Accounting outsourcing: why is it needed and what are the advantages?

Accounting outsourcing – what is it?

Accounting outsourcing is a type of interaction between business entities, in which a specialized company, for a fee, assumes the function of carrying out accounting and tax accounting and preparing and sending reports to regulatory authorities. Very often, outsourcing is mistaken for inviting a third-party accountant, but this is wrong.

In the USA and Europe, more than 50% of small and medium-sized organizations use accounting outsourcing work. In Russia, this type of activity began to develop in the 2000s. Currently, accounting outsourcing in Moscow has more than 1,500 companies working in this direction.

Many companies prefer to transfer the functions of accounting and reporting to a third-party company rather than keep their own staff of accountants. With this solution, there is no need to organize their workplaces; in addition, there is a saving on taxes paid on salaries.

At the same time, companies providing outsourcing services usually employ a large number of highly qualified employees in various fields (accountants, lawyers, consultants, etc.). In addition, many serious agencies guarantee full coverage of fines and other losses arising from dishonest accounting practices.

Attention! Recently, outsourcing services have reached a new qualitative level. The development of Internet technologies makes it possible to conduct accounting in a cloud service, while the customer, using a simple browser or mobile application, can connect to it at any time and check how things are going there.

By concluding an accounting outsourcing agreement, the customer assumes the following responsibilities:

Provide the contractor with primary documents and other necessary information in a timely manner. We assume that all provided documentation is reliable and do not perform additional verification.
Designate a responsible employee to interact on all issues related to the provision of the service.
Make payments within the terms established by the contract.

For our part, we guarantee record keeping in full compliance with all legal requirements and timely submission of reports to regulatory authorities. The client receives a detailed report on the work done monthly.

Where to start outsourcing accounting? The basic package of documents required to conclude an agreement consists of:

Applications.
Detailed description of the company.
Copies of constituent documents.
Extracts from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (USRE).
Information letter from statistical authorities
Decisions of owners and orders on the appointment of company managers.

Based on the results of the consultation, additional documents may be requested.

We guarantee high quality services and favorable payment terms. Outsourcing accounting – saving money and minimizing risks for your business!

If you have any questions, we are ready to answer them in detail.

What does accounting outsourcing include?

Outsourcing of accounting services can be divided into 4 types:

Consulting. This is the simplest type of outsourcing. It can be used to resolve complex issues or check the work of the company’s own accountants. Most often, consulting is resorted to when carrying out complex specific operations - for example, actions with a foreign company. But even when current accounting does not cause difficulties, turning to professionals can be useful in the face of constantly changing laws.
Selective outsourcing. Only certain areas of accounting are transferred to a third-party company - for example, payroll calculation or preparation and transmission of reports. At the same time, some of the key functions of the organization are performed by the company’s own accountants. The reasons for this choice are most often the desire of the director of the owner of the company to retain control over the accounting department. Sometimes, such services are resorted to by those companies that want to relieve their own accountants without increasing the staff with new ones.
Full service. Accounting and tax accounting is transferred to a third party in full. It takes over all functions, so in this situation you can completely do without creating an accounting department at the enterprise.
Accounting on behalf of the chief accountant. In this case, this person is also given the right to sign any accounting and tax documents. With this step, the customer completely frees himself and his employees from any work with accounting documents. The disadvantage in this situation is the complete lack of control over the activities of the outsourcer.

Pros of outsourcing

You need to understand why outsourcing accounting services is needed in order to apply it correctly. It’s impossible to do without considering the key advantages and disadvantages. Why the method is good:

1. Almost always, the implementation of the method leads to a reduction in costs, because you no longer need to maintain an accounting department on staff. There are different offers for outsourcing accounting services on the market, so you can find the most profitable option.

2. No employees - no vacations, sick leave, maternity leave and other similar moments that, at the wrong time, could lead the organization to large fines due to the absence of a financier on site.

3. Regardless of personal attitude towards outsourcing of accounting services, all analysts agree that the level of training of specialists in specialized accounting. offices is usually higher than that of the company's full-time financiers. The reason is simple: the company's targeted activities help ensure that all employees develop faster in this direction, and not just do routine work. Those involved in the field of outsourcing accounting services usually know much better about the articles of law that regulate innovations.

