Everything you need to know before getting started

Yes – we exclusively partner with CPA firms, EAs, and accounting firms. Through our offshore staffing and back-office solutions, we help them bring on accountants, tax associates, tax seniors, auditors, admin support staff, managers, and other essential roles starting at $11/hour.

Location no longer defines capability. Whether your team is in Boston or Bangalore, what truly matters is skill, attitude, and effective communication.

Offshore staffing isn't just about access to talent starting at $11/hour – it's a flexible solution that can begin as short-term support and evolve into a long-term strategy. It helps firms expand capacity, ease workloads, and gain a competitive edge in a cost-effective way.

Like any decision, offshore staffing has its pros and cons. We address these with strong data security measures and thoroughly vetted professionals to give you confidence in the process.

The best way to know if it's the right fit? Schedule a quick call and see how our solutions align with your needs.

Nearly everything you'd expect from an in-house team member. This includes bookkeeping, monthly accounting, tax preparation, financial statement work (reviews, audits, and compilations), billing and collections, follow-ups, and other administrative duties.

In short, our offshore professionals can handle most of the day-to-day responsibilities within a public accounting firm.

Offshore staff are employees who work for your firm under your direction but are based outside your physical office. While they function just like in-house team members, they operate remotely from our dedicated offices in India, ensuring a secure and well-managed environment for their work.

Yes, you can. The key is to first identify your requirements and make sure there's enough workload to keep a full team engaged.

We usually suggest starting small with one or two staff members. Once you're comfortable and your needs grow, you can easily scale up and build a larger team at your own pace.

Your offshore team's schedule is built around yours. We ensure sufficient overlap in working hours so your in-house staff and offshore professionals can collaborate in real time, keeping communication smooth and workflows uninterrupted.

Offshore staff typically cost about one-third of what firms pay local employees. Since they work remotely from our offices, there's no need for office infrastructure, recruitment expenses, or training costs on your end. You also avoid compliance liabilities, Medicare, benefits, bonuses, and overtime payments. When you add up all these direct and indirect savings, firms often reduce labor costs by up to 75% – and that's a conservative estimate.

In the short term, firms often turn to us during peak seasons like tax time to manage overflow. But in the long run, offshore staffing becomes a strategic advantage rather than a one-time fix.

Just like local staff, offshore professionals work under your management and report directly to you, while operating from our secure offices in India.

This approach helps firms save costs, cut down HR and compliance hassles, reduce partner time by up to 25%, and ease onshore staff workload by about 18%. Most importantly, it frees your team to focus on higher-value advisory services.

You can hire full-time offshore staff starting at $11 per hour, making it a budget-friendly option for firms. Senior roles are in high demand worldwide, and while they come at a slightly higher cost in India as well, they still provide exceptional value compared to hiring locally.

Yes – if you need someone with experience in specific software, we can filter and match candidates accordingly. Every professional is assessed on three key levels:

• Technical expertise: Their ability to handle accounting, tax, financial reporting, payroll, data entry, or related tasks based on prior work experience.
• Software knowledge: While we can source talent with experience in particular platforms, most professionals can adapt quickly. If they have strong technical skills, learning a new system is usually straightforward.
• Firm processes and protocols: This is something every staff member learns once they start working with your team, as it's unique to each firm.

Keep in mind that adding very specific software requirements may narrow the candidate pool, but we ensure you still get skilled professionals who can perform effectively.

Yes. We hire professionals with relevant experience in US GAAP, IRS guidelines, and other regulatory requirements. All staff are trained in US accounting, tax codes, and return preparation specific to the US context.

Local Indian accounting or tax experience is not considered for these roles. To ensure the right fit, firms also get the opportunity to interview and test each candidate before onboarding.

Yes – well-trained staff are key to delivering high-quality service. We maintain a dedicated in-house training facility with expert trainers and offer more than 35 modules covering English communication, soft skills, American work culture, and the software and technology widely used in the US accounting industry. These modules are regularly updated to keep pace with the latest industry trends.

Onboarding typically takes 7 to 30 days. The exact time depends on the availability of candidates and the specific skill set your firm requires. This ensures you get the right professional who's ready to contribute effectively from day one.

It starts with a quick call. Our Account Manager and Resourcing Specialist connect with you to understand your requirements. Based on your needs, we share carefully shortlisted resumes. From there, you interview candidates directly and move forward with the ones who best fit your firm.

