Short answer: Hire a bookkeeper first to keep your books current every month. Add an accountant or CPA when you need tax planning, a tax return or a formal opinion on your numbers. Many Seattle owners need both, at different times.
What a bookkeeper does
A bookkeeper records and categorizes transactions, reconciles bank and credit-card accounts, and produces monthly profit-and-loss and balance-sheet reports. The work is ongoing and detail-heavy, and it is what makes every other financial task possible. See our Seattle bookkeeping services for how a monthly engagement runs.
What an accountant does
An accountant interprets the records: tax strategy, entity structure, financial analysis. Accountants rely on clean books. If the books are months behind, you pay accountant rates for what is really bookkeeping catch-up.
What a CPA does
A CPA is a state-licensed accountant. Only a CPA can issue audited or reviewed financial statements, and many Seattle owners use a CPA for tax returns. Not every accountant is a CPA, so ask which license a person holds.
Comparison
| Bookkeeper | Accountant | CPA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | Record and reconcile monthly | Analyze and advise | Tax, assurance, advisory |
| Typical timing | Every month | Quarterly or annual | Annual, plus tax events |
| Needs clean books? | Creates them | Yes | Yes |
Which one do you need first?
- Books behind or messy: a bookkeeper, starting with a catch-up or QuickBooks cleanup.
- Books current, tax return due: a CPA or tax preparer.
- Growing and need forecasting: add a fractional CFO (CentsIQ CFO services).
Washington taxes the gross receipts of most businesses through the B&O tax, and Seattle adds its own business tax. Monthly books that track revenue cleanly make that reporting easier, but confirm filing rules with the Washington Department of Revenue or your tax professional.
CentsIQ provides bookkeeping and financial support. Tax filing is a separate agreement, and we work alongside your existing CPA. For pricing, read what bookkeeping costs in Seattle. If your books are behind, start with the QuickBooks cleanup checklist for Washington businesses.
Looking for a bookkeeper in Seattle? Talk to CentsIQ.
