Outsourced bookkeeping services in the UK, explained.

WHAT OUTSOURCING MEANS

What outsourced bookkeeping
actually means.

Bookkeeping is the daily recording of what comes in and goes out of your business. Bank lines are matched, receipts and invoices are attached, and each item is coded to the right account and VAT rate. If you want the full picture, read what a bookkeeper does.

When you outsource it, that work moves to a provider outside your business. The records stay in your accounting software. The bookkeepers log in remotely and do the work there. You still own the books, the bank accounts and the decisions. What you hand over is the routine.

Outsourcing is not the same as using an accountant. An accountant usually prepares year-end accounts and tax returns from your records. A bookkeeper keeps those records right through the year. Our guide on bookkeeper vs accountant covers the difference.

KEEPING IT IN-HOUSE

The real cost
of an employee.

A bookkeeper on your payroll costs more than their salary. As an employer you pay employer National Insurance above the secondary threshold. You make workplace pension contributions if they are eligible for auto-enrolment. You pay for holiday, sick pay, training, equipment and the software seat they use. GOV.UK sets out what you need to do when you employ staff.

There is also time. You recruit, train and manage the role. When they are on holiday or leave, the work stops unless someone covers it.

In-house can make sense when the bookkeeping is a full-time job, or when the role also covers tasks that need someone in the building, such as handling cash or post.

OUTSOURCING IT

A fixed fee
and no cover gaps.

With an outsourced service you pay a fee for the work, not for a person's whole week. There is no recruitment, no payroll for the role and no holiday cover to arrange. Cover for holidays and absence is the provider's job, not yours.

The trade-off is that nobody is sitting in your office. Questions come by email, phone or message, and the bookkeepers rely on you for things only you know, such as what a payment was for.

• No recruitment or employment costs for the role
• Holiday and absence cover is not your problem
• Records stay in your software, in your name

WHAT YOU KEEP CONTROL OF

You stay in charge
of your money.

A common worry is losing sight of the finances. Done properly, outsourcing should give you a clearer view, not a weaker one.

• Your accounting software and subscription stay in your name
• You choose the access level and can remove it at any time
• Payments and approvals stay with you
• Your accountant keeps working in the same software
• You get a monthly financial summary

We do not need to move money to keep your books. Paying suppliers, approving spending and signing off returns remain your decisions. Read how we protect your data on our data security page.

HOW HANDOVER WORKS

Moving your books
to an outsourced team.

Handover is mostly about access and information, not moving data. A typical handover has four steps.

1. A free call. We talk through your business, your software, your bank accounts and where paperwork arrives today.

2. A review of your records. We look at how up to date the books are and what volumes come through each month. That gives us the facts to confirm a fixed monthly fee.

3. Access and routines. You invite us into your software as a user. We agree a finance inbox for invoices and receipts, and who does what with your accountant.

4. The daily routine starts. We keep the books moving every UK working day. If there is a backlog, we clear it first under a separate catch-up bookkeeping quote.

If you are leaving another bookkeeper, our guide on how to switch bookkeeper explains what to ask for.

RISKS TO WATCH

The risks of outsourcing,
and how to manage them.

Outsourcing has risks like any arrangement. Most are avoided with clear terms at the start.

Unclear scope. If you do not know what the fee covers, gaps appear. Ask for a written list of what is included and what is quoted separately.

Slow answers. Books go out of date when questions sit unanswered on either side. Agree how questions reach you and how you reply.

Losing access. If a provider holds the software in its own name, leaving can be hard. Keep the subscription in your name so the records stay with you.

Data security. Use invited user access, not shared logins, and ask how the provider handles your data.

HOW TO CHOOSE

Choosing an outsourced
bookkeeping provider.

These questions help you compare providers on the things that matter day to day.

• How often will my books be updated?
• Will you work in the software I already use?
• Is the fee fixed, or billed by the hour?
• What is included, and what costs extra?
• Who chases missing receipts and invoices?
• What will I receive each month?
• How do I leave, and what do I keep?

How often the work is done matters more than it looks. Our guide on daily vs monthly bookkeeping explains why. For typical costs across the market, read how much a bookkeeper costs in the UK.

HOW WENZO DOES IT

Outsourced, but
done every working day.

Wenzo is a done-for-you daily bookkeeping service. We work in your existing software, with 14 packages supported, including Xero, QuickBooks and Sage. See the full software list.

Every UK working day we reconcile your bank and match receipts, monitor your finance inbox and follow up missing invoices and receipts. Each month you get a financial summary. We work remotely with businesses across the UK.

THINKING ABOUT OUTSOURCING?

Book a free call
about your books.

Tell us which software you use, how many bank accounts you have and where paperwork arrives today. In a 30-minute call we will talk through how outsourcing would work for you and the monthly fee that fits. You can also call 020 7123 9335, email [email protected] or message us on WhatsApp.