Before handing bookkeeping to a remote preparer, check four things in the client's actual software and plan: how bank records arrive, how receipts are captured, whether each person can have an appropriate login, and what changes the audit history records. Availability, integrations and prices vary by country and subscription. Test the intended workflow in the current system before proposing a migration.
The four things an outsourced workflow needs
1. Bank feeds that work
List each account and how its records reach the ledger. Test available feeds for completeness and timing; for accounts without a suitable feed, agree who uploads statements and when. The preparer needs a way to identify missing periods before reconciling.
2. Receipt capture the client will actually use
Check whether the client will use a capture app, email forwarding or a shared folder. Tools such as Dext and Hubdoc can help collect documents, but the available integrations and steps depend on the plan and ledger. Agree who checks extracted details, codes each item and resolves missing documents.
3. Named users with roles
The preparer, any partner reviewer and the firm's reviewer need individual access with only the permissions required for their tasks. Check user limits, fees and available roles in the client's exact plan. For example, Intuit lists QuickBooks Online user limits by subscription; Xero's core user access and charges for some add-on features are described in its UK plan details. Avoid shared logins.
4. An audit trail
Check what the product records, how long the history is retained, and which roles can view it. Test a sample edit with a named preparer and confirm that the reviewer can identify the change. In TallyPrime, the optional Edit Log and the separate TallyPrime Edit Log product have different controls; Tally's current guidance explains the difference.
Platform by platform
| Platform | Where to consider it | Workflow to test | Plan or edition check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xero | Clients already using Xero in a supported market | Test feeds, Hubdoc or other capture, bank rules and review history | Confirm add-on limits and charges in the local plan |
| QuickBooks Online | Clients in markets where Intuit offers the product | Test feeds, document capture, roles and audit history | Check user and feature limits; Intuit stopped QuickBooks products in India in 2023 |
| Sage 50 or Sage cloud products | Clients already using a specific Sage edition | Test remote access, feeds, document capture and handover | Confirm the exact product, edition and access method |
| MYOB | Australian clients already using a MYOB product | Test named roles, BAS and payroll workflow, and change history | Confirm features for the client's MYOB edition |
| TallyPrime | Indian clients already using Tally for accounting and GST | Test the chosen remote-access method, user roles and Edit Log | Confirm licensing and whether TallyPrime Edit Log is required |
| Zoho Books | Clients considering a cloud workflow where Zoho Books is offered | Test feeds, document capture, user roles and local tax reports | Confirm the country edition and subscription features |
Integrations to check before handover
- Receipt capture: test a tool such as Dext or Hubdoc in the client's actual ledger and plan, then train the client on the chosen submission method.
- Payments and e-commerce: Stripe, PayPal, Shopify and Amazon payouts net fees; the integration or a documented manual routine has to gross them up. These payouts can generate coding queries when fees and gross sales are not separated.
- Payroll: confirm whether the chosen payroll system exports or posts a journal to the ledger, then test the control-account reconciliation.
- Practice management: a shared task list (Karbon, Pixie, Senta, XPM, or a simple board) where the batch calendar lives and review points are logged.
- Reporting: if a separate reporting tool is needed, test the data mapping and refresh process with the client's ledger and pack template.
Should you change platform to outsource?
Assess whether the current platform supports the agreed access, records, review and reporting workflow. If a gap makes a migration worthwhile, scope the data conversion, opening balances, historical records, staff training, cutover and fallback separately from routine bookkeeping. Agree when the partner starts preparation in the new system and who verifies the migrated balances.
Desktop software and remote preparers
Check the remote-access options for the exact desktop product and licence. Hosting may be one option, but TallyPrime also documents its own remote-access feature. Test named users, security controls, backups and the relevant change history before granting access. Compare the cost and effort with a cloud migration using actual proposals.
A simple decision path
- If the business already uses a cloud platform: test the four requirements and add named users before handover.
- If it uses desktop software: compare the supported remote-access options, licensing and controls before choosing one.
- If it runs spreadsheets or nothing: compare locally available platforms against the four requirements, then agree a separate setup or migration scope and fee.
- If the firm supports several platforms: confirm which products the partner can use proficiently, and test the same review and handover standard in each.
Plan the workflow with Cadence. Tell us the products and subscriptions your clients use, so we can confirm access, team experience and any setup work in the proposal. See the bookkeeping service page or ask about a specific setup.
