Offshore accounting, AustraliaA dedicated offshore accountant works inside your own Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks or Reckon file during Australian business hours. Your accountant is a university-qualified graduate, employed by FreeMyCloud in our Manila office, and typically costs 50 to 70% less than a local equivalent. No lock-in contract and no setup fee.
The short answer
Offshore accounting means having accounting and bookkeeping work done by qualified staff in another country, inside the same cloud accounting file you already use. For Australian businesses that country is most often the Philippines. The offshore accountant codes transactions, reconciles accounts, processes supplier bills and customer invoices, prepares pay runs, and prepares the reports and BAS figures your registered agent relies on.
It is used in two ways. A business takes on an offshore bookkeeper in place of, or alongside, a local hire. An accounting practice adds offshore accountants to its own team, so that its senior staff spend their time on review and advice. FreeMyCloud provides both. In each case one named person works on your files every day, and you direct the work.
Offshore accounting in this sense is about where the work is done. It has nothing to do with offshore bank accounts or tax structures.
What the rules say
Sending accounting work offshore is permitted in Australia. The rules are about telling clients, getting their permission and protecting their information. These are the three that matter most, as published by each body.
| Who it applies to | What it requires | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Registered tax agents and BAS agents | Client information must not be disclosed to a third party without the client’s permission. The agent tells the client to whom and where the information will be disclosed, usually in the engagement letter. | Tax Practitioners Board, Confidentiality of client information (Code item 6, last modified 30 April 2026) and Outsourcing and offshoring |
| Members of CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants ANZ and the IPA in public practice | The member documents and communicates the details of the outsourced service provider, the geographical location where the work will be performed, and the nature and extent of the outsourced services. | APES 305 Terms of Engagement, paragraph 3.6, effective for engagements from 1 July 2021 |
| Organisations covered by the Privacy Act | Before disclosing personal information to an overseas recipient, the organisation takes reasonable steps to ensure the recipient handles it in line with the Australian Privacy Principles. The organisation remains accountable for how the recipient handles it. | Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, APP 8 |
In practice this means three documents: an engagement letter that names the offshore arrangement, a signed non-disclosure agreement, and access that you control inside your own software. FreeMyCloud supplies the NDA and the details your engagement letter needs.
What the work looks like
| When | What your offshore accountant does | What you have at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Codes bank feed transactions, matches receipts and bills, answers supplier and customer queries | A bank feed with nothing left waiting |
| Weekly | Reconciles bank, card and merchant accounts, enters supplier bills, sends invoices and follows up overdue ones | Current payables and receivables lists |
| Each pay run | Prepares the pay run, the Single Touch Payroll report and the super payment for your approval | Pay and super ready to approve on payday |
| Monthly | Closes the month and prepares the profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow | Management reports for the month just finished |
| Quarterly | Prepares BAS figures and workpapers for your registered BAS or tax agent | A BAS ready for your agent to review and lodge |
| Yearly | Prepares year-end schedules and workpapers | A clean file for the tax agent who prepares the return |
Super is part of every pay run. For earnings paid from 1 July 2026, the contribution must be received by the employee’s fund within 7 business days of payday (ATO, Payment deadlines for Payday Super, as at 29 September 2026).
Get in touch
Tell us a little about your business and what you need looked after. We reply within one business day, Australia-wide, and fifteen minutes on the phone is enough to say whether a dedicated bookkeeper suits you and what it would cost.
Prefer to talk? 1300 66 88 14
Scope
One person, working in your software and following your processes.
Transaction coding, receipts and bills attached, and accounts reconciled on a set schedule.
Supplier bills captured, coded and scheduled for your approval.
Invoices sent, statements issued and overdue accounts followed up each week.
Pay runs, Single Touch Payroll reports and super payments prepared for your approval.
Profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow each month, with notes on the movements.
BAS figures, year-end schedules and reconciliations prepared for a registered agent to review.
For accounting practices: a dedicated graduate accountant who works under your brand, in your practice software, to your review process.
Businesses and practices
| For a business | For an accounting or bookkeeping practice | |
|---|---|---|
| Who directs the work | The owner or finance manager | A senior accountant or practice manager |
| Whose files | Your own accounting file | Your clients' files, through your practice logins |
| Typical work | Weekly bookkeeping, payables, receivables, pay run preparation, monthly reports | Bookkeeping, reconciliations and workpapers prepared for your review |
| Who signs off | Your registered BAS or tax agent | Your practice, which stays responsible to the client |
| What to tell clients | Nothing changes for your customers | The arrangement is named in your engagement letter, with client permission |
More detail for practices is on the services for accountants page.
Who does what
Only a registered BAS agent or tax agent can provide BAS services for a fee in Australia (Tax Practitioners Board, BAS services). FreeMyCloud is not a registered tax agent and does not prepare or lodge tax returns. Your offshore accountant keeps the records and prepares the figures. Your registered agent reviews them, lodges and advises.
| Role | Registration | What they do in this arrangement |
|---|---|---|
| Your FreeMyCloud accountant | Works under the direction of your registered agent | Keeps the records current every week and prepares figures and workpapers |
| Registered BAS agent | Registered with the Tax Practitioners Board | Reviews and lodges your BAS, and advises on GST and PAYG obligations |
| Registered tax agent | Registered with the Tax Practitioners Board | Prepares tax returns and year-end accounts, and gives tax advice |
For a fuller explanation see Bookkeeper, BAS agent or accountant: who does what in Australia.
