A virtual assistant for accountants takes over admin that slows a practice: client document chasing, new client onboarding, data entry, scheduling and a deadline tracker. It does not give tax advice, sign filings or replace your professional judgment.
A virtual assistant for accountants handles the admin that slows a practice down. That means chasing documents, onboarding new clients, entering data and keeping deadlines in view. It does not give tax advice or sign anything. This guide lists ten tasks that hand off well, shows how to protect client data, and explains where the limits are.
Virtual assistant for accountants: 10 tasks to hand off
| Task | What the VA does | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Client document chasing | Sends reminders and logs what has arrived | Deciding what is missing |
| New client onboarding | Sends forms, collects IDs and sets up folders | Accepting the client |
| Engagement letter admin | Fills your template and tracks signatures | Scope and fees |
| Data entry | Enters invoices, receipts and statements | Review |
| Bank line coding | Codes lines using your rules list | New rules and odd items |
| File organising | Names and sorts documents by client and year | Retention rules |
| Meeting booking | Offers slots and fills the calendar | Priorities |
| Deadline tracker | Keeps one sheet of client dates and flags them | The dates themselves |
| Draft schedules | Prepares draft working papers from coded data | Sign-off |
| Inbox triage | Sorts mail and drafts routine replies | Advice |
Accounting firm admin support is often the quickest win. Many firms use a virtual assistant for accountants in busy season, then scale hours down afterwards. Hours roll over and there is no long contract, so you can match help to workload. That makes it a flexible way to add capacity without a new hire.
Client document chasing that works
Client document chasing is the task most firms hand off first. Write one clear request list per client. The VA sends the first request, then reminders on a schedule you set, and logs each reply in a shared sheet. You see who is missing what in one view. Good chasing also protects your own deadlines, because you stop waiting on one late client.
Accountant onboarding checklist
Use this accountant onboarding checklist for each new client. A VA can run most steps:
- Send the engagement letter and track the signature.
- Collect identity and contact details through your secure portal.
- Create the client folder with your standard sub-folders.
- Request prior-year records and bank access as your firm requires.
- Add the client's dates to the deadline tracker.
- Book the kick-off call.
Confidentiality for accountants: how to limit risk
Confidentiality for accountants matters more than speed. Work inside your own systems. Give each task the minimum access it needs. Remove access when a task ends. Do not send client files by personal email. Our Terms include confidentiality terms, and a data processing agreement is available on request. Check your own professional rules, because they may add duties we cannot know.
What it cannot do
An assistant is not a qualified accountant. We do not give tax, audit or legal advice, and we do not sign or file returns. Our focus is non-calling admin work. If you need a staffed phone line, use an answering service. Our month end bookkeeping checklist shows how the close can be split between a VA and you.
What it costs
A short pilot is the safest start. Choose one client group, give the VA one task and review every output for two weeks. If the work is accurate, add a second task. This keeps control with you while a virtual assistant for accountants proves its value.
Thinking about AI for your practice? Read what a recent survey reported in AI in accounting practices, with the caveats.
Advising law firms or founders instead? See our guides to a virtual assistant for law firms and outsourced bookkeeping for startups.
A 3-hour block is $33, and pay-as-you-go is $12 an hour. The part-time plan is 80 hours for $500, and the full-time plan is 160 hours for $899, or $5.62 an hour. Unused hours roll over while your account is active. Prices are in US dollars. Try the cost calculator, then use the task brief guide to hand off your first task.
Helpful next steps
- Bookkeeping virtual assistant — what the service covers.
- Onboarding checklist — the first week with a new VA.
- Task templates — copy-paste briefs for common jobs.
- See pricing — from $12/hr pay-as-you-go to $5.62/hr full-time.
Frequently asked questions
What can a virtual assistant do for an accounting firm?
A VA can chase client documents, run onboarding steps, enter data, organise files, book meetings, keep a deadline tracker and prepare draft schedules for your review. These are admin tasks done in your own tools.
Can a virtual assistant prepare or file tax returns?
No. Tax advice, signed filings and regulated work stay with a qualified accountant. A VA prepares and organises information so you can do that work faster.
How is client confidentiality handled?
Give the VA only the access each task needs, use your own systems and keep a record of who can see what. Our Terms include confidentiality terms, and a data processing agreement is available on request.
How should an accounting firm start?
Pick one repeating task, such as chasing missing documents. Write a short brief, hand it off in a small block of hours, review the result and add the next task.
What is doing this yourself costing you?
Doing it yourself: $2,165 a month of your time.
The same hours at our $12/hr pay-as-you-go rate: $520. Dedicated plans start at $5.62/hr.
Simple maths from the numbers you enter. It assumes a VA can take on those hours.
Start for $1Written by the MyRemoteVA team. Search-trend figures come from Google Trends. Prices shown are our current plans. Last updated October 18, 2026. Questions or corrections? Contact us.