Outsourcing Consultant for CPAs & Accountants

The accounting profession is facing an unprecedented staffing challenge. With the number of accounting graduates declining and experienced CPAs retiring at record rates, firms are struggling to keep up with client demand. To solve this, many firms are exploring offshoring and outsourcing.

While the terms are often used interchangeably, they are not the same—and understanding the difference is critical to making the right strategic choice for your firm.

What Is Offshoring in Accounting?

Offshoring means hiring team members outside the U.S. through a vendor, a staffing provider, or even by setting up your own offshore office. These professionals are dedicated staff members, working as an extension of your firm.

Why firms offshore accounting roles:

• Access to global talent pools in India, the Philippines, South Africa, and South America.
• Reduce costs—often 40–50% savings compared to domestic hires.
• Scale efficiently during busy season.
• Build long-term capacity with dedicated offshore teams that become part of firm culture.

What Is Outsourcing in Accounting?

Outsourcing is when a firm contracts specific tasks or processes to an external provider, either domestically or internationally. Instead of hiring staff, the firm pays for deliverables.

Examples of outsourcing in CPA firms:

• Tax return preparation on a per-return basis.
• Audit fieldwork or specialized consulting handled by external providers.
• Client Accounting Services (CAS) tasks like bookkeeping or payroll managed by a third party.

Why firms outsource:

• Flexibility to add capacity during tax season or peak audits.
• Access to specialized expertise without hiring full-time staff.
• Improved efficiency by freeing up partners and managers to focus on advisory and client relationships.

Key Differences Between Offshoring and Outsourcing

• Outsourcing = Pay for work or deliverables (project-based).

• Offshoring = Hire dedicated staff offshore (ongoing, integrated).

The AICPA Outsourcing Toolkit, developed in collaboration with Impact Global Solutions, provides CPA firms with clear models to evaluate these options—from project-based outsourcing to long-term offshore staffing and even Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) models.

The toolkit emphasizes that successful firms don’t treat outsourcing or offshoring as “quick fixes.” Instead, they:

• Standardize processes before moving work offshore.
• Implement communication controls and KPIs to measure success.
• Carefully evaluate vendors for security, compliance, and quality assurance.

Which Approach Is Right for Your Firm?

• Choose outsourcing if you need short-term flexibility (busy season, specialized projects, or overflow).

• Choose offshoring if you want long-term scalability with dedicated team members aligned to your culture.

• Consider a hybrid model—many firms outsource some seasonal work while building a stable offshore team for tax, CAS, and audit.

For CPA and accounting firms, offshoring and outsourcing are not interchangeable. The wrong choice can lead to inefficiencies, misaligned expectations, and wasted investment. The right choice can transform your firm’s capacity, profitability, and ability to serve clients.

The AICPA Outsourcing Toolkit provides a roadmap of best practices to help firms evaluate vendors, set up communication channels, and optimize their outsourcing/offshoring strategy.

If your firm is exploring global staffing options, start with an Outsourcing Readiness Assessment to understand where you stand and how to choose the right path.