Choosing an arrangement
| Local employee | Offshore freelancer | Dedicated FreeMyCloud accountant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | One employee on your payroll | An individual you find and manage yourself | The same graduate accountant every day, employed by FreeMyCloud |
| Where they work | Your premises | Their home, on their own equipment | Our Manila office, inside your software |
| Hours | Your hours | By arrangement, often across time zones | Australian business hours |
| Cover for leave | You arrange it | None | Arranged by FreeMyCloud |
| Agreements | Employment contract | Whatever you put in place | Signed NDA before work begins. No lock-in contract |
| Suits | Work that needs someone on site: cash, mail, paper files, front desk | Short, one-off tasks | Steady weekly volume that justifies a regular role |
When offshore is not the better choice. If your records are on paper that never gets scanned, if cash is counted on site, or if the role includes the front desk, an employee on your premises will suit you better. If you need two hours a month, a local contractor is simpler.
Security and control
Your offshore accountant logs in to your own accounting file with a user account you create. You choose the permission level and you can remove access at any time. Your data stays in your accounting software.
Every engagement starts with a signed non-disclosure agreement. Changes made in the file are recorded against the user who made them, so you and your registered agent can see who did what and when.
Manila is two hours behind Melbourne and Sydney for most of the year, three during daylight saving, and on the same time as Perth. FreeMyCloud staff work Australian business hours.
Whichever platform your business or practice already uses.
User permissions set by you, removable by you.
In place before any work begins.
Approvals, payment runs and reporting dates stay as you have set them.
Your offshore accountant is a university-qualified graduate accountant with Australian experience, employed by FreeMyCloud and based in our Manila office. The same person works on your file every day.
FreeMyCloud is Australian owned and was founded in 2010. We work with Australian businesses from individual operators to ASX-listed companies, with offices in Melbourne and Manila.
A dedicated FreeMyCloud accountant typically costs 50 to 70% less than a local equivalent. The figure for your business depends on hours and transaction volume, and the cost page sets out how it is worked out.
Getting started
Most clients are running within three business days of the first call.
You describe the business or practice, the software and the work that needs doing.
We match a graduate accountant to your software and workload.
The NDA is signed and you invite your accountant into your file.
Your accountant follows your existing process from the first day.
Related pages
The Philippines is the most common location for Australian offshore accounting. English is an official language, accounting is taught as a university degree, and the working day overlaps almost fully with Australia.
FreeMyCloud has kept the books for Australian businesses since 2010, with a dedicated team in Manila. Because the work is done inside your cloud accounting file, it makes no difference whether your business is in a capital city or a regional town.
If you are weighing up the location, our guide to outsourced bookkeeping from the Philippines explains how the arrangement works in practice.
Frequently asked questions
Offshore accounting means having accounting and bookkeeping work done by qualified staff in another country, inside the cloud accounting file you already use. For Australian businesses the staff are most often in the Philippines. It describes where the work is done and has nothing to do with offshore bank accounts or tax structures.
Yes. Australian rules permit it and set conditions about disclosure and client permission. Registered tax and BAS agents must have the client's permission before disclosing client information to a third party (Tax Practitioners Board, Code item 6). Accountants in public practice must tell clients who the outsourced provider is, where the work is performed and what it covers (APES 305, paragraph 3.6).
An offshore accountant with FreeMyCloud codes transactions, reconciles bank and card accounts, processes supplier bills and customer invoices, prepares pay runs and super payments for approval, closes the month and prepares management reports. BAS figures and year-end workpapers are prepared for your registered agent to review and lodge.
A dedicated FreeMyCloud accountant typically costs 50 to 70% less than a local equivalent. There is no setup fee and no lock-in contract. The figure depends on the hours and transaction volume you need. The cost page explains how it is worked out and the savings calculator gives an estimate.
No. Only a registered BAS agent or tax agent can provide those services for a fee in Australia. Your FreeMyCloud accountant keeps the records current and prepares the figures and workpapers. Your registered agent reviews them and lodges. FreeMyCloud is not a registered tax agent and does not prepare or lodge tax returns.
Your accountant works inside your own accounting file using a user account you create, at the permission level you choose. You can remove access at any time. Every engagement begins with a signed non-disclosure agreement, and changes in the file are recorded against the user who made them.
Yes. The Tax Practitioners Board says the client must be told to whom and where their information will be disclosed, and must give permission, usually through the engagement letter (Tax Practitioners Board, Outsourcing and offshoring). APES 305 requires the provider, the location and the scope to be documented and communicated to the client.
FreeMyCloud staff work Australian business hours. Manila is two hours behind Melbourne and Sydney for most of the year, three during daylight saving, and on the same time as Perth.
Most clients are running within three business days of the first call. The steps are a 15-minute call, matching an accountant to your software and workload, signing the NDA and inviting your accountant into your file.
This page is general information about offshore accounting arrangements and Australian obligations, current as at 29 September 2026. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. FreeMyCloud is not a registered tax agent and does not prepare or lodge tax returns. Rules and dates change. Confirm your own position with your registered tax or BAS agent.
Fifteen minutes on the phone is enough to tell you whether a dedicated offshore accountant suits your business or practice, and what it would cost.
