5 accounting tasks most small businesses should probably outsource

Running a small or medium-sized business is difficult enough without struggling with spreadsheets every month. Many of us owners and managers end up carrying too many responsibilities, sales, customer issues, operations and then accounting piles on top of that.

These routine financial tasks eat up hours, and frankly, a single slip-up can cause major headaches like tax penalties or cash flow surprises.

I’ve spoken to many other business people who have found a better way: handing off the repetitive accounting work to offshore teams. It’s not about shirking responsibility; It’s actually about freeing yourself up to grow the business. From what I’ve seen (and what the numbers show), companies can reduce their financing costs by 50-70% while still getting solid, accurate work from people who know their stuff.

One thing that makes this pretty easy for many companies is working with providers that specialize in building these remote teams. For example, companies like KineticStaff can help you find qualified accountants who fit your workflow. This is why outsourcing accounting in the Philippines has become a preferred option – the talent there is strong, they speak excellent English, and the time zones match well with places like the US, UK or Australia.

Why should you even bother with offshore outsourcing?

Look, it’s not just about pinching pennies (although that’s a nice bonus). It’s about working smarter. When you keep everything in-house, you pay all the salaries, benefits, and office space on-site, and then deal with turnover when someone leaves. With offshore you can rely on qualified professionals without much effort.

Here’s what typically clicks for people when they try it:

• Real cost relief: Savings of 50-70% can often be seen in labor alone, based on the prices that companies in the Philippines, for example, charge compared to Western rates. This money can go directly to marketing, new hires or simply a breather.
• Better expertise – These teams typically stay on top of rules like GAAP, IFRS, VAT changes, or whatever your local tax specifics are. You no longer have to worry about staying up to date with updates yourself.
• Easy scaling – high season? Growth spurt? You can quickly add people without posting jobs or conducting interviews. When things slow down, slow down – no awkward conversations.
• More freedom – Your internal team will no longer drown in data entry, but will actually start analyzing numbers, spotting trends, and helping you make decisions that make all the difference.

In addition, some knowledge sharing occurs over time. You pick up tips from how the offshore people use tools and processes and everyone becomes sharper.

The 5 Tasks Perfect for Outsourcing (and Why)

Not everything should leave the building – strategic things such as overall planning or sensitive negotiations usually remain in the company. But these five? They are repetitive, rule-heavy, and perfect for someone who focuses solely on them.

1. Payroll is a nightmare if you make mistakes – incorrect taxes, missed deductions, changing overtime rules. Employees get grumpy easily and regulators aren’t kidding. Offshore teams handle this task every day with software that automatically detects errors. They understand the compliance characteristics of different countries so that payments are made on time and correctly. It’s one less thing keeping you up at night.
2. Accounts receivable and accounts payable (AR/AP) tracking invoices, paying suppliers, dealing with multi-currency issues – it all adds up to a lot of administrative time. If you miss a payment, your supplier relationship suffers. Let the collections stretch and fuel your cash flow. Dedicated offshore staff automate reminders, reconcile everything neatly, and give you clear reports of what’s coming in and going out. Many experience their pickup times decreasing by 20-30% after switching.
3. Bank Reconciliation Reconciling bank statements with your books sounds easy until you have hundreds of transactions across multiple accounts. Manual work leads to errors, missed fraud, or late month-end closes. Pros use reconciliation tools to automate most of this, flag weird things quickly, and complete things faster. It’s a boring job, but they do it well – and you get cleaner books with a lot less stress.
4. Tax Preparation and Compliance Taxes are complicated, deadlines creep up quickly, and one wrong step can result in audits or fines (which can easily cost thousands). If your internal employee leaves the company, you lose all the knowledge you have built up. Offshore accountants reliably handle VAT, corporate taxes, cross-border regulations and filings. They keep you compliant so you can focus on planning instead of focusing on the deadline.
5. Financial Reporting and Analysis Putting together monthly reports, dashboards, and KPIs is important, but takes forever if you do it manually or part-time. You end up with late insights or missing the big picture. Offshore teams create accurate and timely reports using tools like Tableau or Power BI. You get images and numbers that you can actually use to identify opportunities or fix problems early.

How it actually creates real added value in the long term

When everything is running smoothly, outsourcing isn’t just a cost – it makes your entire finance function more robust and flexible. The team handles volume spikes, stays compliant, delivers insights, and scales without driving up your fixed costs. Many companies end up with a hybrid system where offshore and in-house employees work together seamlessly using shared tools.

Here’s how to get started without a headache

Don’t try to outsource everything at once. Here is a practical way that works for most:

1. Take a look at your current setup – find out which tasks are taking up the most time or causing the most errors.
2. Look for partners – check reviews, experience in your industry, security aspects (like ISO certificates) and how they communicate.
3. Set clear rules in advance – deadlines, accuracy goals, how you’ll chat (Slack? Email? Calls?), and what success looks like.
4. Start small – pick one or two tasks, run a test phase, tweak as needed, and have someone on your side as the main point of contact.

Pay attention to things like time zone gaps or data protection regulations (GDPR, etc.) – good partners will help you navigate this.

In conclusion

If you’re a small business owner tired of accounting eating up your evenings and weekends, outsourcing payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, reconciliations, taxes, and reporting can be a game-changer. This saves a lot of money, reduces errors and allows you to focus on what you originally founded your business to do. Places like the Philippines have earned a reputation for providing reliable, expert help at a fraction of the cost, and this is now a normal part of the way smart companies manage their finances.

It’s not magic – it requires some preparation – but once it starts, most people wonder why they waited so long. If it sounds like it might fit your situation, it’s worth a try.