4.No need to spray. Management no longer has to worry about making sure the accounting department works well. It is enough to pay the funds under the contract, and the service provider will do everything himself.

Advantages and disadvantages

Let's look at the positive and negative aspects of accounting outsourcing for the customer.

pros	Minuses
Reducing the cost of maintaining an accountant. Every accountant needs a workstation with a computer and a set of specialized programs. In addition, employees must be constantly paid wages and contributions to funds must be made on them. The hired outsourcer already has the necessary office equipment and software. And payment for services can be included in expenses minus VAT.	Insufficient control. The outsourcer is not located in the next room, and therefore it is not always possible to control the quality of his accounting. However, with the development of technology and cloud accounting, the work of an outsourcing company is as transparent as possible.
Quality of services provided. Most often, work in an outsourcing company is already established, so the necessary processes are completed faster. In addition, there is a staff of various specialists who can solve any problem that arises. The quality of work is often controlled by senior management or the internal audit department.	Breach of confidentiality. There is a risk that financial information received by the outsourcer about the customer’s activities may be transferred to third parties. In practice, such a situation is still quite unlikely; the contract strictly stipulates responsibility for the disclosure of information, and large players in the outsourcing market will not risk their reputation.
Bearing responsibility for the result. The relationship between the customer and the outsourcer is based on a contractual basis. Typically, the outsourcer takes responsibility for errors made in the work, loss of documents, and violations of the law. If fines, penalties, etc. are imposed, the outsourcer covers them from its own funds.	The specifics of the business are not always taken into account. There are many areas of activity with their own accounting features, and an employee of an outsourcing company is not always well acquainted with them. However, the very specifics of accounting presuppose the universality of operations, and large companies have specialists in various areas of activity on their staff.
Confidentiality. Based on the agreement concluded between the customer and the outsourcer, any information obtained during cooperation is confidential and cannot be disclosed.	Poor quality of service. There is a risk that the hired organization will be incompetent and its technology will be imperfect. This may be the reason for a delayed response to emerging problems in accounting and tax accounting.

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Important! If the accounting department is located on a cloud service, even if computers are seized in the event of an inspection by a regulatory authority, they will not be able to access the data.

How to switch to outsourcing accounting services in Moscow

Outsourcing accounting services is easy. Follow the following pattern:

Analyze the state of affairs in the organization. Assess the feasibility of using outsourcing.
Make your final decision. To do this, evaluate the difference in pay for full-time employees and the services of an outsourcer.
Select a company. MIP Legal Group provides accounting outsourcing services in Moscow at low prices. The staff consists of professionals. You do not have to prepare documents yourself or travel to authorities to submit reports. Our specialists will take over the actions. A guarantee of compliance with service deadlines is provided. The work is carried out in a timely manner.
Sign the contract. It is important to reflect in the paper a list of services that will be provided, deadlines for completing tasks, features of reporting, distribution of responsibilities and conditions for terminating the agreement. The contract is concluded for different periods. The duration of cooperation is not regulated by law. It all depends on your desire. Extension of the agreement is acceptable.
Switch to a new work format. The costs of paying for the company's services are included in the list of management costs. If for some period accounting was not carried out, the outsourcing organization can restore accounting. It is important to include information about the procedure in advance in the contract.
Hand over to the institution all accounting documentation - sales and purchase agreements, supply agreements, documents for the purchase of fixed assets, labor orders and other papers.
Wait for work to begin and receive reports on completed actions.

Combine trust and control. You will have to transfer financial documentation to third parties. Trust must be clearly stated. The relevant provisions are fixed in the contract. The agreement must clearly spell out the specifics of reporting to the customer. An entrepreneur has the right to be aware of all operations performed with his documentation.

The responsibilities of the parties are clearly delineated. The customer is obliged to present the documents required for accounting entries in a timely manner and in proper form. The outsourcing company, in turn, guarantees the completion of work on time.

What to choose: outsourcing, in-house or visiting accountant

Typically, managers and business owners consider three options for organizing accounting: hiring your own accountant, hiring an outside accountant, or outsourcing full accounting to an outsourcing company. Each of these directions has its own advantages and disadvantages, and it is impossible to confidently choose only one of them.