Absolutely. Once the agreement is signed, we share resumes of candidates who match your requirements. You can interview them over video at your preferred time, and even request online tests if needed. The process is fully transparent, giving you complete control to choose the right fit for your firm.

Only qualified professionals make it through – no complete freshers. Every candidate must hold at least a bachelor's degree and have a minimum of one year of experience in accounting or tax (US, UK, or CA). In addition, we verify their background and check references to ensure reliability and competence.

We follow a rigorous HR and hiring process to ensure only qualified professionals join our talent pool:

• Screening & Background Checks: Every applicant's resume is carefully reviewed, and shortlisted candidates undergo background and reference checks.
• Interviews: Candidates go through multiple rounds – technical and HR – to assess both professional expertise and soft skills.
• Skill & Aptitude Tests: Depending on the role, we conduct tests such as typing speed and accuracy, English communication (spoken and written), and technical evaluations in accounting and tax.
• Data Security & Commitment: All selected candidates sign agreements that include confidentiality pledges and commitments to long-term association.

You can hire both accounting and non-accounting roles depending on your firm's needs:

• Accounting Roles: Bookkeeper, Accountant, Tax Preparer, Payroll Specialist, Staff Accountant, Account Senior, Tax Reviewer, Tax Director, CFO Advisory, Auditor, Financial Analyst.
• Non-Accounting Roles: Virtual Assistant, AR/AP Assistant, Digital Marketing Specialist, Business Development, Talent Acquisition, Client Service Executive, Social Media Marketer, Video Artist.

This flexibility allows firms to build teams that cover both core accounting functions and essential support roles.

Hourly rates start at $11/hour. The final rate depends on two main factors – the skillset and experience level required, and the hiring model you choose. This gives you flexibility to balance cost with the exact expertise your firm needs.

Billing runs on a weekly cycle, keeping the process simple and transparent for your firm.

Signing up and payments are simple. You'll receive weekly statements along with timesheets, and payments can be made online. Most firms prefer using ACH transfers – we provide bank details, and bills are automatically debited after informing you in advance. You can also print and send statements with corresponding timesheets if you prefer.

We offer a flexible hiring model designed to suit firms of all sizes. Depending on your requirements – duration and hours per week – you can choose from permanent, temporary, seasonal, full-time, or part-time options. This flexibility allows you to start small and scale as your firm's workload grows.

There's no strict minimum commitment for an individual staff member. However, contracts start with a minimum of 3 months for temporary hires and 6 months for permanent hires. In the rare case that you decide not to continue with a selected staff member, we can provide a replacement with a maximum 30-day notice, at no extra cost.

The standard shift for full-time staff runs from 3 AM to 1 PM IST (including a 30-minute meal break and a 15-minute coffee break). This ensures 3–4 hours of overlap with your office timings, so you can assign work in the evening and have it ready by the time you start your day.

If you need full alignment with your office hours, we can adjust schedules, though this may involve a small additional cost due to night shift allowances.

Yes, we can provide staff who work with complete overlap to match your firm's schedule. Since this requires them to work night shifts, we include a small night allowance, which typically adds $1 to $1.5 per hour. You still get cost-effective offshore staffing while ensuring full real-time collaboration with your team.

Your offshore staff work directly with you, under your management and control, just like local employees. To make things even smoother, we assign an Account Manager – essentially your HR offshore.

The Account Manager helps with staff management, training, productivity, and addressing challenges like leave coverage or role clarity. Their goal is to provide unbiased support in your firm's best interest, making it easier to align processes and ensure your offshore team becomes a seamless extension of your firm.

If a remote staff member takes leave, you're not charged unless specific paid leave has been granted. We also encourage staff to avoid taking time off during tax season unless absolutely necessary. The leave structure includes:

• Public Holidays: 10 days
• Discretionary Leaves: 14 days
• Medical Leaves: 5 days
• Maternity Paid Leave: 13 weeks
• Paternity Paid Leave: 2 weeks

This setup ensures flexibility for staff while keeping your operations uninterrupted and cost-effective.

No. After signing up, we arrange interviews so you can evaluate candidates. This process can take up to 30 days. If within that time you don't find a suitable candidate, you're free to cancel the agreement without being locked in.

