Bookkeeper, Accountant or CPA: Which Does Your Business Need?

What each one does

The three titles overlap, which is why the question comes up so often. The simplest way to separate them is by the work, not the title.

• Bookkeeper: records every transaction, categorizes it, reconciles bank and card accounts to their statements, and keeps accounts payable and receivable current. The output is a clean ledger.
• Accountant: works from that ledger to produce financial statements, book adjustments such as accruals and depreciation, analyze results and prepare the numbers the tax return is built from.
• CPA (certified public accountant): an accountant licensed by a state board. Only licensed CPA firms can issue audit and review reports, and CPAs can represent clients in any matter before the IRS.
• Enrolled agent: a tax specialist licensed by the IRS itself, with the same unlimited IRS representation rights as a CPA for tax matters.

What they are paid

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median pay for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks at $50,670 a year, or $24.36 an hour, and for accountants and auditors at $83,680 a year, or $40.23 an hour, as of May 2025. Those are employee salaries before benefits, payroll taxes and software.

Outsourcing changes the math because you pay for the hours your books actually need, not a full-time salary. Monthly bookkeeping with SF Business Solutions starts at $250 a month.

What only a CPA can do

Every state requires CPA candidates to complete 150 semester hours of college coursework, pass a national exam and meet the state's other requirements, according to the BLS. That license is what allows a firm to perform audits and reviews that lenders, investors and regulators rely on.

The IRS says enrolled agents, certified public accountants and attorneys have unlimited representation rights before the IRS, covering audits, collections and appeals. A preparer with only a PTIN can prepare returns but cannot represent you. If you are facing an IRS exam, you want one of those three.

Which one you need, by stage

Match the help to the problem you actually have.

• Just starting, a handful of transactions: software and a CPA or enrolled agent at tax time can be enough.
• Steady sales, payroll, a few accounts: a bookkeeper every month, plus a tax preparer once a year, or one firm that does both.
• Lender, investor or board asking for statements: monthly bookkeeping with a month-end close, reviewed by an accountant.
• Audit or review required by a lender or grant: a licensed CPA firm to perform it, with your bookkeeper preparing the schedules.

Where SF Business Solutions fits

SF Business Solutions is a bookkeeping firm, not a CPA firm. We keep your books in QuickBooks Online or Xero, close each month between the 5th and 15th of the following month, depending on when your documents arrive, run payroll, plan for the tax year, and prepare and file your tax return. Our team includes one licensed CPA, and audits themselves are available through our professional CPA partner firms.