How to Hire a Bookkeeping Virtual Assistant

Define the work you need someone to own

Write a brief that names your accounting system, accounts in scope, document locations, reporting period, recurring deadlines and current backlog. Describe the inputs and finished output for each task. For invoicing, that might mean approved job details in and a checked invoice with its sending status out. For transaction entry, it means a supported record using an approved category, not a guess based on the bank description.

VSI's role includes recording and categorizing transactions, preparing invoices, tracking payments, reconciling accounts and preparing reports for review. Select the duties that fit your business rather than treating the entire SOP as automatic permission. The full visible SOP is an adaptable planning template; agree the actual procedure, training and limits at kickoff. [1] [2]

• Identify where work stalls: missing receipts, unapproved invoice details, unmatched bank items or unanswered review questions.
• Separate recurring work from an inherited cleanup backlog. Name the periods and records that need review before changes are made.
• Name the owner or accountant who will answer category questions, approve exceptions and review reports. Include a backup and an agreed response window.

Check accuracy and judgment with a work sample

Ask the candidate to explain experience with your actual system and the specific tasks in your brief. Software familiarity alone does not show whether they will check supporting documents, recognize a duplicate or stop when an instruction is unclear. VSI's role calls for bookkeeping fundamentals, spreadsheet accuracy and attention to financial controls. [1]

Use a short fictional or redacted sample before granting live access. Include an approved invoice brief, a receipt, an existing transaction and a bank-feed item for that same purchase. Add an expense with no approved category. Ask for the proposed entries, supporting-document references and a handoff explaining what remains unresolved. This is an illustrative assessment, not a claim about VSI's existing hiring test.

• Look for a match to the existing transaction instead of a second expense entry.
• Check whether invoice details are compared with the approved brief, including recipient, description, terms and amount.
• Expect a clear question about the uncertain category rather than an invented answer.
• Ask what they would do with a changed vendor bank instruction. A useful answer pauses the request and routes it to the authorized owner.

Choose tools and authorize access task by task

Use the accounting platform you already approve, alongside secure document storage and a shared task or exception log. VSI lists QuickBooks, Xero and FreshBooks as example systems, not included subscriptions, endorsements or certifications. Confirm which product, plan and user permissions can support your selected workflow. [1] [2]

Do not assume that a role named Bookkeeper is limited to data entry. Intuit's QuickBooks Online permissions documentation lists payment-related capabilities in several roles and different report or banking permissions across roles. Custom roles are available only in specified products. Inspect the actual permissions in your plan before inviting the assistant, and keep payment execution outside this delegation. [3]

• Accounting: an individual user account with only the approved transaction, invoice, reconciliation and reporting permissions needed for the agreed duties.
• Documents: access to the relevant receipts, invoices, statements and approved category instructions, not unrelated personal or employee records.
• Communication: access to the approved billing inbox or channel only if invoice sending or routine payment reminders are in scope.
• Banking: owner-provided statements or an owner-authorized feed may supply the evidence. Do not share the owner's bank login or grant transfer authority just to obtain records.
• Access controls: keep account administration with the owner, use available multifactor authentication, never share credentials in chat, and record how access will be removed at handoff or departure.

Give every document a clear route into the records

A useful daily workflow links each record to evidence and gives missing information a visible place to wait. Keep the exception log separate from completed work so an incomplete item does not disappear into an apparently finished batch. The sequence below is an illustrative procedure to tailor with your owner or accountant. [2]

Receipt capture is a starting point, not a substitute for checking. Intuit's upload guidance separates uploading from reviewing, adding or matching receipts. Its bank-feed guidance distinguishes matching an existing record from categorizing an item to create a new record. Check the suggested match before posting; matching an invoice or bill can mark it as paid. [4] [5]

• Collect: gather receipts, vendor bills, approved customer invoice details and statements through the agreed channel. Record the source, relevant period and document location.
• Check: confirm the document is readable and belongs to the business and account in scope. Compare dates, amounts and references with existing records before adding anything.
• Record or match: use owner- or accountant-approved categories for routine entries. Where a record already exists, verify the evidence and match rather than create another entry.
• Hold exceptions: log a missing receipt, unclear category, disputed invoice or unmatched payment with the specific question, responsible owner and next follow-up.
• Handoff: summarize completed records, invoice status, outstanding documents and approval requests. Keep the supporting evidence accessible to the reviewer.

Example: from an approved job to a checked invoice

This fictional example is not a customer case study or a measured result. A small maintenance business gives its assistant an approved completed-job record, customer billing details and an invoice template. The owner has already approved the description, price and payment terms. The assistant checks those inputs, looks for an existing invoice for the job and prepares a draft with the job reference attached.

The owner reviews the first draft. After approval, the assistant sends it through the authorized billing channel and records the invoice reference and sending status. Later invoices may be sent without separate review only if the owner has documented which routine cases qualify. Changed prices, disputed work and unusual terms still go back for approval.