Staff accountant	Incoming accountant	Outsourcing
Quality of services provided	Depends on the knowledge and experience of a particular specialist	Depends on the knowledge and experience of a particular specialist	As a rule, the maximum possible, since companies have a wide range of specialists on their staff
Responsibility	It is usually problematic to recover damages in full, since the Labor Code imposes restrictions	This is only possible if the accountant works as an entrepreneur.	Full liability, the outsourcer usually fully compensates for the damage caused
Cost of services	High because it includes not only wages, but also the organization of the workplace. However, the salary is set by management	The entrepreneur sets the price of his services at his own discretion	Firms offer their clients several tariff plans, which depend on the tax system used, the monthly number of transactions, etc.
Conclusion	It makes sense when the organization has a lot of accounting work, or the manager wants to control the accounting at any time	A good option if the activity is minimal, or with a small number of operations. However, the accountant may sometimes be unavailable	A good option for small and medium-sized businesses with an average number of transactions, and the manager does not want to create a separate accounting department.

Outsourcing of accounting services

Entrepreneurs and company managers are required to solve a number of tasks not related to business development. Persons must submit reports and keep records. Large organizations prefer to hire specialists. Small and medium-sized businesses are usually deprived of such an opportunity. Maintaining an individual employee is not economically feasible. The optimal solution is to use accounting outsourcing services. The method allows you to reduce costs by up to 30%. Using the service is convenient, because the head of the company will not have to look for a specialist if an employee goes on sick leave or decides to quit. Prices for accounting outsourcing in Moscow are affordable to everyone.

Overview of outsourcing offers

Contour.Bay

A proposal for accounting from one of the leading developers of Internet services for accountants, SKB Kontur. Accounting services are provided by the company's professional partners. Accounting is maintained in a specialized cloud service “Kontur.Accounting”.

The cost of services includes:

Maintaining accounting and tax records. Processing of primary documents. For an additional fee, you can restore records if they were not previously maintained.
Drawing up and submitting reports to the Federal Tax Service, the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation, the Social Insurance Fund and other structures, conducting reconciliations, preparing tax payments;
Full management of employee transactions - reception, payroll, calculation of sick leave, vacation pay, etc.
Reconciliations with counterparties, verification of partners.
Accounting consultations.

My business. Accounting

Outsourcing of accounting services from the developer of the cloud accounting service “My Business”.

The services provided include:

Maintaining accounting and tax records, drawing up primary documents;
Preparation and submission of reports to the Federal Tax Service, funds, statistics, etc.
Calculating employee salaries, maintaining personnel records,
Consulting on accounting and legal issues,

For an additional payment, they can perform tax optimization, accounting restoration, register an individual entrepreneur or LLC, etc.

The company offers several package tariffs, which depend on the client’s monthly turnover. For example, with a turnover of up to 250 thousand rubles. the cost of services per month will be 3,500 rubles, from 1 to 2 million rubles. – 13,000 rubles, etc.

The minimum term for ordering outsourcing services is 1 quarter.

E-Accounting

The all-Russian telecom operator Rostelecom has launched the E-Assistant business portal, within which it is available. Within its framework, you can receive full accounting support for your business. The service guarantees compensation if, as a result of their mistakes, a fine was imposed on the client by regulatory authorities.

Services include:

Maintaining accounting and tax records, including working with primary documents;
Preparation and submission of reports to government agencies;
Payroll calculation, preparation and submission of all employee reports;
Conducting reconciliations with counterparties.

Attention! The services offered do not include maintaining personnel records.

The cost of services depends on the field of activity, the tax system and the number of transactions per month. For example, keeping records when providing services on the simplified tax system or trading on UTII with 10 transactions per month will cost 5,000 rubles per month. Production at OSN with 10 operations per month costs 11,000 rubles.

Fingu.ru

Fingu.ru is a portal that offers a large number of services in the field of accounting, including opening an LLC and registering individual entrepreneurs, outsourcing, payroll and others. We have developed our own mobile application, with which you can interact with the system, view statements and transactions, download primary documents, etc.

The cost of outsourcing includes:

Maintaining accounting and tax records;
Calculation of taxes, preparation and submission of all necessary reports;
Preparation and submission of employee reports to authorities;
Resolving issues with the Federal Tax Service and funds, conducting reconciliations of payments.

