Bookkeeper assistant job description, duties & skills

An expert who assists a company’s operations by overseeing its financial transactions and records is known as a bookkeeping assistant. Their principal duty is to serve bookkeepers and other accounting professionals in keeping correct and current financial records. 

Their responsibilities range widely and are important to the smooth operation of the financial team.

Table of contents:

Bookkeeper assistant job description

As the bookkeeping department’s right hand, a bookkeeper assistant offers crucial assistance with various financial duties. They keep track of the transactions happening in the organisation, bank accounts, credit card balances, and financial reports. 

Bookkeeper

Along with maintaining databases, word processing, and spreadsheets, they do office tasks like making appointments and returning calls. They manage payroll for small businesses, enter data into accounting software, and provide reports regularly. 

Bookkeeper assistant handles payroll processing, bank and credit card statement reconciliation, and accounts payable and receivable management.

Qualification/Experience

  • It is necessary to have a GED certification or a high school diploma.
  • A bachelor’s degree is desirable in fields requiring comparable business expertise, such as finance, accounting, or business administration.
  • Possessing 0–3 years of professional experience and knowledge development.
  • Gaining knowledge of and enthusiasm for mastering accounting principles.
  • Having experience with computers and bookkeeping software, such as Xero, QuickBooks, and Microsoft Office, to handle money.
  • Possessing outstanding communication (written and verbal) and time management abilities. Possessing knowledge of and familiarity with fundamental accounting concepts.

Duties and responsibilities

What are the duties of a bookkeeper assistant? Here are few essential duties and responsibilities of a bookkeeper are listed below:

  • Ensuring payment accuracy by conducting monthly, quarterly, and yearly account analyses for each vendor. 
  • Monitoring and balancing credit card expenses and paying bills on credit cards. 
  • Taking care of the bookkeeper’s and the department’s secretarial duties and reception. 
  • Creates purchase orders, examines and processes invoices, and keeps track of spending.
  • Always look into cash flow to ensure that invoices are paid on schedule.
  • Keep track of petty cash and do monthly bank reconciliations to facilitate simple transactions. 
  • Collaborating with other departments to carry out routine accounting audits.
  • Being productive when collaborating and partnering to work well in a team setting.
  • Consistently preparing bank deposits for the business’s checking account.
  • Processing tax returns, submitting state tax returns, and creating tax estimates for an organisation’s tax payment. 
  • Posting transactions for appropriate record-keeping and documentation to the management or bookkeeper. 
  • Processing the organisation’s or agency’s accounts payable invoices and payments.
  • Giving the accounting or bookkeeping department administrative help. 
  • Confirm the authenticity of company finances and report any inaccuracies in financial statements to the accountant and clients.
  • Provide guidance on lowering taxes and enhancing cash flow.
  • Helping the accountant with additional duties, including filing taxes, keeping track of accounting data, and creating and documenting financial statements.

Essential Skills

  • Organisation skills

The bookkeeper assistant must be well-organised to fill out forms and other clerical tasks for your employer, such as managing several files, papers, and records related to bookkeeping or the job description. You are also in charge of keeping records. 

When someone asks you a question, or you need to seek something up for yourself or a customer, having strong organisational abilities also makes it simpler for you to locate information. 

The administrative tasks carried out by the bookkeeper assistant need organisational skills.

  • Accounting skills

A bookkeeper assistant has to be proficient in bookkeeping. Possessing great accounting abilities will enable you to make sure the financial records you’re in charge of are precise or error-free. 

Through education, experience, and ongoing learning, you may improve your accounting skills. A bookkeeper assistant should provide clients with error-free bank statements or financial reports since any customer would like it.

  • Time management skills

This is a talent that any bookkeeper assistant requires since they have to provide on time, even when the management is demanding it. The bookkeeper assistant needs to be able to work efficiently even when assigned several jobs. 

Having the ability to fulfil deadlines, particularly regarding financial audits, reports, and weekly, monthly, or yearly bank statements for clients. 

Time management skills are the capacity to organise and carry out work to meet deadlines. As bookkeeping assistants frequently handle several tasks, managing your time well is essential to finishing tasks on schedule.

  • Computer skills

Every bookkeeper assistant should have an analytical mindset and know how to effectively utilise all the resources required for correctly auditing the bank statements and financial statements of their firms, clients, or organisations. 

A bookkeeper assistant must be at ease using computers and have a thorough grasp of all the software required for audits and administrative tasks. 

Having the ability to utilise a range of computer programmes, such as word processing, accountancy software, and spreadsheets, to carry out their work obligations. Being proficient with computers may make work go more smoothly and quickly.

  • Attention to skills

An ability that can help you do your work effectively as a bookkeeper assistant is paying attention to detail. Precise data entry and well-organised record-keeping are frequent requirements for bookkeeping assistants. 

Ensuring the correctness of financial data and facilitating others’ ability to locate necessary information while examining firm records calls for close attention to detail. A bookkeeper assistant should possess skills that include problem-solving and rapid problem identification. 

You must be able to identify differences in the statistics you deal with, which is necessary to keep accurate financial records.

Bookkeeper

Conclusion

If you’re passionate about numbers and organisation, consider pursuing a career as a bookkeeper assistant to get a start in the finance industry. 

A bookkeeper assistant’s job gives chances for learning, growth, and professional development regardless of your experience level or desire to move into a different capacity.