You’ve reached the point where your bookkeeping needs have outgrown your current setup. Maybe you’re tired of the constant cycle of hiring, training, and replacing local bookkeepers.
Perhaps you’re looking at the monthly payroll costs for a skilled bookkeeper – $4,000 to $6,000 plus benefits – and wondering if there’s a smarter way to get the same quality work done.
The offshore bookkeeping market has matured significantly over the past decade. What once required leap-of-faith decisions now comes with proven track records, established processes, and clear success metrics.
But like any strategic business decision, hiring offshore bookkeepers involves trade-offs that you need to understand before moving forward.
Don’t go anywhere, because that’s what we’re going to cover in this article.
If you’d rather talk to an expert about this, book a call with Pavago today to chat about offshore bookkeepers and much more (no strings attached, of course).
The Real Advantages (Beyond Just Cost Savings)
1. Financial Impact
Yes, you’ll save money — typically 30-60% compared to hiring locally. But the more significant advantage is predictable, fixed costs without the surprises that come with employee management.
No sudden requests for raises during a busy season, no unexpected medical leave during month-end closing, and no recruitment costs when someone decides to pursue other opportunities.
For a business spending $5,000 monthly on local bookkeeping, moving offshore typically reduces that to $1,500-2,000 while often improving service levels. That’s $36,000-42,000 annually that can be reinvested in growth initiatives or kept as improved margins.
2. Access to a Larger Talent Pool
Many offshore bookkeepers have worked with multiple clients across various industries, giving them exposure to different accounting software, business models, and financial challenges.
This breadth of experience often translates to better problem-solving capabilities and more efficient processes than what you might get from a local hire with limited experience.
The competitive nature of offshore markets also means providers invest heavily in training and certification. Many offshore bookkeepers hold international accounting certifications and receive ongoing education that smaller local practices can’t afford to provide.
3. Scalability Without the Management Overhead
When your business grows, your offshore bookkeeping can scale immediately.
Need additional support during busy periods? It’s handled within the existing structure.
Expanding to new locations or product lines? The bookkeeping infrastructure adapts without requiring you to post job listings, conduct interviews, or manage additional employees.
Challenges You Might Face
1. Communication Requires More Intentionality
Working with offshore bookkeepers means being more deliberate about communication. You can’t just walk over to someone’s desk to clarify something. This actually forces many businesses to develop better processes and documentation, but it does require an adjustment period.
Time zone differences can work for or against you, depending on your business model. If you need real-time collaboration, it’s a constraint. If you prefer having work completed overnight, it becomes an advantage.
Related: How to Build A Successful Remote-First Company in 2025
2. There’s a Learning Curve
Your offshore bookkeeper will need time to understand your business, your preferences, and your specific requirements.
Plan for a 30-60 day onboarding period where productivity might be lower while they learn your systems. Companies that rush this process typically experience frustration and suboptimal results.
The businesses that succeed with offshore bookkeepers are those that invest time upfront in creating clear procedures, documented processes, and regular check-in schedules.
3. Control Becomes Your Responsibility
With local employees, you can observe work habits and provide immediate feedback. With offshore bookkeepers, you need systematic quality control processes. This means regular reviews, clear performance metrics, and structured feedback mechanisms.
This isn’t necessarily negative — many businesses discover that implementing these controls improves their overall financial processes. But it does require management attention and structured approaches.
Related: Problems with Hiring Offshore Talent [& How to Avoid Them]
How to Find Qualified Offshore Bookkeepers?
1. Established Outsourcing Firms
Companies like RemoteBooksOnline, Bookkeeper360, and similar providers offer trained teams with established processes. You’re essentially buying a complete bookkeeping service rather than hiring an individual. This approach provides immediate access to experienced teams, quality control systems, and backup coverage.
The trade-off is less direct control and potentially higher costs than direct hiring, but significantly lower risk and faster implementation.
2. Direct Hiring Platforms
Websites like Upwork, OnlineJobs.ph, and Freelancer.com allow you to hire individual bookkeepers directly. This approach offers more control and potentially lower costs, but requires you to handle screening, training, and management entirely.
When using these platforms, look for bookkeepers with verifiable experience, strong English communication skills, and familiarity with your accounting software. Request work samples and conduct video interviews to assess both technical competence and communication abilities.
