Most outsourcing quotes describe the same thing: transactions recorded, accounts reconciled, monthly statements produced. Accurate, and not very useful, because it describes about half of what the work actually involves. The other half is the part that decides whether the engagement is worth having.
A bookkeeping engagement should cover recording and reconciliation, but also the work around it — payables follow-up, chasing receivables with your customers by email, month-end close and a reporting pack. Ask specifically about those, because they are where the time goes and where quotes differ most.
Not sure what your current provider actually covers? WhatsApp us your scope and we will tell you what is missing from it.
Quick Summary — What to Confirm
| Area | Usually quoted | Often not, and should be |
| Transactions | Recording and classification | Handling unclear items rather than parking them |
| Bank and cards | Reconciliation | Chasing the differences to resolution |
| Payables | Recording bills | Follow-up so nothing is paid twice or late |
| Receivables | Ageing report | Emailing your customers to chase |
| Month-end | Statements | A genuine close, with balances supported |
| Reporting | P&L and balance sheet | Commentary on what moved |
Recording and Classification
The base layer. Sales, purchases, expenses, bank and card transactions, recorded and classified into your chart of accounts.
The part worth asking about is what happens to items nobody can classify. Every month produces a handful — an unfamiliar payment, a transfer with no reference, a receipt that does not match an invoice.
A weak engagement parks those in a suspense account and moves on. A year later the suspense balance is a problem, and it surfaces during the audit. A proper engagement chases each one, with a named person responsible for answering.
Reconciliation, and What Happens to the Differences
Reconciling bank and card accounts is standard. Resolving what does not reconcile is not, and that is where the time goes.
A transaction missing from the ledger, a duplicate, a payment recorded against the wrong invoice, a bank charge nobody booked. Each needs tracing, and some need a conversation with you.
Ask how differences are handled and how long they are allowed to stay open. “We reconcile monthly” and “our reconciliations close clean monthly” are not the same statement.
Payables, Including the Follow-Up
Recording supplier bills is the easy half. The work is making sure nothing is paid twice, nothing is missed, and disputes get resolved rather than ageing quietly.
That involves following up — with suppliers on missing invoices or incorrect amounts, and with you on approvals. Usually by email, in your name or ours depending on what you prefer.
Most quotes do not mention this. It is frequently the difference between a supplier ledger you can trust and one you have to clean up before year end.
Receivables, Including Chasing Your Customers
The part clients are most surprised is available.
Producing an ageing report is straightforward. Acting on it means emailing your customers about overdue invoices, following up on the ones that go quiet, and escalating to you when it needs more than a reminder.
For a small business this is often the single most valuable thing an outsourced team does, because chasing money is the task owners postpone longest. It is also work that only pays off when it is done consistently, which is exactly what an outsourced routine is good at.
Agree the tone and the escalation points up front. These are your customer relationships, and the emails should read like your business.
Month-End Close
A close is not the same as producing statements from whatever is in the system.
It means cutting off the period, checking that every balance is supported, accounting for accruals and prepayments, reconciling intercompany balances where they exist, and confirming the payroll figures tie in.
Ask what day of the month your close completes, and whether that date holds. A close that happens “when the data is ready” is not a close.
The Reporting Pack
Statements, and something written.
A profit and loss, balance sheet and cash position are the minimum. What makes them useful is a short commentary — what moved this month, what drove it, and anything you need to decide.
Numbers without commentary get filed. Numbers with half a page of explanation get read, and occasionally get acted on.
What Usually Sits Outside Scope
Being straight about the boundaries.
Tax filing is separate from bookkeeping in most jurisdictions, and is often handled by your own accountant or a local partner using the books.
Payment authority stays with you. Recording and following up on payables does not require the ability to move money, and it should not be granted.
Statutory audit is separate by law in many jurisdictions, including India, where the firm maintaining the books cannot also audit them.
Advisory and forecasting are usually a separate engagement rather than part of standard bookkeeping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will you actually email our customers about unpaid invoices?
Yes, where that is in scope. We agree the tone, the timing and when it escalates to you.
Do you handle payments?
No. We record, reconcile and follow up. Payment authority stays with you.
What happens to transactions nobody can identify?
They get chased rather than parked. We come back to you with a short list rather than leaving them in suspense.
Is tax filing included?
Usually not. Bookkeeping keeps the records accurate and filing-ready. Filing is handled by your accountant or a local partner.
How quickly does month-end close?
We agree a date and hold it. Where there is a backlog at the start, catch-up work usually runs alongside the current month.
Can we start with less and add later?
Yes. Most engagements start with recording and reconciliation, then add payables, receivables and reporting as the routine settles.
References
- Engagement scope and deliverables, agreed in writing before work begins
- Companies Act, 2013 — Section 144, restrictions on services rendered by a statutory auditor
⚠️ What sits inside and outside scope varies by provider and jurisdiction. Confirm your own engagement terms in writing rather than assuming any of the above applies.
Related Reading: Where Does Your Data Actually Sit When You Outsource? · You Pick the Software. We Work in Your Login. · Outsourced Bookkeeping for US Small Businesses
Call or WhatsApp: +91 7448200422 Email: info@taxkitab.com See our Global Desk service, or send us your current scope and we will tell you what is missing.
Related Reading
- How US & UK CPA Firms Can Outsource Bookkeeping to India
- You Pick the Software. We Work in Your Login.
- Where Does Your Data Actually Sit When You Outsource?
Need help with this? TaxKitab handles Global Desk for businesses across India and overseas. You may also find our Outsourced Accounting useful. Talk to us.