When a customer payment appears, the assistant checks its payer, reference and amount against the invoice and payment evidence before recording or matching it within the approved procedure. A customer saying they paid is a follow-up lead, not sufficient evidence to mark the invoice paid. If a deposit combines payments or differs because of a fee, the assistant flags the allocation question instead of forcing a match. Intuit identifies grouped deposits and fees as reasons a suggested match may be absent. [5]

A vendor receipt follows the document workflow, not the customer-invoice workflow. If its purchase is already recorded, the assistant attaches the evidence or verifies a match rather than adding another expense. A message asking to change that vendor's bank details stays on hold for owner verification through a known contact channel. The assistant does not change payment instructions or release funds. [2]

Keep approvals and the review handoff explicit

Write down what the assistant may complete, what they may prepare for review and what they must stop and escalate. An approval should identify the item and permitted action in the agreed record, not rely on a vague instruction to handle the finances. For this workflow, the assistant prepares payment information but the authorized owner releases payments. [1] [2]

At the agreed review, compare bookkeeping records with the bank or card statement for the same account and period. The assistant can prepare reconciliation work and identify differences within authorized access. Unexplained differences stay visible for review; they are not permission to invent an adjustment. Provide the owner or accountant with the statement, reconciliation status, supporting documents and outstanding questions. [2]

• Routine invoice sending and reminders follow approved details, wording and timing. Disputes, changed terms, credits and refunds need the designated approval.
• New or uncertain transaction categories, prior-period changes and proposed adjustments go to the client or accountant before action.
• Financial transfers, vendor bank changes, payroll approval and payment release remain outside the assistant's routine authority.
• Suspected fraud, unexplained variances and missing documents are escalated to the client or accountant through the agreed channel.
• Reports are prepared for review. This guide does not authorize tax advice, filings, CPA services, legal advice or professional accounting decisions.

Onboard with a supervised batch and a written SOP

Before live work begins, walk through a routine transaction and an exception together. Explain why each approval or check exists, then ask the assistant to describe the handoff back to you. Start with a defined batch whose period and source documents you can review. Check both completed entries and questions the assistant chose not to resolve alone.

Use VSI's full visible bookkeeping SOP as the starting checklist, not a substitute for your own operating agreement. Confirm duties, tools, permissions, training and review standards with VSI and the responsible owner. Review accuracy, reconciliation completion and deadlines weekly, as the template proposes, without treating example measures as guaranteed service levels. [2]

• Confirm the accounts, reporting period, approved chart of accounts and any periods the assistant must not change.
• Provide approved invoice examples, reminder wording, category instructions, document naming rules and a definition of done for each task.
• Name the approver and backup, working timezone, reporting channel, response windows and urgent escalation route.
• Check individual permissions against the duties before sharing live records. Agree document handling and access removal procedures.
• Review the supervised batch for duplicates, unsupported entries, invoice errors and unresolved differences. Record corrections to the SOP before expanding responsibility.

Check VSI's staffing terms, then prepare your brief

Each new human VSI VA provides exactly 40 hours per week; there is no part-time plan. English-only support is $12/hour* for the first Team Lead VA and $9/hour* for each additional VA. Spanish-bilingual support is $17/hour for the first Team Lead VA and $14/hour for each additional VA. All rates are in USD. AI and marketing are quote-only and are not covered by these human VA rates. [6]

An upfront four-week retainer is required as part of your agreement. It is prepaid credit toward your VA service, not an extra service fee. The dollar amount is confirmed in the agreement based on agreed hours and rates. We have two weeks to find the right VA for your business. Your retainer remains unused service credit while matching is underway. If we cannot find the right person within the two-week matching period, we refund your retainer. It is prepaid service credit, not an extra service fee, and the retainer remains unused until you have the right VA and their agreed service begins. Your retainer is used only once you have the right VA, paying for their agreed service at the agreed hourly rates. Once the retainer is used, billing is weekly with no long-term contract. Four weeks means four weeks of agreed service, not a calendar month; the agreement confirms the amount and scope. [6]

Next, open the bookkeeping service and full visible SOP in the related resources. Bring your task brief, tool list, backlog description and approval boundaries to a VSI discussion. Confirm role availability, schedule, suitable experience and access before committing. Share workload descriptions first, not passwords, bank details or unneeded financial documents. VSI's hiring process explains the agreement, matching and onboarding steps. [1] [2] [7]

Common questions

Does a bookkeeping virtual assistant replace my accountant?

Not through this delegation. The assistant maintains records and prepares invoices, reconciliations and reports within the approved scope. The client or accountant retains payment approval, filings and professional accounting decisions. Tax, CPA and legal advice are outside this guide. [1] [2]

Does the assistant need my bank password?

Do not share your owner credentials. Decide whether statements you supply or a feed you authorize can provide the needed evidence. Give the assistant an individual accounting account with the permissions required for the agreed duties. Software roles vary, so check the actual rights rather than relying on the role's name. [2] [3]

Can the assistant pay vendor bills or run payroll?

In this guide's workflow, the assistant may organize bills and prepare payment or payroll information for review, but the authorized owner approves and releases funds. VSI's SOP requires explicit documented authorization and agreed controls for sensitive financial actions. A software permission alone is not your approval to use it. [1] [2]

Can I hire someone only to clear an old bookkeeping backlog?

Describe the backlog separately from recurring work and ask VSI to confirm suitability and scope. Have the owner or accountant identify periods that may be changed and review unresolved balances before cleanup begins. Do not assume the regular staffing arrangement includes an unlimited cleanup project or specialist accounting work. Each new human VSI VA is 40 hours per week, not part-time. [2] [6]

How should I judge the first batch of work?

Check whether entries have supporting evidence, existing records were matched rather than duplicated, invoices follow approved details and exceptions contain clear questions for the right owner. Review what was left unresolved as well as what was completed. Agree the review standards at kickoff; speed alone does not demonstrate a usable bookkeeping handoff. [2] [4] [5]