It is important to note that an accountant can do a bookkeeper’s job but a bookkeeper cannot do an accountant’s. An accountant in practice is required by law to be registered with a professional body, such as SAICA or IRBA. If you have an accountant who claims to be in practice but cannot give you their practice number it is time to start shopping around! A bookkeeper has limited expertise and does not always join a regulatory body.
A bookkeeper’s purpose is limited to keep the books in order i.e. recordkeeping. A bookkeeper should be highly ethical, detail-orientated, thorough, and reliable!
An accountant is more analytical and has much more expertise to add value to a client. The reason for an Accountants’s existence is the ability to add immense tax value, advise clients on cash flow management, cost-cutting and compliance with laws and regulations such as the Companies Act. Accountants stay in touch with developments in commerce and are more intuitive with numbers
If you need good record-keeping, then you need a bookkeeper, but to grow and safeguard your business, you will need an accountant.
If you are unsure whether you require a bookkeeper or an Accountant feel free to contact us and we will provide professional guidance to steer you into the correct direction – we have more than 1000 satisfied clients and can surely add value here!