What a LATAM Remote Bookkeeper Handles
Transaction categorization: Recording and categorizing income and expenses in your accounting software. This is the core function — keeping your books current so your P&L and balance sheet are accurate at any point in time.
Bank and credit card reconciliation: Matching transactions in your accounting software against bank and card statements, identifying discrepancies, and flagging anything that needs review.
Accounts payable tracking: Logging vendor invoices, tracking due dates, and flagging upcoming payments.
Accounts receivable support: Tracking outstanding invoices, sending payment reminders, and updating records when payments are received.
Monthly close support: Preparing a draft monthly close package — P&L, balance sheet, cash flow statement — for review by a US CPA or controller.
Expense report processing: Reviewing and logging employee expense submissions against policy and receipts.
Tools LATAM Bookkeepers Commonly Use
The most important hiring filter after experience level is tool proficiency. Ask specifically which platforms they've worked in:
- QuickBooks Online — the most common small business accounting platform in the US; strong talent availability in LATAM
- Xero — popular with SaaS and tech companies; growing LATAM proficiency
- Wave — free accounting software for very small businesses
- Bill.com — accounts payable automation
- Gusto / Rippling / ADP — payroll platforms; bookkeepers should record payroll entries from these systems
- Google Sheets / Excel — reconciliation and reporting work often happens in spreadsheets
Cost Breakdown
Entry-level (1-2 years, basic categorization and reconciliation): $18,000-$24,000/year. Mid-level (3-5 years, full-cycle bookkeeping, multiple platforms): $24,000-$32,000/year. Senior (5+ years, month-end close, multi-entity): $32,000-$42,000/year.
For comparison, a US-based bookkeeper costs $40,000-$60,000/year. The LATAM model gives you a dedicated person, at a cost 40-55% below the US equivalent, with full accountability for your specific books. Argentina tends to produce stronger financial and accounting talent at the professional tier.
The US CPA Oversight Model
Hiring a LATAM bookkeeper doesn't mean removing your CPA from the picture. It means restructuring how the CPA spends their time.
LATAM bookkeeper handles: Daily and weekly transaction entry, reconciliation, accounts payable/receivable tracking, payroll recording, and draft monthly close package.
US CPA handles: Reviewing the monthly close, making adjusting journal entries, filing taxes, providing financial analysis and advice, and signing off on anything with compliance implications.
The handoff works best when the LATAM bookkeeper delivers a monthly close package by a set date (e.g., the 5th of the following month), the CPA has a recurring 30-minute review with the bookkeeper each month, and clear documentation exists for categorization rules.
How to Hand Off Bookkeeping Safely
Start with a clean chart of accounts. Before handing off, have your CPA review and confirm your chart of accounts. This is the categorization framework everything depends on.
Document your categorization rules. A simple one-page reference: 'Software subscriptions go to [account]. Contractor payments go to [account].' Give this to the bookkeeper and update it when new expense types come up.
Weekly reconciliation reviews for the first 30 days. In the first month, review the bookkeeper's categorization weekly rather than monthly. Catch patterns early and correct them before they compound.
Never skip the monthly close package review. One month of unreviewed books is manageable. Three months becomes a significant cleanup project.