Accountant Outsourcing to the Philippines

Tips for employing Filipino accountants

• It typically takes 6-8 weeks to recruit an accountant when outsourcing in the Philippines. The more experience you require, the longer it takes.
• Employ the best person for the role, not the cheapest. That may seem like obvious advice, but because talent is so inexpensive in the Philippines, some clients are tempted to seek out the lowest possible salary, in the mistaken belief that this will maximize their margin. The truth is, that just as when you employ at home, it’s a balance between cost and return, and cheapest rarely delivers the best ROI. But don’t worry; no matter what level of experience you’re after, you’ll find Filipino candidates who possess it for a fraction of the annual salary of their onshore counterparts. So you have the luxury of choosing very qualified accountants for a price that wouldn’t even get you a junior back at home.
• If you’re after someone with experience in your local tax laws, be prepared to wait a bit longer, and pay a bit more. If you need this specific expertise, you may be better off – at least initially – hiring junior and intermediate accountants in the Philippines and getting a local senior accountant to train them up.
• When employing outsourced teams of accountants, most of our clients structure the team as follows: senior team leader, one or more intermediates and one or more juniors. Their senior offshore accountant is typically supported by a senior onshore accountant.