CFO vs CPA vs Accountant vs Bookkeeper

1️⃣ What Does a Bookkeeper Do?

​A bookkeeper handles the day-to-day financial tracking of your business.

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Common bookkeeping tasks:

• Recording income and expenses

• Managing Accounts Receivable (AR) and Accounts Payable (AP)

• Reconciling bank accounts and credit cards

• Categorizing transactions for tax readiness

• Keeping your books clean and current

 

At FPG-USA, we offer Monthly QuickBooks Bookkeeping and Catch-Up & Cleanup Services for businesses that need help getting organized.

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2️⃣ What Does an Accountant Do?

An accountant bridges the gap between bookkeeping and financial reporting.

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​What an accountant typically handles:

• Reviewing and adjusting the bookkeeper’s entries

• Preparing monthly financial statements (Balance Sheet, Profit & Loss, Cash Flow)

• Ensuring compliance with accounting standards

• Managing month-end and year-end closings

• Supporting the CPA with tax-ready financials

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At FPG-USA, our Monthly Accounting Services help clients move beyond basic bookkeeping to gain accurate, strategic financial reports—without hiring in-house staff.

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3️⃣ What Does a CPA Do?

A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is licensed to provide:

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• Tax preparation and filing

• Financial statement audits (when required)

• Representation before the IRS (if you’re audited)

• Advisory on complex tax issues

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Important note:​​

Many CPAs do not provide day-to-day bookkeeping, monthly financials, or financial strategy.
They typically focus on compliance, tax filings, and audits.

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FPG-USA works with your CPA or tax professional to ensure your books are tax-ready—but we do not prepare tax returns unless engaged for specialized tax services like FIRPTA.

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​​​​​4️⃣ What Does a CFO Do?

A Chief Financial Officer (CFO) focuses on financial strategy and decision-making.

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What a Fractional CFO helps with:

• Forecasting cash flow and profits

• Interpreting financial data to guide business strategy

• Advising on pricing, growth, and scaling decisions

• Supporting investor and lender communications

• Helping businesses turn numbers into actionable insight

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At FPG-USA, our Fractional CFO Advisory services provide this leadership without the cost of a full-time hire.

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5️⃣ How Do These Roles Work Together?

​Think of your financial team like this:

 

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