How to Hire an Offshore Bookkeeper in Australia (Without an Agency)

May 21, 2026

Bookkeeping is the most common first offshore hire for Australian accounting and professional services firms. Not because it's the easiest role to fill, but because the numbers are hard to argue with. A bookkeeper who can run Xero, reconcile accounts, handle payroll, and keep your BAS period on track costs somewhere between AUD $1,400 and $2,200 a month in the Philippines. The same person in Sydney or Melbourne — if you can find them — costs three times that before you add on-costs.

The problem is most businesses that decide to go offshore end up going through a bookkeeping agency. They pay a bundled monthly fee that covers the person's salary, the agency's margin, and a layer of overhead they never see. Year after year, that margin quietly compounds. This guide is for the firms that want to skip that part.

What direct hire actually means for bookkeepers

Most offshore bookkeeping services work the same way: an agency employs the bookkeeper in the Philippines (or India, or wherever) and charges you a fixed monthly rate. You get access to the person, but the agency retains the employment relationship, the payroll, and — critically — control over the salary information.

Direct hire works differently. You recruit the person yourself (or use a recruiter to find them), engage them as a direct contractor or through a Philippine Employer of Record, and pay their salary without a middle layer. You see exactly what they earn. There's no ongoing markup baked into a monthly invoice. If you want to understand exactly how much agencies are marking up their fees, our guide on what your offshore agency is actually charging you breaks down the numbers in detail.

For a bookkeeper, the practical difference over three years can easily exceed $60,000 — even after accounting for one-off recruitment and setup costs.

What to look for when hiring

Australian bookkeeping has a few specific requirements that not every offshore candidate will have. Before you start reviewing CVs, get clear on exactly which tasks you're handing over. The more specific you are, the better your hire will match what you actually need.

The core skills to screen for:

Xero, MYOB, or QuickBooks — confirm which platform your firm uses and test their proficiency directly, not just on paper. Ask them to walk you through a bank reconciliation or BAS preparation during the interview.
Australian accounting concepts — GST, BAS, payroll tax, PAYG withholding, and superannuation. Offshore candidates who've worked with Australian firms before will have this; those who haven't will need a settling-in period.
Attention to detail and process discipline — bookkeeping errors compound. Ask candidates about how they check their own work and what their month-end close process looks like.
Communication — they'll be working Australian hours and liaising with your team or clients. Written English matters. Run a short practical task that includes written communication, not just number-crunching.

Experience in your specific industry helps but isn't always essential. A strong bookkeeper with good Australian accounting knowledge can pick up industry-specific nuances quickly.

How to find and screen candidates

You have a few options for sourcing offshore bookkeepers directly.

Job boards in the Philippines — platforms like JobStreet, Kalibrr, and LinkedIn Philippines get reasonable candidate volume for accounting and bookkeeping roles. You'll need to write a clear job description that specifies Australian accounting requirements, your software platform, and whether the role is full-time or part-time.

Referrals through your network — if you know other Australian firms who've hired offshore bookkeepers, ask them. Good bookkeepers refer other good bookkeepers. It's the fastest path to a pre-vetted shortlist.

A recruiter who specialises in offshore placements for Australian firms — this is where Tarino comes in. We handle the sourcing, video screening, practical skills test, reference checks, and shortlist. You see the top three candidates and make the call. Our fee is a one-off $5,000 — paid once, not every month.

Whatever sourcing method you use, don't skip the practical task. Ask shortlisted candidates to reconcile a simple set of accounts or prepare a draft BAS from sample data. It takes 30 minutes for the candidate and saves you months of discovering mismatches on the job. For a full walkthrough of the screening and onboarding process, see our guide on how to hire your first offshore team member.

What it actually costs

Here's a realistic cost breakdown for an offshore bookkeeper in the Philippines, working full-time on Australian hours:

Salary — AUD $1,400 to $2,200 per month, depending on experience and qualifications. CPA-qualified candidates with 5+ years of Australian firm experience sit at the higher end.
Equipment and workspace — most candidates have their own setup. If you want to provide a laptop and headset, budget around $500 to $800 once-off.
Payroll and compliance — if you use a Philippine Employer of Record to handle the local employment relationship, expect AUD $150 to $300 per month in administration fees.
Recruitment fee (if using a recruiter) — a one-time cost. With Tarino, that's $5,000. With a traditional offshore agency that bundles recruitment into their monthly fee, you're paying the equivalent of $500 to $900 a month indefinitely.

Total first-year cost for a directly hired offshore bookkeeper: roughly AUD $20,000 to $32,000, including the recruitment fee. Compare that to a typical agency arrangement for the same person, which often runs AUD $45,000 to $60,000 a year once you account for the markup.

From year two onward, you're just paying salary and the Employer of Record administration fee. If you want to see how these numbers stack up against a local hire, our Filipino talent cost guide has current salary benchmarks across a range of roles.

Setting them up to succeed

Offshore hires in bookkeeping roles tend to struggle when they don't have clear process documentation. Before your new hire starts, put together:

A month-end checklist that covers every task in sequence
Your chart of accounts and how your firm categorises transactions
Login access to your accounting software and any connected tools (receipt capture apps, payroll software, bank feeds)
Contact details for who to go to with questions

The first two weeks will involve a lot of questions. That's normal and worth it. Most offshore bookkeepers who have a clear onboarding process are working independently within a month.

Is this the right move for your firm?

If you're paying a local bookkeeper $60,000 to $70,000 a year (or more) for work that doesn't require them to be in your office, the offshore comparison is hard to ignore. The same work, done to the same standard, for a fraction of the cost — with no agency taking a permanent cut.

The direct-hire model takes a bit more effort upfront than signing a managed service contract. You handle the engagement directly. But you own the relationship, you know what your person earns, and you're not funding someone else's margin indefinitely.

If you want to find out whether offshore bookkeeping is the right fit for your firm — and what it would realistically cost — book a 20-minute call at tarino.au. No pitch, no pressure. We'll give you an honest read on the numbers and whether it makes sense for your situation.