{"id":313,"date":"2020-12-31T14:09:54","date_gmt":"2020-12-31T14:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.useprecisionag.com\/blog\/?p=313"},"modified":"2025-05-20T09:57:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T09:57:28","slug":"is-it-better-to-use-a-bookkeeper-cpa-or-enrolled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.useprecisionag.com\/blog\/is-it-better-to-use-a-bookkeeper-cpa-or-enrolled\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Better to Use a Bookkeeper, CPA or Enrolled Agent to File Your Taxes?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img class='wp-post-image' style='display: block;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;' src=\"https:\/\/www.bookstime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Loan-Amortization-Schedule-1-300x173.png\" width=\"252px\" alt=\"bookkeeper vs tax preparer\"\/><\/p>\n<p>A CPA is more credentialed than a private accountant and has met certain education and experience requirements for their state. However, a private accountant may be more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bookstime.com\/articles\/tax-preparer-vs-cpa\">bookkeeper vs tax preparer<\/a> budget-friendly and could still have significant experience, especially with simpler tax preparation. Tax preparers gather business information and review previous returns to help you file for this year.<\/p>\n<p><img class='aligncenter' style='display: block;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;' src=\"https:\/\/www.bookstime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/071b502c-c160-4956-9d3b-bbb0e94c5282-1024x683.jpeg\" width=\"258px\" alt=\"bookkeeper vs tax preparer\"\/><\/p>\n<h2>Free Course: Understanding Financial Statements<\/h2>\n<p><img class='aligncenter' style='display: block;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;' src=\"https:\/\/www.bookstime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/what-is-grant-accounting-1.jpg\" width=\"255px\" alt=\"bookkeeper vs tax preparer\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Many people don\u2019t know the difference between an accountant and a bookkeeper. A  CPA\u2019s main differentiator is the ability to attest an audit, which means it affirms to the IRS that financial statements are truthful. Our team is ready to learn about your business and guide you to the right solution. Most business owners are kept busy with the day-to-day operations of running and growing their companies.<\/p>\n<p><img class='aligncenter' style='display: block;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;' src=\"https:\/\/www.bookstime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/3358fd1f-719d-465b-8b96-c84e957aeef3-300x200.jpg\" width=\"258px\" alt=\"bookkeeper vs tax preparer\"\/><\/p>\n<h2>What is Tax Preparation?<\/h2>\n<p>Once they pass the exam, accounting professionals must continue their education to stay updated on tax law, tax code, and other vital areas. They likely have more knowledge and experience than general tax preparers and often offer services beyond helping file tax returns. As long as a CPA or tax preparer has their preparer tax identification number (PTIN), they can help prepare and file your taxes. However, as the IRS notes, tax professionals have different levels of skills, education, and expertise, so always double-check your tax returns before filing them.<\/p>\n<div style='text-align:center'><iframe width='564' height='313' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Q1qKjb4TWBo' frameborder='0' alt='bookkeeper vs tax preparer' allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2>Accounting:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Uncredentialled tax preparers should be avoided; it is not worth the risk though there are exceptions.<\/li>\n<li>This structured strategy enables scalability, in line with your startup&#8217;s changing needs.<\/li>\n<li>According to the IRS, the average cost of tax preparation for a 1040 (Schedule C) Tax Form is\u00a0$218.<\/li>\n<li>This includes the purchase of goods and services, sales, payroll payments, and more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\ud83d\udd39 Need someone to help with financial planning, strategy, or cash flow forecasting? If you\u2019re ready to handoff the bookkeeping to someone else entirely, then schedule a call with us today to see if we can help fill that role. Bookkeepers are employees who are in charge of the company&#8217;s general ledger. They are well-versed in basic accounting principles, and they apply these in their work. Bookkeepers manage the entry of items in the general ledger, assign items <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BooksTimeInc\/status\/1897653405222678786\">Car Dealership Accounting<\/a> into their proper categories, and ensure that the entries are balanced.<\/p>\n<h2>What are the Advantages &amp; Disadvantages of Having a Tax Preparer Handle My Bookkeeping &amp; Taxes?<\/h2>\n<p><img class='aligncenter' style='display: block;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;' src=\"https:\/\/www.bookstime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/cbcc74afe6.jpg\" width=\"254px\" alt=\"bookkeeper vs tax preparer\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for a firm that actually gets&nbsp;what it\u2019s like to run a small business and wants to help you grow intentionally, let\u2019s chat. If you\u2019re wondering what to do&nbsp;with your profits\u2014whether that\u2019s saving, investing, or reinvesting into your business\u2014working with a financial planner (preferably one with a CFP\u00ae designation) might be a good move. If you can\u2019t afford a bookkeeper at this stage in your business, that\u2019s okay! Even if you\u2019re not a numbers  person, even you can master the skills needed.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Some are Enrolled Agents (an IRS designation) or simply offer tax preparation services without an official certification.<\/li>\n<li>They&#8217;ll assist you in finding deductions, organise all your documentation, and sometimes even assist you with filing your taxes.<\/li>\n<li>The differences between tax preparers and bookkeepers can be seen in a few details.<\/li>\n<li>You wouldn\u2019t let your general practitioner perform neurosurgery on you, right?<\/li>\n<li>The bookkeeper came in once a week and spent about three hours doing the books.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>By understanding and properly differentiating between bookkeeping and tax preparation, companies can ensure better financial management and legal compliance, contributing to their long-term success and stability. CPAs and tax preparers can both help you with small business tax services, but which one is right for you depends on your particular requirements. I hope this clears up some of the confusion regarding which professional is best for your needs and when is best to consult them. For professional bookkeeping services, bookkeeping advice, accountant recommendations, and tax preparer recommendations in <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cash_flow\">cash flow<\/a> Arizona, do not hesitate to contact KORE Bookkeeping solutions at In a study done by TD Bank, over half of all the business owners surveyed ranked bookkeeping as their No. 1 hated responsibility of a business owner.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.useprecisionag.com\/blog\/is-it-better-to-use-a-bookkeeper-cpa-or-enrolled\/\"><img width=\"150\" src=\"\" class=\"alignleft wp-post-image tfe\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" \/><\/a><p>A CPA is more credentialed than a private accountant and has met certain education and experience requirements for their state. However, a private accountant may be more bookkeeper vs tax preparer budget-friendly and could still have significant experience, especially with simpler tax preparation. Tax preparers gather business information and review previous returns to help you&#8230; <a class=\"read-more\" style=\"font-size: 12px\" href=\"https:\/\/www.useprecisionag.com\/blog\/is-it-better-to-use-a-bookkeeper-cpa-or-enrolled\/\">Continue Reading ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Is It Better to Use a Bookkeeper, CPA or Enrolled Agent to File Your Taxes? - Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.useprecisionag.com\/blog\/is-it-better-to-use-a-bookkeeper-cpa-or-enrolled\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is It Better to Use a Bookkeeper, CPA or Enrolled Agent to File Your Taxes? - Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A CPA is more credentialed than a private accountant and has met certain education and experience requirements for their state. 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