The Help Center
All You Need To Know
I am available as a resource for all of your accounting challenges and concerns. I have compiled a list of frequently asked questions that I receive from many of my clients. If you can’t find the answer you are looking for, feel free to get in touch and I will do our best to address your every need.
What are the differences between an accountant, a CPA and a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper, or bookkeeping clerk, is someone who is responsible for balancing all of the transactions in their company’s general ledger. This role does not require any type of certification or tertiary education. Although they only need to have a high school certification, it can help their marketability to have some sort of qualification to their name.
An accountant is someone who has received a Bachelor’s degree or higher in either Accountancy or a similar field. Accountants are not necessarily certified, so while all CPAs, Chartered Accountants (CAs) and similarly licensed professionals are accounts, not all accountants are CAs. Here, we will be describing the role of a non-licensed accountant. Similar to a bookkeeper, they are also responsible for balancing financial accounts. However, the scope of their work is broader than a bookkeeper. As such, they cannot work for any public company. However, due to their level of education, they have a broader role in the financial running and auditing of the company.
A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is someone who has not only acquired an Accountancy degree, but has also undergone all of the extra requirements to earn their CPA license. This entailed meeting the 150 College Credit requirement, the state board’s work requirement, writing the AICPA Ethics Exam if necessary and passing all four parts of the Uniform CPA Exam. Once this is done, they will receive their CPA license from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA.) This license is state specific.
How long should I keep my tax records for?
Tax records should be kept for ten (10) years.
What are your service fees?
Notarial fees are set by the State of Ohio and cannot be changed unless the Secretary of State allows it. However, I do charge a travel fee for in-person notary services when applicable.
Tax preparation fees are set prior to the new tax season and do not change for the duration of the tax season.
Bookkeeping fees are set in a per hour charge however there is an additional payroll processing fee for employers.