A Clear Breakdown of the Offshore Accountant Advantage
Companies comparing financial staffing options often evaluate whether a U.S. hire or an offshore accountant offers better value. Below is a straightforward cost and capability comparison to help guide your decision.
Local Hire Costs: What You Pay Without an Offshore Accountant Option
Hiring a local U.S. accountant involves multiple expenses far beyond salary.
Typical U.S. local accountant cost structure
- Salary: $55,000–$80,000+
- Payroll taxes: ~7.65%
- Health insurance: $6,500–$16,000
- Retirement matching: 3–5%
- Insurance & workers’ comp
- Paid time off & sick leave
- Equipment and workstation setup
- Recruitment fees
Total average yearly cost:
$85,000–$120,000+
How an Offshore Accountant Lowers Total Cost with a Simpler Model
An offshore accountant from Flat Planet operates on a fixed service fee with no added employer expenses.
Included with an offshore accountant
- Salary already covered in the service fee
- No payroll tax
- No employee benefits
- No insurance cost
- No office equipment cost
- No recruitment overhead
- HR, IT support, and management included
Total annual cost:
Up to 70% lower than hiring locally
Core Financial Tasks Handled by an Offshore Accountant
An offshore accountant provides dependable support for recurring and process-driven finance work:
- Accounts payable & receivable.
- Bank reconciliation
- General ledger management
- Month-end close
- Bookkeeping
- Budget tracking
- Payroll assistance
- Reporting preparation
- Tax documentation support
Flat Planet ensures consistent output through training, performance oversight, and secure workflows.
Skill Capability: What a Professional Offshore Accountant Delivers
Filipino accounting professionals bring strong technical and communication skills. Most offshore accountants are experienced in:
- QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, FreshBooks
- U.S. GAAP-aligned processes
- High-volume transactional work
- Detailed financial reporting
- Process optimization and documentation
They operate comfortably within U.S. business environments and time zones.
Offshore Accountant vs. Local Hire: Straight Cost Comparison
| Cost Component | Local Accountant | Offshore Accountant |
| Salary | $55k–$80k | Included |
| Payroll Taxes | $4k–$6.5k | $0 |
| Health Benefits | $6.5k–$16k | $0 |
| Retirement Costs | $2k–$4k | $0 |
| Insurance | $1.2k–$2.5k | $0 |
| Workstation | $2k–$5k | Included |
| Recruitment | $1k–$10k | $0 |
| Total Cost | $85k–$120k+ | Up to 70% less |
Operational Advantages of Using an Offshore Accountant
- Faster Hiring and Onboarding
Offshore placement through Flat Planet is significantly quicker than U.S. recruitment cycles. - Time Zone Advantage
An offshore accountant can prepare next-day reports before your team starts work. - Reduced Internal HR Workload
Flat Planet manages attendance, HR support, payroll, equipment, and performance tracking. - Easy Scalability
Add or reduce headcount without long-term employment constraints. - Consistency Across Routine Finance Tasks
Offshore accountants excel at daily, weekly, and monthly recurring tasks.
Data Security and Compliance for Offshore Accountant Teams
Flat Planet ensures your offshore accountants operate within a secure, compliant environment:
- Controlled-access workstations
- Monitored networks
- Enforced confidentiality protocols
- Structured onboarding
- Quality audits
- SOP-driven workflows
This allows your offshore accountant to integrate safely into your financial systems.
When an Offshore Accountant Is the Better Choice
An offshore accountant is ideal for:
- Bookkeeping and reconciliation
- Transaction-heavy financial roles
- Reporting and month-end processes
- Scalable finance teams
- Companies need cost reduction
- Teams requiring a predictable monthly cost
A local hire is typically required for:
- CFO or senior advisory roles
- On-site compliance roles
- High-level strategic financial leadership
Many U.S. companies now use a hybrid model, blending a local finance lead with offshore accountants handling execution.
Build a Cost-Efficient Finance Team with an Offshore Accountant from Flat Planet
The financial comparison is clear: an offshore accountant delivers substantial cost savings, strong technical capability, and reliable output—without the administrative burden of a local hire. Flat Planet provides trained Filipino accountants supported by secure systems and structured management, giving U.S. businesses a smarter way to strengthen their finance function.
To build a high-performance accounting team at a fraction of the cost, contact Flat Planet today.
