Bookkeepers are not required to have certifications or specific education unless required by a specific employer. However, completing a bookkeeping certification program can teach you basic accounting and how to perform bookkeeping tasks and has the potential to set you apart from other bookkeepers.
Many contract bookkeepers establish their own businesses after gaining experience working as employed bookkeepers. Working in-house for one company can provide you with the skills required to establish your own bookkeeping firm. For example, understanding how a company develops a strategic financial plan.
When creating your accounting and bookkeeping contract, be sure to include the following details: Identifying information for both parties. Effective date and contract term. Description of services to be performed. Fees. Representations. Confidentiality clause. Termination conditions. Legal terms.
What to Include Party Details. The agreement will name the contractor and the client and provide the mailing addresses where invoices and correspondence can be sent. Term. The one-page contract must state the dates the contractual relationship begins and ends. Services. Compensation. Expenses. Signatures.
A bookkeeper comes to the organization once a week to do the bookkeeping. If he has other clients, controls when the work will be done, and gives the client the results (i.e., monthly financial statements), it is pretty clear he is an independent contractor.
If you have your own bookkeeping business, you are most likely a contractor and will receive 1099s from your clients (this is also a service I offer to my clients where I can prepare their 1099s for any other contractors who work for them).
What type of businesses is QuickBooks Solopreneur for? QuickBooks Solopreneur is designed for one-person businesses, who may or may not use 1099 contractors. It includes easy to use organization, tax and growth focused tools to help drive financial stability.
Quite often, the bookkeeper and accountant render services under conditions that are a combination of employee and independent contractor. For example, they may be an employee on one job and an independent contractor on another job.