Have you decided to go self-employed and find yourself in need of some foolproof accounting tips for freelancers? We have four pointers to help you stay on the right track.

 

Freelancing gives you the opportunity to choose your own path at work, but at the same time, you have a duty to manage your own records and submit invoices on time. For many going through the transition, a common concern can be ensuring you’re getting paid. It can be tricky to keep track of what you’re owed, but with these tips, you’ll have better clarity over your payment schedule.

1) Create (And Stick To) A Plan

To succeed as a freelancer, you need to be great at managing your clients and keeping track of your accounts, ranging from tracking each hour you work to what you’re charging a client. As you acquire more and more work, ensure you utilize bookkeeping services & software where accounts, invoicing, receipts and financial reporting are all available in one place. This includes correctly tracking your time tocharge for jobs, as a few missed entries can leave you feeling lost.

2) Keep Hold Of All Financial Documents 

Even if you’re working a freelance schedule part-time, you’re bound to accrue a number of costs and expenses in a tax year. Your business purchases will allow you to reduce your taxable profit and you can save a lot of money by claiming back expenses. It’s easy to track this through freelance bookkeeping services like Bookkeeping Zoom and ensure you’re recompensed for anything owed. Ensure you save all your receipts, both digital and paper, to process these numbers efficiently through your chosen software.

3) Choose the Right Bookkeeping Service

Organizing billing and expenses on Excel and working data out manually might sound easy, as you acquire more clients you may find this process too time-consuming. A bookkeeping service is useful to ensure you’re on the right track. Bookkeeping Zoom is a service for freelancers that provides a solid framework for your business, offering bookkeeping with beautiful visual reporting to ensure you keep your freelance business on track for growth.

4) Get Into A Routine You Can Stick To

Despite freelancing often being described as a more flexible way of working, it can still be tough to fit in everything into a hectic week. By the time tax season comes around, you may not be prepared to complete important forms. To avoid having to go through a backlog of months of bookkeeping criteria in a short space of time, try to process financial documents at the end of each week – you’ll thank us later! There’s no worse feeling than finding yourself panicking trying to get your papers in order a day before the deadline – so ensure you stay organized throughout the year.

Ready to get started with these freelance accounting tips and a tailored service suited to your needs? Start your free trial here.