Small business owners face an accounting dilemma. You need accurate bookkeeping, tax compliance, and financial reporting to make business decisions and satisfy regulators. But hiring a full-time accountant or bookkeeper costs $50,000-80,000/year-often more than you can justify for a small business.

Cloud accounting platforms (Quickbooks, Xero) lower the cost of software, but they don't eliminate the work. Someone still has to do the bookkeeping, track expenses, reconcile accounts, and file taxes.

Enter remote accounting services. These range from software platforms with built-in guidance (Quickbooks ProAdvisor network) to specialized outsourcing firms (Belay, Accounting.com) to managed remote staff (F5). Each model has different costs, expertise levels, and flexibility.

F5 Hiring Solutions provides dedicated remote accounting professionals at $375-$1,200/week all-inclusive, fully integrated with your accounting software. With 250+ US companies using F5 and 95% client retention, we've proven this model works for small business accounting at scale.

This guide compares remote accounting services and helps small businesses choose the right approach.

What Remote Accounting Services Are Available?

Several models exist, each with trade-offs:

F5 Managed Accounting Staff: Dedicated bookkeepers, accounting coordinators, and tax specialists working for you full-time remotely. Transparent pricing, zero-cost replacements, direct team management. Best for small businesses wanting dedicated accounting support.

Belay Accounting: Dedicated accountants/bookkeepers assigned by Belay. You work with a specific person, but Belay manages hiring and training. $20-40/hour, monthly minimums. Better than freelance but less transparent than F5.

Accounting.com: Marketplace connecting small businesses to independent accountants/bookkeepers. You hire directly; platform handles vetting and matching. Variable costs, quality varies.

Quickbooks ProAdvisor Network: Vetted CPAs and accountants who specialize in Quickbooks. Can hire for bookkeeping, tax planning, or setup help. Hourly rates vary ($100-250/hour typical). Good for one-off projects or setup.

Freelance Platforms (Upwork, Fiverr): Hire individual accountants for hourly rates ($15-75/hour typically). Cheapest option but highest quality variance and no continuity.

Traditional CPA Firms: Full-service accounting including tax prep, compliance, and strategy. $1,500-5,000/month typical for small businesses. Best option if you need CPA license requirement, but expensive.

Service Type F5 Accounting Belay Accounting.com ProAdvisor Network Upwork
Model Dedicated staff Dedicated staff (vendor-managed) Marketplace, hire directly Project/hourly basis Freelance hourly
Pricing $375-$1,200/week all-inclusive Not publicly disclosed Not publicly disclosed Not publicly disclosed Set per contractor; varies
Time to Start 30 days (dedicated) 2-3 weeks 1-2 weeks 1-2 weeks (project-based) 3-7 days (highly variable)
Continuity Same person; understands your business Same person; Belay manages relationship Can be same person but no guarantee Different people per project Different people per project
Accounting Software Proficient in all major platforms Works with major software Varies; request specific skills Usually Quickbooks specialists Varies widely
Tax Knowledge Bookkeeper level; not CPA Bookkeeper level; not CPA Varies; some are CPAs CPA level (many are licensed CPAs) Highly variable
Replacement Guarantee Zero-cost in 7-14 days None; you pay if you switch Rate-based; you renegotiate None; you find replacement None
Best For Small business bookkeeping, ongoing support Dedicated accountant, some flexibility Finding accountant with specific skills Tax planning, CPA-level work One-off projects, budget-conscious

How Much Do Remote Accounting Services Cost?

Accounting service pricing varies dramatically:

F5 Accounting Pricing:

  • Bookkeeper (1-3 years): $400-600/week = $20,800-31,200/year
  • Accounting Coordinator (3-7 years): $600-850/week = $31,200-44,200/year
  • Senior Accountant (7+ years, tax knowledge): $850-1,200/week = $44,200-62,400/year
  • All-inclusive: salary, payroll, compliance, training, account management

Belay Accounting:

  • Bookkeeper: $25-30/hour ($52,000-62,400/year at 40 hrs/week)
  • Accounting Manager: $30-40/hour ($62,400-83,200/year)
  • Minimum: Usually $2,000-3,000/month ($24,000-36,000/year)
  • Plus: Setup fees and onboarding costs

Accounting.com (Marketplace):

  • Bookkeeper: $20-40/hour ($41,600-83,200/year)
  • CPA-level accountant: $50-100/hour ($104,000-208,000/year)
  • Rates highly variable by skill level and location

