It is not uncommon for a business owner to accidentally let their books fall behind, there is a lot to juggle as a business owner! The one thing that you do not want to find yourself doing is paying a Certified Public Accountant, or any accountant really, to do your bookkeeping or catch-up work come tax time. An accountant will typically still charge you their normal rate to complete your bookkeeping. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on average a bookkeeper makes $22 per hour, on the other hand, an accountant makes $37 per hour on average, but that number increases drastically based on certain qualifications, including earning the title of “CPA”.
An accountant goes through much more education and training than a bookkeeper. This is simply because bookkeeping is more of a data-entry type profession (although it does require specific accounting knowledge), and an accountant is trained to give you financial advice and guidance, along with filing your taxes and getting you all the deductions and credits you qualify for. So, although a CPA is capable of completing your bookkeeping on your behalf, your money would be spent much more wisely if you hire a bookkeeper for the bookkeeping and an accountant for your taxes and financial advice.