What Are Online Accounting and Bookkeeping Services?
Online accounting and bookkeeping services let you manage your business finances without hiring in-house staff or doing it all yourself. These services are cloud-based, affordable, and handled by professional bookkeepers and accountants who work remotely.
Whether you are a freelancer, small business, or growing company, online services make it easy to track expenses, manage cash flow, and stay tax-ready – all without the overhead of hiring full-time.
How Do These Services Work?
Online bookkeeping services follow a simple workflow:
- You connect your bank and credit accounts securely
- Or upload financial documents monthly
- Your bookkeeper handles the data
- Categorizes transactions
- Reconciles accounts
- Prepares reports
- You receive monthly reports
- Profit & Loss
- Balance Sheet
- Cash Flow Statement
- Optional tax coordination
- Books are prepared in a format your CPA can use to file taxes
Everything is done remotely, and you can communicate via email, secure portal, or scheduled calls.
What’s Included in Online Bookkeeping Services?
- Transaction entry and categorization
- Bank and credit card reconciliation
- Monthly financial reporting
- A/P and A/R tracking
- Sales tax tracking (if applicable)
- Payroll coordination (varies by provider)
- Year-end review and CPA-ready books
- Catch-up bookkeeping if your books are behind
Some services may also offer virtual CFO, budgeting, or forecasting.
Who Uses Online Bookkeeping and Accounting Services?
- Service-based businesses
- E-commerce stores
- Independent professionals
- Real estate agents and brokers
- Nonprofits and startups
- CPA firms using white-label support
Test Case Example
A marketing consultant used to manage their books in Excel and often missed expense deductions. They signed up for RemoteBooksOnline’s online bookkeeping service. Within the first month, their books were current, categorized by project, and monthly reports were delivered automatically. At tax time, the CPA was able to file early with no cleanup required.
Benefits of Online Services
- No need to hire, train, or manage staff
- Flat monthly pricing
- Scalable as your business grows
- Access to experts without overhead
- 24/7 access to reports and historical data
- Keeps you organized and tax ready
- More affordable than a traditional accounting firm
FAQs
Do I need to buy software?
No. Most providers include QuickBooks or similar software in the service.
Can online bookkeepers do my taxes too?
Bookkeepers prepare your books, and often work with your CPA. Some services also offer bundled tax filing.
Is this secure?
Yes. Top providers use bank-level encryption, two-factor authentication, and secure portals.
Do I need to do anything each month?
Usually just connect your bank or upload any documents. The rest is handled for you.
Final Thoughts
Online accounting and bookkeeping services are a smart solution for small businesses that want financial clarity without the burden of managing everything themselves. Whether you are behind, growing fast, or just tired of doing it alone, virtual bookkeeping gives you peace of mind and professional accuracy at a fraction of the cost.
Want professional bookkeeping without the hassle?
Start your free month with RemoteBooksOnline and see the difference.
Want to know what virtual bookkeepers handle? This virtual bookkeeping services guide outlines everything from transaction management to monthly reporting.
Curious how a virtual bookkeeper operates? Our virtual bookkeeper workflow guide outlines the step-by-step process-from data collection to monthly reporting-so you can see exactly how we streamline your financial operations.
Discover the advantages of virtual bookkeeping-our guide to virtual bookkeeping services highlights top benefits like cost savings, expert support, real-time reporting, and scalable solutions.