Do you need a bookkeeper or an accountant?
The words get used interchangeably, but they're different jobs. Here's the difference in plain terms — and what an owner-run business actually needs.
What a bookkeeper does
Bookkeeping is the day-to-day record. A bookkeeper records and categorizes your income and expenses, reconciles your accounts against the bank, and keeps your reports current — so at any moment you can see whether you're making money and where it goes.
What an accountant does
Accounting is the interpretation. An accountant reads what the books say — analyzing your profit and loss, spotting trends, and helping you plan. Good bookkeeping is what makes that analysis possible; without current books, there's nothing reliable to interpret.
And a CPA?
A CPA is a state-licensed credential. It's required for audits and certain certified work that most small businesses never need. Asega is a bookkeeping and tax-preparation practice. We are not a CPA firm or Enrolled Agents — if your situation calls for an audit or an attest engagement, that's a CPA's work, and we'll say so.
What most owner-run businesses actually need
Books that are current, a return prepared right, and a person who answers when something comes up. That combination — bookkeeping plus tax preparation — is what people usually mean when they search for "an accountant" for their small business. If that's what you're looking for, that's exactly what we do, in English and Spanish.
General information, not personalized tax or legal advice. Every situation is different — talk to us about yours.