India has been a major base for outsourced accounting work for two decades, and many of the largest accounting firms have teams there. The question for a smaller firm or a growing business is not whether offshore bookkeeping works, but which partner to trust with client data and client deadlines. This page sets out how we do it, and what we think you should check about anyone, including us.
Why firms outsource accounting work to India
- A deep pool of qualified accountants. India produces chartered accountants, cost accountants and commerce graduates in large numbers, many of whom have worked on US, UK and IFRS files for years.
- Time-zone leverage. Work sent at the end of a US day is finished by the next morning; UK and Gulf firms get a full working day of overlap.
- Cost. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median wage for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks at $50,670 a year (May 2025), before taxes, benefits, recruiting and office space. An India-based team costs materially less for the same ledger work, which is why the model exists; the right comparison is your fully loaded in-house cost against a fixed monthly quote for the same files.
- Elastic capacity. Seasonal peaks can be covered without hiring for twelve months.
How we are set up
We are a team of 12 based in India, founded in 2019 by Murtaza Kagdi, who still takes every first call. The team includes CPA, CA and MBA-qualified accountants. We are small by design: every client file has a named preparer and a separate senior reviewer, and files are not rotated between whoever is free. Our working hours are set to overlap the US Eastern, Central and Pacific working day as well as UK and Gulf office hours, and we reply within four business hours.
Our clients are CPA and accounting firms in the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and India, and businesses in the UK, the UAE and Bahrain. For firms, the work is delivered under the firm's own name; for businesses, we are the outsourced accounting team.
Confidentiality and the rules that apply
United States: IRC §7216
A US tax return preparer needs the taxpayer's written consent before disclosing tax return information to a preparer located outside the United States, and for Form 1040 clients the Social Security number generally has to be masked first. Penalties for unauthorized disclosure are criminal under §7216 and civil under §6713. We give every US firm a checklist for its engagement letter and consent forms, mask SSNs by default and work only inside the firm's systems. Our article on what IRS §7216 actually requires has the detail, including the AICPA Code interpretations on using third-party providers.
United Kingdom: UK GDPR
Transferring personal data to a processor in India is permitted under UK GDPR with appropriate safeguards, which in practice means a data processing agreement with the International Data Transfer Agreement or addendum. We provide the DPA; your practice remains the controller.
United Arab Emirates
The UAE Personal Data Protection Law and the Federal Tax Authority's record-keeping rules apply to the client's own records, which stay in the client's own system. We access them; we do not take copies.
We do not hold SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification yet. Both are on our roadmap, and if an independent attestation is a requirement for your firm, we would rather you knew that on the first call than on the last.
What to check about any offshore accounting partner
- Who exactly does the work. Ask for the names and qualifications of the preparer and the reviewer, not the firm's headcount.
- Where the data lives. It should stay in your platform. If a partner wants exports, backups or emailed files, ask why.
- Whether there is a separate review. A second accountant who did not prepare the file should review it before you see it.
- What the turnaround really is. Agree a delivery date per file, in writing, and ask how slippage is communicated.
- Working hours. "24-hour turnaround" means little if nobody answers during your working day.
- Paperwork. A mutual NDA, a DPA, and for US firms a §7216 consent process you can show your own counsel.
- A trial. One real file, closed to your standard, before any contract.
How the engagement starts
- A 20-minute call with the founder about your software, file counts and busiest months.
- NDA and checklist. We sign the mutual NDA and send the engagement-letter and consent checklist.
- Access. You create our user accounts in your platform with two-factor login and the permissions you choose.
- One free file. We close and review it inside your software. You judge the turnaround and the review notes.
- Fixed fee. One monthly fee per scope, agreed before we start, with no lock-in; rates negotiable from 20 client files; invoicing in USD, GBP, AED or EUR.
Where our work stops
For US, UK and UAE clients, tax returns, audit opinions and attestations are signed by the licensed firm in that country; we prepare the records behind them and, for CPA firms, the returns themselves. We do not contact your clients. And we do not take on a file we cannot deliver on the agreed date; we would rather say no on the call.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal for a US CPA firm to outsource bookkeeping to India?
Yes. IRC §7216 permits disclosure to a preparer outside the United States with the taxpayer's prior written consent, with Social Security numbers masked for Form 1040 clients. The AICPA Code requires disclosure of the use of a third-party provider and supervision of its work. Your counsel approves the wording; we provide the checklist.
Do you work US hours?
Our hours overlap the US Eastern, Central and Pacific working day, and UK and Gulf office hours. Messages are answered within four business hours.
Will the same people work on our files every month?
Yes. Each file has a named preparer and a named senior reviewer. Cover inside the team is arranged for leave, and you are told in advance.
How do you keep client data secure?
A mutual NDA before access, two-factor login and role-based permissions inside your own platform, no client files stored on our machines, SSNs masked by default, and a DPA and security summary on request.
Do you understand US GAAP, UK GAAP and IFRS?
Yes. We agree the reporting basis per file: US GAAP for US companies, UK GAAP (FRS 102 or FRS 105) for UK companies, and IFRS or IFRS for SMEs for UAE companies.
How much cheaper is outsourcing to India?
It depends on your file sizes and in-house costs, so we do not quote a percentage. We send a fixed monthly quote after a 20-minute call; compare it with your fully loaded in-house cost for the same files. If it would not save you money, we will say so.
Can we visit or speak with the team?
Yes. We introduce the preparer and reviewer on a video call before you send work, and you are welcome to speak with them at any point in the engagement.
