What Services Do Tax and Bookkeeping Professionals Offer?
If you run a small business, you’ve likely wondered whether you need a bookkeeper, a tax preparer, or both. The truth is – most growing businesses need both.
Download Our Free Brochure →But not all bookkeeping and tax pros are created equal. Some offer only basic transaction tracking, while others provide full financial management including tax strategy and compliance.
Here’s a breakdown of what services tax and bookkeeping professionals typically offer, and how to evaluate what’s right for your business.
1. Transaction Categorization and Reconciliation
This is the baseline service for any bookkeeper:
- Categorizing bank and credit card transactions
- Reconciling accounts to ensure nothing is missed or duplicated
- Flagging questionable charges or errors
- Syncing your data with accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks, Xero)
Without this, you can’t produce accurate financial reports or prepare taxes.
Learn more about our monthly bookkeeping services and how we reconcile and deliver CPA-ready books.
2. Monthly Financial Reports
Bookkeeping professionals typically deliver monthly reports including:
- Profit and Loss (P&L)
- Balance Sheet
- Cash Flow Statement
- Accounts Receivable/Payable summaries (if applicable)
These reports are vital for budgeting, lender requirements, and tax forecasting.
Some providers automate reports without human review – that’s a red flag. You want reports reviewed and explained if needed.
Download Our Free Brochure →3. Sales Tax Filing
If your business sells goods or taxable services, you may need to file monthly, quarterly, or annual sales tax returns based on your state.
Tax professionals can:
- File on your behalf
- Track nexus obligations in multiple states
- Ensure filings match your bookkeeping data
This is often considered an add-on service, not included in basic bookkeeping.
4. Payroll Reporting and Integration
While most bookkeeping professionals don’t run payroll directly, they should:
- Integrate with your payroll provider (Gusto, ADP, QuickBooks Payroll)
- Record payroll journal entries properly
- Track payroll tax liabilities
- Reconcile W-2 and 1099 expenses
Misrecorded payroll is one of the biggest causes of P&L inaccuracies for small businesses.
5. Catch-Up and Cleanup Services
If your books are behind, you’ll need a professional who can:
- Go back months (or years) to enter and categorize transactions
- Clean up messy or duplicated data
- Prepare the business for tax filing or audit
- Deliver current, accurate reports
This is often the first step before starting monthly bookkeeping.
If you’re behind, check out our catch-up bookkeeping services to get everything current fast.
6. Tax Preparation and Filing
Certified tax professionals (CPAs, EAs) also offer:
- Year-end tax prep for business and personal returns
- Estimated tax payment calculations
- 1099 preparation and filing
- Audit support and IRS correspondence
Not all bookkeeping providers are tax preparers, but many firms offer combined services or partner with CPAs to streamline the process.
7. Strategic Tax Planning
This is where tax professionals go beyond bookkeeping and compliance to offer:
- Entity structure guidance (LLC, S Corp, etc.)
- Retirement planning (SEP IRA, Solo 401k, etc.)
- Expense timing strategies
- Depreciation planning for large asset purchases
- Quarterly tax projections
If you’re paying a CPA just to file forms, you’re missing half the value.
Test Case: Digital Marketing Agency in Arizona
This agency came to RemoteBooksOnline with 8 months of backlogged books and an approaching tax deadline.
Our team:
- Caught up 8 months of transactions
- Cleaned up 3 miscategorized accounts
- Reconciled payroll with ADP
- Delivered clean reports to their CPA in 5 days
They avoided late filing penalties and now use monthly bookkeeping with zero backlogs.
FAQs
Can a bookkeeper do my taxes?
Not always. Bookkeepers manage daily transactions and reports. Tax filing requires an EA or CPA depending on your state and business structure.
Do I need both a bookkeeper and a CPA?
Yes, in most cases. Your bookkeeper keeps the records clean and your CPA files the taxes. Some services combine both.
What’s included in full-service bookkeeping?
Full-service usually includes reconciliations, monthly reports, communication with your CPA, and light tax document prep – but not tax filing.
How much do these services cost?
Bookkeeping starts around $150–$350/month. Tax prep varies based on your business complexity but expect $400-$1,500 per return.
Can I use one provider for everything?
Yes – many firms offer bundled bookkeeping and tax services to simplify your financial stack.
At RemoteBooksOnline, we offer flat-fee bookkeeping, catch-up services, and CPA coordination to keep your books clean and your taxes on track. Whether you’re a startup, an LLC, or managing multiple 1099 contractors, we’ll support you year-round – not just in April.
Start with a free quote and get your financials handled.
Tax professionals and CPAs rely on our QuickBooks bookkeeping services to streamline financials and scale their practices efficiently.
Need to fix errors or outdated data in QuickBooks? Start with our expert QuickBooks cleanup services.
Want to offload the back office? Our outsourced bookkeeping service lets you focus on growing your business.