No hidden or extra charges. We keep things transparent. The only requirement is a simple two-month notice period, which is paid to the employee. Beyond that, there's no long-term obligation or lock-in commitment.

We understand that offshore hiring is a long-term decision and adapting takes time. That's why we offer a two-week free-look period, giving you the chance to evaluate staff before committing. If you feel the fit isn't right, we can provide a replacement aligned with your needs. And if you decide not to continue, we have a simple two-month notice period that ensures a smooth and hassle-free transition.

Replacements are straightforward and designed to minimize disruption. While only about 1 in 10 placements typically requires replacement, every staff member has a 3-month notice period, giving ample time for transition and handover. You won't be charged during this overlap, and outgoing staff transfer duties and processes to the new hire.

With a strong retention record – 1st-year attrition at just 6%, 2nd-year at 7%, and an average retention of 5 years – most firms find their staff stay long-term.

Yes. Our professionals are experienced with the tools and platforms firms rely on every day: QBO/QBD, Xero, Drake, Lacerte, UltraTax, ProSeries, CCH Axcess, Bill.com, Jetpack, Gusto, and many others. This ensures they can integrate quickly into your workflows without a steep learning curve.

Our attrition rate has consistently stayed below 10%. Every new employee signs a minimum 3-year contract, and we're a preferred employer locally – offering cab facilities, medical insurance, meals at the office, regular recreation, and other perks that strengthen retention.

Outsourcing usually means handing over certain tasks to a vendor who manages the work on an ad-hoc basis. This model isn't designed for handling your core business functions.

Offshore staffing gives you dedicated professionals who report directly to you, just like in-house staff. With the right setup, your offshore team can complement your local team, take on core responsibilities when needed, and help you scale smoothly.

Both models have their advantages, but for accounting work, we recommend remote staffing over outsourcing. Outsourcing is better suited for non-core, non-repetitive tasks, but when applied to core operations it can lead to inconsistent quality and loss of control.

With offshore staffing, your team works directly under your supervision, reducing errors and ensuring accountability. Over time, your remote staff also gain experience with your processes, making them even more valuable to your firm.

With our offshore staffing model, you maintain 100% control. Your offshore staff report directly to you and follow your firm's policies, protocols, and workflows, just like your in-house team. Unlike traditional outsourcing where you're bound by a vendor's processes, offshore staffing gives you the flexibility to manage and direct staff exactly the way you want.

No. We are an offshore staffing partner that helps firms build dedicated teams who work under your management and follow your processes. Unlike outsourcing where tasks are handed to a vendor, our model gives you full control and long-term support to strengthen your firm's capacity and efficiency.

Offshore staffing can benefit firms of all sizes. Our clients range from small practices to mid-size and regional firms, including over 700 that already work with us.

Firms that have partnered with us for more than a year have seen profitability increase by 20% to 35%.

Yes. You can hire offshore tax accountants who add significant value to your firm. This approach is cost-effective, scalable, and allows your in-house team to stay focused on core activities while offshore professionals handle tax preparation and related work.

Yes. It gives you access to skilled professionals who handle routine, time-consuming tasks – freeing up your in-house team to concentrate on higher-value work and firm growth.

Offshore accounting services are the accounting functions that a firm can delegate to an offshore partner like Accountably. These typically include bookkeeping, audits, tax preparation, and accounting support, along with other related roles. In short, most core accounting tasks that can be done remotely fall under offshore accounting services.

Most desktop-based work can be offshored, including bookkeeping, accounting, tax preparation, payroll, financial reporting, compliance support, client onboarding, and administrative duties. We often guide firms through an exercise to list out these responsibilities, making it clear which tasks can be shifted offshore while keeping your core team focused on higher-value work.

Offshore staff can support almost every function you'd expect from in-house employees, as long as the work is desktop-based. Key areas include:

• Accounting & Bookkeeping: Daily, monthly, quarterly, real-time, or after-the-fact accounting and bookkeeping.
• Tax Preparation: Arrange and send client organizers, collect documents, handle follow-ups, and prepare returns.
• Audit/Review/Compilation: Desktop-based audit support, reviews, compilations, and agreed-upon procedures (about 70% of the work).
• Payroll: Weekly, biweekly, monthly, or real-time payroll including compliance.
• Administrative Tasks: Internal firm accounting, budgeting, contact management, prospect research, and client database updates.

