FOR OWNERS HIRING A BOOKKEEPER
Bookkeeper Interview Checklist
Ask these 10 questions before you hire a bookkeeper. Note what a good answer sounds like for each one, and slow down when the answers stay vague.
Free checklist. The first questions are open below. The full list unlocks on this page.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Ask about load, process, and the handoff to your CPA.
Ask how many clients they carry, whether they have worked in your industry, what their month end close looks like step by step, how they work with your CPA, and how they handle cleanup work. Then ask what software they use, how often you will hear from them, what they need from you in week one, how pricing works, and what happens if you leave.
A good answer is specific. You hear a named close date, a clear intake list, a plain description of the CPA handoff, and a concrete cleanup example. Vague answers in the interview usually become vague books later.
THE CHECKLIST
Ten questions, with room for notes.
Print it, bring it to the call, and write down the answers you actually hear. The first three questions are open. The rest unlock below.
Start here, open to everyone
- 1. How many clients do you carry right now?Good answer: a number, plus how they protect your close when another client has a rough month.
- 2. Have you worked with businesses like mine?Good answer: they name the patterns they watch for in your kind of work, not just a yes.
- 3. How do you work with my CPA or tax preparer?Good answer: clean books delivered on a schedule, with questions answered without you playing messenger.
Get the full interview checklist
Tell us where to open it and the full ten questions appear on this page, with the good answer guide and the three answers that should slow you down. We will also send occasional follow up ideas for owners in the same spirit.
Process, in plain steps
- 4. What does your month end close look like?Good answer: steps and a date. Transactions categorized, accounts reconciled, reports sent by a named day each month.
- 5. How do you handle cleanup if my books are behind?Good answer: a concrete example, with cleanup scoped and priced separately from monthly work.
- 6. Who handles 1099s and sales tax inputs?Good answer: a clear split between what they prepare, what your CPA prepares, and what they need from you during the year.
Communication and tools
- 7. What software will we use, and who owns the file?Good answer: you own your file and records, with export access if you leave.
- 8. How often will I hear from you, and what will I receive?Good answer: named reports, a set cadence, and a clear path for questions between closes.
Starting and leaving
- 9. What do you need from me in the first two weeks?Good answer: a written list covering bank access, prior filings, payroll details, and logins.
- 10. How is pricing structured, and what is not included?Good answer: the drivers are named, such as volume, accounts, payroll, and cleanup, plus what costs extra.
Slow down if you hear these
One, we handle everything with no steps behind it. Two, a close with no date attached. Three, reluctance to let you own your file or talk to your CPA. None proves a bad bookkeeper. All three predict friction you will pay for later.
WHY IT WORKS
Specific answers predict specific books.
Confidence is easy in a first call. A named close date, a written intake list, and a clear CPA handoff are harder to fake, and they are what your next twelve months will run on. This checklist turns a friendly chat into a working interview, so you compare candidates on process instead of personality.
Pair it with the full article for the reasoning behind each question, and hear the same points in conversation on our Owners Who Automate episode for this post.
STRAIGHT ANSWERS
Asked often,
answered up front.
What questions should I ask before hiring a bookkeeper?
Ask about client load, industry experience, month end close, the CPA handoff, cleanup, 1099 handling, software and file ownership, communication cadence, week one needs, and pricing structure. The checklist above covers all ten.
What does a good answer sound like?
Specific. A named close date, a clear intake list, a plain CPA handoff, and a concrete cleanup example beat a confident promise that everything will be fine.
Do I need a bookkeeper and an accountant?
For most growing businesses, yes, in different roles. The bookkeeper keeps clean monthly books. The accountant or CPA files taxes and advises from those books.
NEXT STEP
Running the business should not mean carrying the books in your head.
Business Hub OS connects your contacts, conversations, bookings, and follow up in one place, so the work your bookkeeper does not cover stops falling through the cracks. Start your free trial, or book a call and we will walk you through it.
Start your free trial at businesshubos.com, or book a call with us above.