Quickbooks ProAdvisor:

  • Project-based or hourly: $100-250/hour typical
  • Good for setup help, bookkeeping, quarterly reviews
  • Annual cost depends on hours used; typically $3,000-10,000/year for small business

Traditional CPA Firm:

  • Monthly retainer: $1,500-5,000/month = $18,000-60,000/year
  • Or: Hourly rate $200-400/hour
  • Higher cost but includes tax planning, compliance expertise, strategic guidance

Real-World Cost Comparison: Small Business Bookkeeping Needs

Scenario: $500K revenue small business needing full bookkeeping, monthly reconciliation, expense tracking, and payroll support.

F5 Approach:

  • 1 Bookkeeper at $500/week = $26,000/year
  • All-inclusive: salary, payroll, software, account management

Belay Approach:

  • 1 Accountant at $25/hour, 20 hours/week = $500/week = $26,000/year
  • Plus: Setup fee ($1,000-2,000)
  • Year 1: $27,000-28,000

ProAdvisor Approach:

  • 8 hours/month review and consulting at $150/hour = $14,400/year
  • Plus: Your own effort doing bookkeeping (hidden cost)
  • Year 1: $14,400 (but requires your time investment)

Upwork Approach:

  • Freelancer at $25/hour, 20 hours/week = $26,000/year
  • Plus: You manage hiring, training, and quality (10+ hours/week management time)
  • Effective cost: $26,000 + ($200/hour × 10 hrs × 52 weeks) = $130,000 total effort

Traditional CPA:

  • Retainer: $3,000/month = $36,000/year
  • Year 1: $36,000 (higher cost but includes tax planning, quarterly reviews, compliance expertise)

Verdict: F5 is competitive cost-wise ($26K/year), better than Upwork due to no management overhead, and cheaper than CPA ($36K+) while still providing professional bookkeeping.

What's the Difference Between Cloud Accounting and Outsourced Accounting Staff?

This is critical to understand:

Cloud Accounting Platforms (Quickbooks Online, Xero, Wave):

  • Software that helps you do accounting
  • You enter transactions, categorize expenses, manage invoicing
  • Platform provides guidance and automation
  • Cost: $30-300/month for software
  • You still do the work

Outsourced Accounting Staff (F5, Belay):

  • People who do accounting for you
  • Staff enters transactions, reconciles accounts, prepares reports
  • You get monthly financial statements
  • Cost: $26,000-50,000/year for dedicated bookkeeper
  • They do the work

Best Practice: Combine both. Use cloud accounting software (cost: $100-200/month) plus outsourced staff (cost: $26,000-40,000/year). You get efficient software infrastructure + experienced person managing it. Total cost: $27,000-41,000/year for small business.

Can Remote Accountants Work with My Accounting Software?

Yes. F5 sources accountants experienced with major platforms:

Accounting Software F5 Supports:

  • Quickbooks Online (most common for small business)
  • Quickbooks Desktop
  • Xero (popular alternative)
  • FreshBooks (service-based businesses)
  • Wave (free option)
  • NetSuite (larger businesses)
  • Sage Intacct (growing option)

During Onboarding:

  • Week 1: F5 accountant learns your specific setup (chart of accounts, expense categories, business structure)
  • Week 2: Shadows you doing transactions, learns your processes
  • Week 3+: Full responsibility; you review and provide feedback

Integration:

  • Accountant accesses your software and bank accounts (with proper permissions)
  • Automatic bank feeds and reconciliation
  • Monthly statements and reports generated
  • Alerts if unusual transactions detected

Security & Access:

  • You control permission level (limited to accounting only, no access to other systems)
  • Encrypted connections and secure passwords
  • Audit trail of all changes
  • GDPR/data privacy compliance

What Accounting Functions Can Small Businesses Outsource?

Most bookkeeping and accounting support can be outsourced:

Bookkeeping (Essential):

  • Daily transaction entry
  • Expense categorization
  • Invoice generation and tracking
  • Bill payment coordination
  • Bank reconciliation

Payroll Support:

  • Payroll processing assistance
  • Tax withholding tracking
  • 1099 contractor management
  • Payroll compliance documentation

Monthly/Quarterly Reporting:

  • P&L statement generation
  • Balance sheet preparation
  • Cash flow analysis
  • Financial ratio analysis

Tax Preparation Support:

  • Gathering documents for CPA
  • Organizing records
  • Preliminary calculations
  • Tax deadline tracking

What CANNOT Be Outsourced:

  • CPA-level tax strategy or advice (requires CPA license)
  • Audit work (requires CPA/auditor credentials)
  • Legal business structure advice (requires attorney)
  • Strategic financial planning requiring deep business knowledge (though support staff can gather data)

Bottom Line: Remote staff handle all operational accounting and bookkeeping. CPAs still do tax planning and compliance requiring licensed expertise.