3. Offshore Recruitment Agencies
If you want the best of both worlds i.e., lower costs and complete control, hiring a full-time offshore bookkeeper through an offshore recruitment agency is your best bet.
Unlike outsourcing firms or freelancers, a full-time offshore employee feels like a true part of your team. You get to call the shots on what they work on, how they do it, and when. Plus, you don’t have to worry about the usual back-and-forth with third-party firms or constantly finding new freelancers.
Offshore recruitment agencies make the process of hiring a full-time remote employee much easier by handling the vetting, legalities, and initial screening for you.
You’ll get a dedicated professional who understands your business, ensuring consistent quality and stability without the hassle of constantly managing third-party services. Plus, you can scale your team as needed, all while saving compared to hiring locally.
Ready to get started?
Where Do You Find the Best Offshore Bookkeeping Talent?
Here are our top picks:
The Philippines offers the strongest combination of English proficiency, cultural alignment with Western business practices, and established bookkeeping infrastructure. Filipino bookkeepers typically have experience with US accounting standards and software.
Pakistan provides deep technical expertise and competitive pricing, but communication styles may require more adjustment for some businesses. Professionals in Pakistan often excel at complex accounting tasks and financial analysis.
Latin America offers time zone advantages for U.S. businesses and strong cultural alignment, though the talent pool for specialized bookkeeping is smaller than Asia-Pacific options.
Making the Decision to Hire Offshore Bookkeepers
If you’ve never hired offshore, you’re probably wondering where to start. Let me guide you.
1. Start with Clear Requirements
Before you start interviewing candidates, get specific about what you actually need. Think through these basics:
- Technical skills: Data entry, reports, tax prep, or financial analysis?
- Software experience: Must know QuickBooks, Xero, or your specific platform
- Industry background: Retail, manufacturing, professional services experience
- Communication style: Email updates, weekly calls, or real-time collaboration
- Schedule needs: Overlap hours, response times, backup coverage
Having this list makes conversations with potential bookkeepers much more productive and helps you avoid the “seemed great in the interview but can’t do the actual work” problem.
2. Test with Limited Scope
Consider starting with a specific project, such as monthly reconciliations or accounts payable processing, before committing to comprehensive bookkeeping services. This allows you to evaluate the working relationship with minimal risk.
3. Establish Success Metrics
You’ll want to know if this is working, so set up clear measures from day one:
- Accuracy: How many errors are acceptable per month
- Speed: Monthly close by the 10th, reports by the 15th
- Communication: Weekly updates, 24-hour response time
- Improvement: Proactive suggestions, problem identification
This gives you concrete ways to measure performance instead of just hoping everything’s going well.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is offshore bookkeeping?
Offshore bookkeeping involves hiring a bookkeeper from another country to manage your business’s financial records remotely. It’s a cost-effective solution that allows businesses to access skilled professionals in countries with lower labor costs while maintaining accurate financial tracking.
2. How much does an offshore bookkeeper cost?
The cost of an offshore bookkeeper varies depending on the country, expertise, and complexity of the work. On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $25 per hour for outsourcing bookkeeping overseas, which can save 50-70% compared to local hires.
3. What is the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant?
A bookkeeper handles the daily recording of financial transactions, maintaining ledgers, and preparing basic financial reports. An accountant, on the other hand, is responsible for interpreting and analyzing financial data, preparing more complex reports, and ensuring tax compliance. Accountants typically have more advanced qualifications and provide higher-level financial advice.
4. Where to find offshore bookkeepers?
You can find offshore bookkeepers through platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr for freelance positions. For full-time hires, offshore recruitment agencies like Pavago specialize in sourcing pre-vetted, skilled bookkeepers from countries like Pakistan, South Africa, and Latin America.
The Bottom Line
Hiring an offshore bookkeeper has its pros and cons, as explained above. However, in most cases, the pros outweigh the cons.
If you want the best of both worlds – lower costs and full control – hiring a full-time offshore bookkeeper through an offshore recruitment agency is your best bet.
Unlike outsourcing firms or freelancers, a full-time employee hired through an agency becomes an integral part of your team, giving you more control over their tasks and work style.
Offshore recruitment agencies make the process much easier by handling the vetting, legalities, and initial screening for you. You’ll get a dedicated professional who understands your business, ensuring consistent quality and stability without the hassle of constantly managing third-party services.
Plus, you can scale your team as needed, all while saving compared to hiring locally.
Ready to get started?
