Outsourced Accountant or In-House Employee: Which Works Better for Your Business?

As a business grows, the question comes up: should I keep an outsourced accountant or hire someone in-house? Both work, but for different businesses. Here we compare them on total cost, flexibility and responsibility.

When an outside service is enough

An external accounting firm is usually the better choice when:

• You have up to a few dozen invoices a month and few employees.
• You don’t need someone physically in the office every day (for cash or the warehouse, say).
• You want broad expertise in VAT, payroll, taxes and legal changes without loading it all on one person.
• You want continuity: the service doesn’t stop when someone goes on leave or leaves.

When you need a finance role in-house

An in-house employee makes sense when:

• The volume of documents is large and daily (many suppliers, inventory, several points of sale).
• You need someone tracking collections, payments and invoices in real time.
• Management wants frequent reports, budgets and internal controls.

Often the most efficient answer is a hybrid model: an in-house employee for day-to-day work and an outside firm for returns, financial statements, review and advice.

Measure the total cost, not just the monthly salary

An accountant’s net salary isn’t the real cost. For the employer it also includes:

• Employer contributions: 15% social insurance (up to the maximum contribution base) and 1.7% health insurance on gross salary.
• Accounting software, a computer and workspace.
• Training on legal changes.
• Cover during leave and absences. Under the Labour Code, paid annual leave is at least 22 working days a year.

Example: for a gross salary of ALL 80,000 a month, employer contributions are ALL 13,360, so the payroll cost is ALL 93,360 a month, or about ALL 1.12 million a year, before software, equipment and training. Work out your own case with our salary calculator.

Compare that figure with the annual fee of an outside service for the same workload. See also how much an accountant costs.

Responsibility and control

Whichever you choose, responsibility for returns and payments stays with the business. With an in-house employee, set clear rules (who approves payments, who checks returns). With an outside firm, agree in writing on services, deadlines and how documents are handed over.

Mistakes to avoid

• Comparing an employee’s net pay with a firm’s fee without adding contributions and other costs.
• One person who records, pays and checks, with no review.
• Undocumented processes that leave the business dependent on one person.

FAQ

Can I have both an employee and an outside firm?

Yes. The hybrid model is very common: daily work is done in-house, while returns, year-end closing and advice come from outside.

When should I move from an outside service to in-house staff?

When document volume and the need for daily follow-up grow so much that an employee’s cost approaches or exceeds the outside fee, or when you need someone physically in the business.

Find the right setup with Abacus

We work as your outsourced accounting department or as support for your in-house accountant. Contact us or explore our accounting services.

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for professional advice on your situation. Sources: Labour Code, Law No. 7961/1995 (Article 92); VKM No. 77/2015; Law No. 7703/1993 on Social Insurance.