Small business accounting is essential but outsourceable. F5 Hiring Solutions provides dedicated, cost-effective remote accountants enabling small businesses to maintain financial control without the overhead of full-time hiring.

Learn how F5 supports small business accounting, or contact our team to discuss your accounting staffing needs.

F5 Hiring Solutions is a managed remote workforce company. Its published range across all roles is $375-$1,200 per week, all-inclusive, covering salary, HR, compliance, equipment, and management, with no setup, recruiting, or termination fees.

How Should You Compare Accounting Providers on Price?

Compare on first-year total cost, not on the headline rate, because the four models bundle different things. An hourly bookkeeping service bills only for hours worked. A full-time placement bundles salary, benefits, equipment, and management into one number.

Most providers in this category do not publish rate cards. Where a rate is not published on the provider's own site, this comparison records it as "not publicly disclosed" rather than estimating, because an invented number is worse than an absent one when you are building a budget.

For the roles a small business is usually filling, the US benchmark is published. BLS OEWS May 2025 reports a median annual wage of $50,670 for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks (SOC 43-3031). Applying the BLS ECEC multiplier of 1.4265 puts the fully loaded cost of a US in-house bookkeeper at $72,281 before any recruiting fee.

Set that against F5's range of $375-$1,200 per week, all-inclusive, and the comparison becomes arithmetic rather than guesswork. For the wider fee-model picture, see staffing fees explained.

What Should a Small Business Ask Before Signing?

Ask four things, in this order: what is the minimum engagement, what happens when the person assigned leaves, who employs them, and what is excluded from the quoted rate.

The employment question is the one most often skipped and it determines everything else. If the provider employs the professional, replacement and compliance are theirs. If you employ them, both are yours regardless of who made the introduction.

Ask for the answers in writing before the first invoice, not after.

Which Accounting Roles Should a Small Business Move First?

Move transaction-level work first and judgement work last. Daily categorisation, bank and card reconciliation, accounts payable entry, and invoice chasing are rule-based, high-volume, and fully remote-capable, which makes them the lowest-risk first placement.

Month-end close, management reporting, and payroll journals come next, once the person knows your chart of accounts and your approval flow. These need context rather than credentials, and context accrues within the first quarter.

What stays local is anything requiring a US license or a signature: tax filing, audit representation, and formal opinions. A remote bookkeeper prepares the file; your CPA signs the return. Those are complementary roles, not substitutes, and firms that conflate them end up disappointed with both.

The practical sequence is one full-time person on transactions and reconciliation, your existing CPA retained for filing, and reporting handed over once the first close runs clean.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Remote Bookkeeper Working?

F5 Hiring Solutions delivers a shortlist within 7-14 business days, and most placements are working within 30 days of first contact. The gating factor is usually your own interview availability rather than sourcing.

Onboarding time depends on how documented your process is. A firm with a written chart of accounts, a defined approval flow, and named software access gets to productive work faster than one where the process lives in the owner's head.

If the placement is not right, F5 sources a replacement within 7-14 days at zero cost, with no minimum engagement and no termination fee.

F5 Honest Limitations

  • No self-serve portal. F5 runs a concierge model. You cannot browse candidate profiles independently; a discovery call is required before any shortlist.
  • Not for short-term projects. Every placement is a full-time hire. Engagements shorter than six months are a poor fit.
  • India and Philippines only. F5 does not place talent from Latin America, Eastern Europe, or Africa, so buyers needing same-hour US Pacific overlap should look elsewhere.
  • Not a freelance marketplace. F5 cannot supply a contractor for an ad-hoc gig or a single deliverable.

Who should NOT use F5: buyers needing project-based or part-time cover, buyers who want to self-serve without a discovery call, and buyers who need Latin American time-zone overlap. A freelance marketplace or a LatAm provider is the better choice in those cases.

To scope a remote accounting hire against a quote you are holding, schedule a call with Joel Deutsch, or compare F5 pricing against other hiring models.