{"id":10719,"date":"2023-09-28T09:58:35","date_gmt":"2023-09-28T08:58:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qualitycompanyformations.co.uk\/blog\/?p=10719"},"modified":"2024-02-15T09:02:15","modified_gmt":"2024-02-15T09:02:15","slug":"accountant-bookkeeper-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qualitycompanyformations.co.uk\/blog\/accountant-bookkeeper-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"Accountant vs bookkeeper: what’s the difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The roles of accountants and bookkeepers often get confused. While they do overlap in some ways, there are a few key differences that you should be aware of.<\/p>\n

Both roles deal with the accounting process, but they focus on different stages. Bookkeepers take care of the basics like recording and maintaining financial data, while accountants analyse that data to carry out compliance and legal tasks like processing tax returns and helping businesses apply for loans.<\/p>\n

In this post, we\u2019ll go into more detail on the role of accountants and bookkeepers and their similarities and differences. We\u2019ll also outline their typical daily responsibilities to help you understand which services your business might need.<\/p>\n

What is a bookkeeper?<\/h3>\n

Bookkeeping is a fundamental part of running a business. Some company owners do their own bookkeeping, and some hire a professional to help ease their workload.<\/p>\n

Bookkeepers are responsible for the efficient recording of a company\u2019s daily financial information. This includes cash flow (the money that goes in and out of the company), tracking your sales revenue, and managing and paying invoices.<\/p>\n

15 reasons you need an accountant for a limited company<\/span><\/a>\n Preparing annual accounts for your limited company<\/span><\/a>\n What is a business loan and how can my company get one?<\/span><\/a>\n <\/p>\n

To make sure that data is organised, updated, and maintained correctly, a bookkeeper should use suitable accounting software. Some of the best programmes for small businesses are QuickBooks<\/a>, Xero<\/a>, and FreshBooks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The essential responsibility of a bookkeeper is to make sure that you, as the business owner, can clearly see what is going on with your company\u2019s money.<\/p>\n

Bookkeepers have a wide range of daily duties, such as:<\/p>\n