Freelance Bookkeeping Services

Bookkeeping is the day-to-day recording of financial transactions: invoices, receipts, payments, payroll and bank reconciliations. It creates the clean, organised record everything else builds on. Accounting takes that record and turns it into insight: preparing management accounts, financial statements, tax returns and strategic advice.

A useful way to think about it: your bookkeeper keeps the numbers accurate and up to date; your accountant interprets those numbers, files with the authorities, and helps you make decisions. Most businesses need both, but a good bookkeeper reduces the workload (and cost) of your accountant considerably by keeping everything in order year-round.

Most businesses benefit from professional bookkeeping support from day one. If you’re spending more than a few hours a month on financial admin, struggling to keep up with VAT or tax deadlines, or growing faster than your admin capacity can handle, it’s a clear sign you need support. Even where you’re able to manage your own books, there are strong practical arguments for outsourcing: a qualified bookkeeper significantly reduces the likelihood of a tax audit, ensures your records are always accurate and compliant, and frees you to focus on running the business. For most founders and business owners, the time saved alone justifies the cost.

Our bookkeepers work on an hourly basis, from CHF 45 to CHF 90 per hour (approx EUR 47-94), depending on experience and specialism. What you spend each month depends entirely on your scope – a sole trader needing a few hours of transaction recording is a very different brief to a growing SMB with payroll, VAT filings and multi-currency accounts.

No recruitment fees, no upfront costs, one rate, one Swiss invoice. See the full pricing guide on our Pricing page.

Our bookkeepers cover the full spread of financial admin including:

• Recording daily transactions and posting to the general ledger
• Bank reconciliation and trial balance preparation
• Accounts payable and receivable
• Payroll processing and PAYE
• VAT preparation and tax filings
• Month-end and year-end closes
• Management account preparation
• Invoicing and credit control
• Expense management and receipt processing

Need something specific to your industry or tools? Tell us at briefing and we’ll source for it.

Our bookkeepers are freelance professionals, but your commercial contract is with Houston & Ko, an established Swiss GmbH, so all of your bookkeeping support sits under a single, robust Swiss agreement. You deal with us; we handle the legal setup, compliance and invoicing.

As much or as little as you need, from a few hours a month for a sole trader up to full-time bookkeeping support for an SMB or enterprise finance team. Common setups include:

• A few hours a month for basic transaction recording
• Weekly bookkeeping for growing businesses
• Full-time support during month-end, quarter-end and year-end
• Short-term cover for busy periods, audits or leave gaps

Hourly rates or packages scale up or down at any time, with none of the constraints of a permanent contract.

Our founders work with you directly to define the role, then match you with candidates from our pre-vetted pool, only the 14% who pass full screening. To find the best fit, be clear on:

• The software you use (Sage, Xero, QuickBooks, Bexio, etc)
• The rhythm you need (weekly, monthly, month-end only)
• Any industry-specific requirements (regulated sector, non-profit, hospitality etc)
• Whether you need international, Swiss-qualified, or both

See how our process works → Process page.

Focus on real situations rather than hypotheticals. Good examples include:

• “Walk me through how you handle month-end close.”
• “Tell me about a time you caught a reconciliation error before it became a problem.”
• “How do you keep on top of changing VAT and tax rules?”
• “What’s your process when you find inconsistencies in the books you’ve inherited?”
• “How do you communicate with clients when something needs their attention?”

A short paid trial task, such as reconciling a sample month or preparing a simple management account from raw data, tells you more about their attention to detail and problem-solving than any CV.

Finding a bookkeeper who fits your business and delivers consistently is trickier than it sounds. Here’s what to look for:

1. Define the scope before you start looking. Be specific about the tasks, the software you use, the volume of transactions, and the rhythm you need. A bookkeeper who’s excellent at monthly SMB work may not be the right fit for a high-volume ecommerce operation, and vice versa.

2. Check their software experience. For most bookkeeping roles, practical capability matters more than formal certifications. Ask which platforms they use daily and how many years on each. If your role is more complex – multi-entity, audit-facing, or Swiss-regulated – look for Swiss or UK professional qualifications as well.

3. Trial with real work. Give shortlisted candidates a small paid task using genuine data, ideally reconciling a sample month or preparing a simple report. This reveals attention to detail and problem-solving far better than an interview.

4. Work with a specialist recruitment partner. If you want to skip the sourcing, screening and trialling process, working with Houston & Ko gives you access to pre-vetted freelance bookkeeping talent, placed within 7 days, under a single Swiss contract with no minimum commitment. Contact us today.