Scope of bookkeeping work
Bookkeeping outsourcing is a service in which a company entrusts accounting, bookkeeping, and tax-filing work to a professional agency. Each month, the agency's work mainly includes: processing accounts based on invoices and bank statements (vouchers, subsidiary ledgers, general ledger, and financial statements); filing VAT, surtaxes, corporate income tax, and individual income tax; declaring social insurance and housing fund contributions; and the annual tax settlement and annual business report.
The core of bookkeeping is accurate and timely filing. Missed or late filings can result in fines and affect a company's credit and financing.
Fee structure
Bookkeeping fees depend primarily on three factors: taxpayer type, where small-scale taxpayers cost less and general taxpayers cost more due to input-VAT handling; invoice volume, the number of monthly invoices and bank transactions; and scope of service, whether social insurance, annual reports, and consulting are included.
In Beijing, the monthly fee for a small-scale taxpayer is generally in the range of a few hundred RMB, depending on invoice volume and whether social insurance is included; general taxpayers cost more.
In-house accountant vs outsourced bookkeeping
A full-time accountant in Beijing costs roughly 8,000-10,000 RMB per month including social insurance, or over 100,000 RMB a year. For a small or mid-sized company with modest volume, a full-time accountant's utilization is low. By comparison, outsourced bookkeeping typically costs a few thousand RMB a year — a significant difference. For small companies with limited volume, a professional bookkeeping agency is usually more economical than a full-time accountant.
Provider selection
When selecting a bookkeeping agency, verify the following: licensing, whether it holds a Bookkeeping License issued by the finance bureau; handover, whether accounting records are delivered promptly; receipts, whether filing receipts are provided after each monthly filing; and responsiveness, whether tax matters are flagged proactively.
RuiQifu, under CRBPO (Zhongrui Yuehua), has provided finance and tax services for thirty years, with bookkeeping as one of its services.