The cost of services for a client on the simplified tax system with 10 operations per month will be 6,000 rubles, on OSNO with the same volume of operations - 8,000 rubles. A 50% discount is provided for entrepreneurs using a simplified version.

Looking for an accountant

Many entrepreneurs do not want to work with numbers and take on calculations at all. In addition, some of them initially expect large turnover and plan to hire many employees. In their case, it is better to immediately involve an accountant who will support this development and will understand the intricacies of the business and monitor legislative changes related to taxation systems.

For such entrepreneurs, it doesn’t matter how much it costs to delegate the accounting function; the main thing for them is not to do accounting themselves. They can fill this need in two ways:

hire an accountant on staff or hire a remote accountant;
use outsourcing of accounting services.

How to hire an accountant

Looking for an accountant is about the same as choosing a laptop. Usually you focus on a few external parameters, without really delving into the details. If you are not particularly versed in internal processes, then you will most likely choose the cheapest option. But this approach is wrong.

Some people speculate about the parameters they want to see in a specialist. For example, entrepreneurs can pay attention to a person’s age: middle-aged means experienced or young means progressive.

However, there is a list of the main responsibilities of an accountant, which may vary depending on the specifics of the business.

maintaining accounting records in accordance with Russian legislation;
registration of all business transactions in accounting documents;
conducting cash transactions, monitoring cash discipline;
calculation and calculation of wages, benefits, vacation pay, travel pay, sick leave, and deductions;
calculation and payment of insurance premiums;
preparation and submission of financial statements;
compiling and sending tax reporting, as well as reporting on employees and insurance contributions paid to funds;
providing the most complete information about the financial condition, results of operations and cash flow of the company;
selection of an enterprise's accounting policy, accounting form, data processing technology, selection of accounting programs and services;
sometimes - personnel records, financial analysis and proposal of methods for more efficient use of resources, as well as mutual settlements with contractors.

Sometimes it is easier for a company to attract a remote employee. But here the difficulty arises in choosing a specialist, especially if the prices for seemingly the same service vary noticeably. When several accountants on the market offer accounting at different prices, it is important to clarify in each individual case what exactly is included in the service.

What you need to agree on with a remote accountant at the initial stage

About the scope of work

It is important to discuss what he will do, what operations to carry out. Will he communicate with the tax office if any problems arise? Will he be held accountable for his work? Or do you need an accountant who will only help with consultations?

Entrepreneurs' Mistake #1

Often, entrepreneurs do not discuss the scope of services they are going to ask from an accountant. Not everyone enters into an appropriate agreement to fix the duties and responsibilities of the contractor and the customer. To do this, it is enough to use even a template agreement on accounting services. Even correspondence will have legal significance in case of problems.

About the accounting procedure

Ask your accountant where records will be kept? Will you have access to the accounting system? Will the accountant transfer the database to the client or keep it for himself?

Entrepreneurs' Mistake No. 2

By delegating accounting, some entrepreneurs never see or know how business is conducted or what kind of reporting is submitted. Even less often do they think about what will happen if the contract with the accountant is terminated.

Summary

Accounting outsourcing is the transfer of accounting and reporting to a third party. It can be either partial or permanent. Large companies providing such services employ a large number of specialists from various fields of activity, and bear full financial responsibility for mistakes made.

Currently, many outsourcers offer services using cloud accounting, which allows the customer to control the execution of work at any stage. The cost of services depends on the applicable tax system, the number of transactions per month and other factors.

When is outsourcing of accounting services necessary?

Accounting support and outsourcing are simply irreplaceable when starting a business. It is not advisable to hire a permanent specialist at the beginning of your business. A strong accounting base is necessary for the development of an organization. Over time, it needs to be improved and strengthened.

Outsourcing is suitable for managers of an organization who do not need the constant presence of an accountant. Sometimes this method is also used if the services of a specialist are required daily. Outsourcing allows you to save money, because it is cheaper than a full-time staff of accountants. The method will also be useful in the following situations:

The main specialist went on vacation or sick leave;
There were difficulties in preparing the report;
It is necessary to understand the innovations of the current legislation and learn to apply innovations in practice;
The head of the company needs to control the activities of the accounting department.

Outsourcing saves time. Using third party services allows you to find the best way to interact with tax authorities. Accounting can be done remotely.