Keeping invoices and receipts in order
An assistant with access to QuickBooks or Xero can keep the everyday paperwork moving. Invoices go out when work is done, reminders follow when they go unpaid, and receipts get matched to the transactions they belong to.
Vendor bills are entered as drafts for you to approve. Documents your bookkeeper or CPA needs are filed where they expect to find them. The assistant never pays, transfers or changes payment details, and does not answer tax questions.
Getting files ready for your CPA
A lot of accountant time goes into chasing paperwork. An assistant can shorten that chase by filing as the year goes: receipts attached in QuickBooks or Xero, vendor bills saved with their invoices, bank and card statements in a shared folder, and a running list of transactions that need an explanation.
Before year end or a quarterly check-in, the assistant can gather what your CPA usually requests and point out what is missing. They do not decide how anything is treated for tax purposes or answer tax questions. Those go to your accountant, and the IRS publishes general guidance on the records a business should keep.
Decisions only you should make
An assistant can prepare nearly everything on the billing side. A few decisions still belong to you:
- Approving bills and releasing payments
- Changing bank details, card details or remittance instructions, after confirming any request through a contact you already know
- Issuing credits, refunds or write-offs
- Settling disputes with customers or vendors
- Anything tax-related, together with your CPA
Write down who makes each call and how the assistant should reach that person. The page then goes into the assistant's procedure notes, so the answer is there when the question comes up.
Questions about invoicing and bookkeeping admin
Can the assistant pay our bills?
No. The assistant enters bills and prepares them for approval, and you or your accountant release payment. Keeping payment rights off the assistant's login is one of the simplest safeguards in billing support, and it should be part of the setup from day one.
Do you handle both QuickBooks and Xero?
Requests for both are common. Mention which product and plan you use, plus any add-ons for payments, receipts or job tracking, so the service partner can confirm the assistant can work in your setup before quoting.
What happens if a vendor emails new bank details?
The assistant changes nothing. They forward the request to you, and you confirm it through a contact you already have on file before any update. New bank details sent by email are a common route for payment fraud, so this rule belongs in the written procedure.
Ready to hand off the first few recurring jobs? Use the quote form to get started.
Go to the quote formOther services
Data entry and filing
Move details from forms, emails and scans into the systems you use, and keep shared drives organized.
Inbox and help desk
Ticket triage and replies in Zendesk, Help Scout, Gorgias or a shared inbox, under the assistant's own login.
HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive
Record keeping and list work under a separate user seat, with the permissions you choose to grant.