of your business.

What You Need to Work as a Freelance Accountant

This first step is essential for any aspiring https://goodmenproject.com/business-ethics-2/navigating-law-firm-bookkeeping-exploring-industry-specific-insights/. You could also get a CPA, which is optional, but is sure to help you snag some clients. With the free time, your staff can focus on their job without wasting time and resourcing. They don’t need to spend time training or getting up-to-date on new accounting processes. Hiring a freelance accountant allows you to focus on your business. Ensuring the freelance accounting candidate is engaged and interested in the role by leaving them time to ask questions will ensure you find someone who is a great fit.

If you’re unsure, we’ve written a handy guide all about taxes for self-employed professionals. We’d recommend QuickBooks or Xero as these are the most well-recognised and therefore may already be in use by your clients. However, if you’ll be using the software yourself for a number of clients, we’d recommend choosing one that you’re most comfortable with. It’s a legal requirement in the UK for anyone who provides accounting services to be registered and monitored by a recognised supervisory authority. As you’ll be holding personal financial information about your clients’ finances, you need to register with the ICO, which is an independent regulatory body that enforces information rights.

Use a Professional Setup

With that in mind, Freelancer has a secure payment system that allows you to rest easy about where your money is going. Each profile features a short intro written by the freelancer that allows you to get a feel for who they are as a person and whether or not their personality could be a good fit for your team. With a large variety of accounting talent across the world, Truelancer is another fantastic pick for finding a freelancing accountant. UpStack actively seeks out the best accountants and bookkeepers in the world to feature on their site and get them connected to your business.

Try agreeing on a plan where you provide specific services for a monthly retainer. This often includes write-up work such as account reconciliations, day-to-day assistance posting transactions, managing bill payments, providing reports, and advising on business growth. See how Bean Ninjas set up their bundles and launched in one week. As an accountant, you should know the ins and outs of what you can and can’t claim on your tax.

Benefits of Hiring a Freelance Accountant

You’ll need to be self-motivated and have the discipline to stick to a manageable schedule to avoid burnout. Promote your services as widely as possible, and always look for ways to add value. Make sure you’re charging A Deep Dive into Law Firm Bookkeeping a fair amount for your work, and don’t forget that you can write off some of your expenses when you file your tax return. You’ll need to look after your own financial affairs and taxes, as well as other people’s.

• The allure of independence, flexibility, and control over one’s work is enticing.
• However, if you’ll be using the software yourself for a number of clients, we’d recommend choosing one that you’re most comfortable with.
• After all, freelance accountants are in demand, and you get the flexibility of setting your own hours and choosing which clients to work with.
• If you’ve completed AAT, you’ll be able to fast-track through the first three papers of ACCA.
• As you’ll be holding personal financial information about your clients’ finances, you need to register with the ICO, which is an independent regulatory body that enforces information rights.
• For accounting and finance professionals, control means recognizing when it’s time to put your nose to the grindstone—and when it’s time to work a little less and live a little more.
• That said, the benefit of that is you can actually earn so much more — that is, if you’re working consistently throughout the year and landing high-paying clients.