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Bookkeeper vs Accountant vs CPA: Who Do You Need?

  • Jan 29
  • 1 min read

 

Modern office desk with bookkeeping and accounting tools including a tablet spreadsheet, receipts, calculator, financial notebook, and tax strategy book, illustrating the differences between a bookkeeper, accountant, and CPA for small business owners.

People often use “bookkeeper” and “accountant” interchangeably but they solve different problems.

The simplest breakdown
  • Bookkeeper: keeps day to day records accurate (inputs clean financials)
  • Accountant: interprets and adjusts (tax planning, year end adjustments, compliance)
  • CPA (where applicable): licensed professional who can represent you in certain situations and handle higher complexity filings

The most cost effective setup for most businesses
For many small businesses, the winning combo is:
  • Bookkeeper monthly (keep it clean all year)
  • Accountant/CPA yearly or quarterly (tax filings + strategy)
This reduces the “clean up bill” that hits when everything is dumped on a tax pro once a year.

Who should you hire first?
  • If your books are messy or behind hire a bookkeeper first
  • If your books are clean but taxes are complex bring in an accountant/CPA
  • If you’re scaling, hiring, or need forecasting consider advisory support (bookkeeper + accountant/fractional CFO)

 Not sure what you need? Rockies Bookkeeping can review your books and recommend the leanest setup.
 
 
 
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