In short, offshore staff work as a true extension of your team, helping with everything except on-site fieldwork.

Yes. We offer a trial period so you can evaluate performance firsthand. This allows you to confirm they meet your expectations and fit well with your processes before making a long-term commitment.

We provide comprehensive support to make integration smooth: initial training sessions, regular check-ins, and a dedicated Account Manager. The Account Manager ensures offshore staff align well with your firm's processes and culture, making the transition seamless.

Your Account Manager is your primary point of contact. They handle non-routine or policy-related matters so your offshore staff can stay focused on their work – assisting with troubleshooting, pricing updates, staff training, shift adjustments, leave management, and bonuses. In short, they make sure your offshore team operates smoothly and your needs are always addressed.

We're confident in our recruitment process, and it's very rare for firms not to find a suitable candidate. But if you decide not to proceed after interviews and tests, there is no cost involved. You are only billed once your hired staff actually starts working for you.

Yes. English is widely spoken in India, and we only hire staff who are fluent in it. Communication is rarely a barrier, though the accent may differ from American English. We recommend speaking at a slightly slower pace initially, giving staff a little time to adjust to your style, after which communication flows smoothly.

Quality is a top priority. India has become a hub for global delivery centers – home to Big 4 firms, Fortune 500 companies, tech giants, and hundreds of accounting firms – which has built a strong ecosystem of talent. That's where we hire and train our staff. Just like local hiring, there's always a chance of a mismatch, but you get to test a candidate's capabilities before committing, and if needed, we provide a replacement.

Every offshore staff member holds at least a bachelor's degree in accounting and has prior experience working with US accounting and tax. This ensures they understand US practices from day one and can integrate seamlessly into your firm's processes.

Yes, they are fully qualified. Every professional is vetted for education, skills, and experience before being placed. Offshore staffing is cost-effective not because of lower quality – it's because the cost of living in India is much lower than in the US. That's why $11 an hour translates into a strong income locally, while also giving your firm significant savings.

Yes. Offshore staff work under your control and management, following your firm's processes and protocols. They are essentially your staff, working from our offices but fully integrated into your team.

Integration is critical. From our experience, 6 out of 10 failures in offshore staffing happen because firms don't properly integrate their teams. We emphasize the 4 C's for success:

• Change – Embrace new ways of working.
• Culture – Respect and align both work cultures.
• Collaboration – Ensure both teams work toward shared goals.
• Communication – The most important, as it holds the other three together.

By keeping both teams aligned and informed, offshore staffing becomes a long-term strength rather than a source of friction.

Yes. You can hire offshore tax and accounting staff on a part-time, temporary, or seasonal basis to meet tax season needs. This flexible model lets you scale your team for peak demand without long-term commitments, while still benefiting from skilled professionals at competitive rates.

Yes. We've partnered with hundreds of firms, and many have shared their success stories. From small practices to mid-size and regional firms, clients consistently report reduced workloads, improved profitability, and smoother operations. We have a library of success videos and case studies, and you're welcome to connect with firms who have worked with us to hear their experience firsthand.

Every staff member maintains daily timesheets that record tasks completed and time spent. By reviewing these, you get a clear and transparent view of their productivity. If your firm already uses a specific timesheet format, our staff can adapt to it.

All staff work from our secure offshore offices, not from home. We follow a strict no-work-from-home policy to ensure the safety and confidentiality of client data. Our offices are equipped with the infrastructure and security needed to maintain high professional standards.

Yes. While we generally assign each staff member an email on our domain, many firms prefer staff to use their own domain. We allow this after a quick risk assessment, so your offshore staff can seamlessly communicate as part of your team.

Multiple secure options are available:

• Remote Access: Set up a workstation with software; staff log in with credentials, complete tasks, and log out.
• Cloud/Server Access: Upload documents to your cloud or server for staff to access, work on, and save directly.
• File Transfer: Share files via email or secure transfer applications; staff complete the work and send it back for review.

Choose whichever method best fits your firm's workflow and security preferences.

Multiple convenient channels are available:

• Telephone: Each employee is assigned a dedicated US phone number.
• Email: Share instructions and receive daily reporting.
• Video & Chat: Every workstation includes a webcam, microphone, and software for Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or other instant messaging tools.

This setup ensures smooth and reliable communication just like working with an in-house team.

