Eight questions to ask before you outsource accounting work
Offshore support can add capacity without adding headcount, or it can create more review work than it saves. These are the questions we'd ask in your position, of us or of anyone else.
1. Who does the work, and who reviews it?
Ask for names and qualifications, not just headcount. You want qualified accountants preparing the work and a named, senior reviewer checking it before it reaches you.
2. Will the same people work on my clients every month?
Continuity is what makes outsourcing efficient. A team that already knows your clients makes fewer queries and fewer mistakes than a rotating pool.
3. Where does my clients' data live?
The safest set-up is for the provider to work inside your own systems, such as Xero or QuickBooks Online, with logins you create and can remove at any time. Ask for an NDA before you share anything and, for UK practices, data processing terms that meet UK GDPR.
4. How will you learn our way of doing things?
Good providers write down your coding rules, chart-of-accounts conventions and review checklist, then prove them on a small pilot batch of live files before taking on more.
5. What turnaround and overlap can we expect?
India is 4.5 to 5.5 hours ahead of the UK and 9.5 to 13.5 hours ahead of mainland US time zones. For UK firms that gives a shared working morning. For US firms it means work sent at the end of your day can be back by the morning. Agree turnaround times in writing.
6. How are queries handled?
Ask for one shared query log on Slack, email or your practice software, rather than scattered emails. Every open question should be visible to both sides.
7. How is it priced, and what happens in a quiet month?
Hourly pricing suits peaks and catch-up work, a dedicated team member suits steady volume, and a fixed fee per deliverable suits year-end and tax season. Whatever the model, get it quoted in writing.
8. Who keeps professional responsibility?
Your firm should keep sign-off, filing and the client relationship, with the provider preparing work for your review. Check whether your professional body's rules and your engagement letters require you to tell clients you use an outsourced provider.
Try it on real files
The best test is a short pilot. If you'd like to see how we answer these questions, our capability statement sets it out on one page.
Ready to see if we're a fit?
Book a 15-minute call with a partner. NDA first, no obligation.