Jobs an invoicing assistant takes on
The work splits into a handful of repeat jobs:
- Invoicing: creating invoices from job records, timesheets or a sales order, and sending them from QuickBooks or Xero.
- Collections admin: polite reminders on a schedule you set, with anything disputed passed to you.
- Receipts: matching receipts to transactions in the bank feed.
- Bills: entering vendor bills for your approval.
- Statements: comparing vendor statements with what is recorded.
- Files: organizing documents for your bookkeeper or CPA.
Payments, bank details and tax answers sit outside the role.
Getting files ready for your CPA
A lot of accountant time goes into chasing paperwork. An assistant can shorten that chase by filing as the year goes: receipts attached in QuickBooks or Xero, vendor bills saved with their invoices, bank and card statements in a shared folder, and a running list of transactions that need an explanation.
Before year end or a quarterly check-in, the assistant can gather what your CPA usually requests and point out what is missing. They do not decide how anything is treated for tax purposes or answer tax questions. Those go to your accountant, and the IRS publishes general guidance on the records a business should keep.
Questions worth asking about billing support
When you compare providers, these questions show how carefully the work is set up:
- What permission level will the assistant have in QuickBooks or Xero, and can it pay bills? It should not.
- What happens when a vendor asks to change bank details?
- How are draft bills marked for approval, and who sees them?
- Will the same person handle your account each month?
- How are customer disputes handled?
- What goes into the monthly summary?
- How will they work with your bookkeeper or CPA?
- How is access removed when the engagement ends?
Questions about invoicing and bookkeeping admin
Do you handle both QuickBooks and Xero?
Requests for both are common. Mention which product and plan you use, plus any add-ons for payments, receipts or job tracking, so the service partner can confirm the assistant can work in your setup before quoting.
What happens if a vendor emails new bank details?
The assistant changes nothing. They forward the request to you, and you confirm it through a contact you already have on file before any update. New bank details sent by email are a common route for payment fraud, so this rule belongs in the written procedure.
Can the assistant work alongside our bookkeeper?
Yes, and that is a common setup. The assistant handles the daily paperwork and your bookkeeper or CPA handles the accounting. Agree on the folder structure, how questions get passed along and what the bookkeeper wants ready at month end.
Not sure which service fits? Describe the work in your own words and the partner will sort it.
Send a requestOther services
Data entry and filing
Move details from forms, emails and scans into the systems you use, and keep shared drives organized.
Email and chat help
You set tone, refund limits and escalation rules. The assistant replies within them and keeps notes on each thread.
CRM cleanup
Merge duplicates, fix formats and archive stale records, then keep new entries consistent with your field rules.