Each employee is equipped with a twin-screen computer, the latest operating system, required software, and a high-speed internet connection. Workstations also include a webcam and microphone for video conferencing. Every staff member gets a dedicated US contact number and an official email address. For security, internet access is restricted to block personal emails, social media, and unrelated sites.

No extra fee for setup. During signup, you share the list of software your firm uses, and we'll have them installed. On your side, you may just need to set up a remote sharing ID and password. If you need assistance, our IT team can help with the setup quickly.

Shift timings are typically agreed upon before hiring. While staff can adjust occasionally to meet deadlines – just like any in-house employee – a permanent change in shift timing isn't recommended. This ensures fairness to the staff and consistency in their work schedule, while still allowing flexibility when needed.

Confidentiality is taken very seriously. Every staff member signs a non-disclosure agreement, and we enforce strict data protection measures across all offices. Our infrastructure follows ISO 27001 best practices (with certification in progress), is aligned with ISO 9001 standards (undergoing preparation for external audit), GDPR compliant, and built with secure access controls to safeguard sensitive client data at every step.

We follow ISO 27001 best practices and are pursuing full certification. Internal systems are aligned with ISO 9001 standards, we are GDPR compliant, and approved by the IRS for continuing education. You're welcome to visit our offices in India or take a video tour to see how our processes and security measures work in practice.

Yes. Our offshore professionals are already trained in a wide range of accounting software, and we provide additional training if your firm uses specific platforms. This ensures staff can quickly adapt and work seamlessly within your existing systems.

Theoretically, yes – but the risk must be looked at in relative terms. In many cases, the security protocols offshore are even stronger than what you'd find with in-house staff. Our operations are fully paperless, we enforce no-mobile-phone policies, CCTV surveillance, key card access, disabled USB drives, and restricted internet access. Strong NDAs and confidentiality agreements are standard. With experience serving 70+ firms and zero breach incidents, your risk is actually lower with offshore staffing than with traditional local staffing.

We provide a written contract that guarantees the protection of your data, privacy, and confidentiality. This gives your firm stronger legal recourse in the unlikely event of a breach. That said, in our years of operation, we have never experienced such an incident – our track record speaks to the strength of our systems and safeguards.

This isn't possible at our offices. Mobile phones are not allowed inside the work area and must be stored in lockers. All entries and exits are controlled through key cards, and the entire facility is under 24/7 CCTV surveillance. These measures ensure sensitive client data stays fully protected.

No. The IT setup is designed so staff log in remotely to your firm's workstation, complete tasks, and log off. There's no back-and-forth data transfer. Since your data never actually leaves your office environment, the risk of copying or unauthorized movement of information is eliminated.

You maintain complete control, just as you would with in-house staff. Your offshore staff work only for you during their designated hours, reporting directly to you and following your firm's policies. They are essentially your employees – the only difference is that they operate from our secure facilities in India.

Yes. We provide feature phones for staff, and if two-step authentication requires a smartphone, we supply one with your approval. Personal phones are never allowed inside the work area, ensuring access remains secure and controlled.

Data security is built into every layer of operations. Offices are fully paperless – no pens, paper, printers, personal mobile phones, or portable storage devices in the work area. USB ports are disabled, and staff cannot access personal emails, social media, or unrelated websites. All emails, folder systems, and internal servers are continuously monitored by our IT team. With these controls, sensitive data never leaves our premises.

Every step is taken to ensure staff respect client confidentiality. Before hiring, we conduct thorough background checks and verify references. Upon joining, each employee signs a strict legal agreement committing to protect client data. Any violation leads to legal action. Thanks to this process, we've never faced an issue with staff mishandling sensitive information.

Yes. Our offices are fully covered with CCTV cameras inside and outside the premises. Every cabin is equipped with two cameras for complete visibility, and the entire system is monitored 24/7 to ensure security and prevent any untoward incidents.

Absolutely! We'd be glad to host you. A visit gives you the chance to see our infrastructure, security setup, and work environment firsthand. Several clients have visited in the past and left with full confidence – and happy memories. You're always welcome.

ISO 27001:2013 is an internationally recognized Information Security Management Standard published by the International Organization for Standardization. It is awarded to organizations that meet strict security guidelines and consistently comply with them. We follow ISO 27001 best practices and are in the process of obtaining full certification. Our protocols are designed to protect client data and maintain confidentiality at all times.