When a business owner in Weymouth or Braintree searches for “an accountant near me,” they are often looking for three different things at once: someone to keep the books, someone to make sense of the numbers, and someone to file the taxes. Those are related jobs, but they are not the same job, and knowing the difference saves time and money.
What a bookkeeper does
A bookkeeper keeps the financial record of your business accurate and current, all year long:
- Recording every transaction and categorizing it correctly.
- Reconciling bank accounts, credit cards, and loans to their statements each month.
- Managing bills and accounts payable, when that is part of the arrangement.
- Producing monthly reports: a profit and loss, a balance sheet, and often a cash analysis.
- Keeping the books ready for your CPA at year-end.
Bookkeeping is the foundation. Every tax return, loan application, and business decision depends on it being right.
What an accountant does
“Accountant” is a broader term. An accountant may analyze financial statements, design systems, prepare budgets, or advise on financial decisions. Some accountants also keep books, and some bookkeepers do accounting-level work. The title alone does not tell you much; what matters is what the person will actually do for you.
What a CPA does
A Certified Public Accountant is licensed by the state. In Massachusetts, that license comes from the Board of Public Accountancy. CPAs typically prepare tax returns, advise on tax planning, and are the only professionals who can perform certain attest work, such as audits of financial statements.
Most small businesses need a CPA a few times a year, most intensely during tax season. They need bookkeeping every month.
How they work together
The best arrangement for most owner-run businesses is a bookkeeper and a CPA who communicate. The bookkeeper keeps the books current and accurate through the year. The CPA uses those books to prepare returns and plan for taxes.
When the books are right, the CPA’s job is faster and you get better advice. When the books are behind or miscategorized, year-end turns into a long list of questions. Liliane Larsen describes it this way: your CPA will tell you whether you chose a good bookkeeper, because if they are constantly calling you for information, your bookkeeper should have known it.
Categorization matters for taxes too. A bookkeeper who does not know how something should be recorded should ask the CPA, rather than guess.
Which one do you need right now?
You are behind on the books, or not sure they are right: start with a bookkeeper.
You need a tax return filed or tax advice: you need a CPA.
You want to understand your numbers each month: you need a bookkeeper who reviews the reports with you.
You want all of the above: a bookkeeper and a CPA who work together.
What Larsen does, and does not do
Larsen Bookkeeping keeps the books for owner-run businesses: monthly bookkeeping, cleanup and catch-up, QuickBooks evaluation, training, and conversion. Liliane Larsen is an Advanced QuickBooks ProAdvisor and founded the firm on the South Shore in 2001.
We do not prepare tax returns. We work with your CPA at year-end and whenever they need clarification during the year. If you do not have a CPA, we can tell you what to look for.
Frequently asked questions
Bookkeeping and tax work are priced differently because they are different work. Many businesses find that solid monthly bookkeeping makes tax season simpler, since the CPA starts from clean numbers.
Some CPA firms offer bookkeeping and some do not. Ask who will actually do the monthly work, and how often you will talk with them.
You need someone who knows how Massachusetts businesses run and who you can reach. Our team works fully online, is based in the United States, and our clients reach real people by phone.
Start with a conversation
If you are in Quincy, Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, or nearby and want your books in order before your CPA asks, request a free consultation. Prefer the phone? Call 781-924-1489.