What do outsourced accounting services include?

With us: full-service bookkeeping (categorization and reconciliations), controller-level review of the close, monthly financial statements, AR/AP tracking, KPI and variance reporting, and CPA-ready coordination. Higher tiers add fractional CFO advisory on top.

Are outsourced accounting and outsourced bookkeeping the same thing?

They overlap. Bookkeeping is the recording and reconciling layer; "outsourced accounting" usually implies bookkeeping plus a senior controller review layer that verifies the numbers are right. We deliver both as one coordinated function.

No. We keep your books clean and reviewed and coordinate directly with your CPA for tax preparation and filings. The Aligned Ledger is not a CPA firm and does not provide tax, payroll, bill pay, or attest/assurance services.

How much does it cost?

Ongoing bookkeeping typically runs $500–$2,500 per month; with a controller review layer most engagements land around $1,500–$5,000 per month, depending on transaction volume, account count, entities, and reporting depth.

Can you clean up our books first?

Yes. Many engagements start with a catch-up or cleanup project to reconcile and restate prior periods, then move into a stable monthly close with controller review.

Outsourced Accounting Services | The Aligned Ledger

Outsourced Accounting Services

When owners search for "outsourced accounting," what they usually need is a full back office handled by one team—clean bookkeeping plus senior controller review. That's what we deliver: accurate, reviewed financials on a defined calendar, coordinated with your CPA.

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Quick Answers

"Outsourced accounting" means different things to different providers. Here's exactly what it covers with us, what it doesn't, and how to tell whether you're buying a real back office or just faster data entry.

What are outsourced accounting services?: Outsourced accounting is the umbrella term owners use for handing their financial back office to an outside team. In practice it bundles bookkeeping with a controller-level review layer—someone senior who checks the reconciliations, owns the balance sheet, and makes sure reports are right and on time. With us, that's exactly the scope: full-service bookkeeping plus controller review, coordinated with your CPA.
Is outsourced accounting the same as hiring a CPA firm?: No. Outsourced bookkeeping and controller firms handle your ongoing books, reconciliations, reporting, and financial oversight. Tax preparation, audits, and attest/assurance work are performed by a licensed CPA. The right structure is clean outsourced books feeding your CPA—we are not a CPA firm.
How much do outsourced accounting services cost?: Ongoing bookkeeping typically runs $500–$2,500 per month; add a controller review layer and most engagements land around $1,500–$5,000 per month. Pricing depends on transaction volume, number of accounts, entity count, and reporting depth.
How is this different from just bookkeeping?: Bookkeeping records and reconciles what happened. A full outsourced back office adds the controller layer that verifies it's right—catching misclassifications, owning the balance sheet, and producing reports a lender or board will trust. It's the difference between "the books are done" and "the books are done, reviewed, and someone's accountable."

What 'outsourced accounting' actually means—and what to ask for

"Outsourced accounting" isn't a single defined service; it's the phrase business owners type in when they want the whole financial back office handled by someone else. The trap is that some providers sell it as little more than faster data entry. The part that actually protects you is the controller layer on top of the bookkeeping.

So the question to ask any provider is simple: is there a senior reviewer who owns my numbers, or am I just buying transaction coding? With us, the answer is the former—bookkeeping plus controller review, with a named, accountable team behind the reports.

A full back office, handled by one team

Instead of stitching together a bookkeeper, a reviewer, and reporting yourself, you get one coordinated function that owns the whole monthly cycle.

Transaction categorization and reconciled bank, card, and loan accounts
Accounts receivable and accounts payable tracking
Controller-level review of the close for accuracy and consistency
Monthly financial statements—P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow
KPI dashboards and variance analysis tuned to your business
CPA-ready packages and direct coordination with your tax preparer

Where we stop—and why that's a feature

We're deliberately clear about our lane. The Aligned Ledger is a bookkeeping and fractional-CFO firm, not a CPA firm. We don't prepare or file taxes, run payroll, pay your bills, or provide audit/attest services.

That clarity is what makes the relationship work: we keep your books clean, reviewed, and reliable, and we hand off a tidy package to the licensed CPA who handles your filings. You get a back office that's accountable for accuracy and a tax professional who isn't billing premium rates to untangle messy records.

Built to scale into strategy

Clean, reviewed books are the foundation everything else sits on. Once they're reliable, the same team can layer in fractional CFO support—forecasting, budgeting, KPIs, and capital strategy—so the back office that keeps you accurate also helps you decide what to do next.

Bookkeeping, then controller review, then CFO strategy: added in that order, as your business and its decisions grow.

What outsourced accounting includes with us

Full-Service Bookkeeping

Categorized transactions and reconciled bank, card, and loan accounts every month.

Controller Review

Senior review of the close—accuracy, balance-sheet integrity, and consistency before anything ships.

Monthly Financials

P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow delivered on a defined calendar you can rely on.

AR & AP Tracking

Receivables and payables kept current so cash position and aging are always clear.

KPI & Variance Reporting

Dashboards and variance analysis that turn your numbers into something you can act on.

CPA Coordination

Clean, CPA-ready packages handed to your tax preparer—no fire drills at year-end.

Frequently Asked Questions

Keep Exploring

Bookkeeping vs. Outsourced Accounting vs. Fractional CFO Bookkeeping Service Controller Oversight Service Fractional Controller Services

Want your whole back office handled by one team?

Schedule a Financial Alignment Call and we'll map what you need—bookkeeping, controller review, or both—free, structured, and ending with a clear recommendation.

Schedule a Financial Alignment Call

The Aligned Ledger is not a CPA firm and does not provide tax preparation, payroll processing, bill pay, or attest/assurance services.