Accounting Tasks to Delegate as a Busy Firm Owner

Having run my own accounting firm from 2013 to 2018, I can say I know a pretty good amount about delegating tasks.

(Even though I wasn’t very good at it early on.)

And like I was, you’re probably holding onto work you can delegate because you think:

• It’s easier and faster if you do things yourself, or…
• No one else on the team can do the work.

But from my experience, I can tell you that you can delegate most of your work.

For me, I was able to delegate almost 100% of my work.

And in this article, I’ll show you how you can do that.

Let’s go!

Why Should You Delegate Accounting Tasks?

When I was running Xen Accounting, I had a team of sharp people who could absolutely crush the work.

But did I let them?

Nope.

I held onto client communications and handled admin tasks among other things.

Honestly, they probably would have done some things better than me if I’d just let them.

It wasn’t until I sold the firm…

…That I looked back and realized just how much unnecessary work I’d been doing.

Work that could have been off my plate years earlier.

Like I said earlier, almost 100% of it.

So, speaking from personal experience, here are the reasons you should delegate:

Reason #1: You’re the Bottleneck

Here’s what happens when everything runs through you.

Imagine this:

Your team finishes a tax return and needs your review before it can go out.

…But you’re stuck in a client meeting, so they wait.

Then you get pulled into putting out a fire with another client, so they wait some more.

By the time you finally get to that review, it’s been three days, the client’s frustrated, and your team member is sitting there wondering why they can’t just handle it themselves.

Sound familiar?

For many accounting firms, the firm owner is what’s holding everyone back.

When everything has to go through you, two things happen:

• You get overwhelmed by things pulling you in different directions.
• You hinder progress for your team.

You become the constraint on your firm’s capacity.

Here’s what makes it harder to accept:

You’re probably really good at the work you’re holding onto.

But being good at something doesn’t mean you should be doing it.

Reason #2: More Important Tasks Need Your Attention

Here’s an exercise for you:

Think about how many tasks in your firm can be done only by your team members.

Then, think about how many tasks in your firm can be done by only you.

I admit, I can’t read your mind. 😛

But I bet your answer for the second one was bigger.

This was the case for Kaz Jaffer, an accounting firm owner who was exhausted from being pulled into several directions.

So when he asked for my help, one of the things I asked him to do was tell me what he enjoys doing best and what he’s good at in his firm.

Everything else, I told him to delegate.

Less than five months later, he sent me this message…

(You can read the full story of how he went from stressed to happy firm owner in this case study.)

Most of what you think only you can do, your team can probably handle.

But the strategic stuff and high-level decisions that shape your firm’s future?

That really is only you.

And like Kaz in the example above, focusing on these tasks is what allows you to grow your firm.

Plus, it helps you stop accounting burnout.

As the leader of the business, there are several high-level tasks only you can do and decisions only you can make.

Things like:

• Where is the firm headed in the next 3-5 years?
• How do we differentiate ourselves in the market?
• What systems need to be built to scale?
• Who should we hire next, and what role do they need to fill?

These are the questions that actually move the needle in your firm.

But you can’t answer them if you’re buried in client work and admin tasks.

What you gain in excessively reviewing your team’s work, you lose in time for strategic, higher-impact work.

Every hour you spend scheduling appointments is an hour you’re not spending on building the systems that’ll make your firm run without you.

Reason #3: You Have Team Members Who Can Do the Work Better

You may not like what I’m about to say…

But I promise you that this is a good thing.

Your team can probably do some of this work better than you.

I know, I know — that stings a little.

But hear me out.

If you have highly skilled team members, they can likely do a better job at many tasks you’re holding on to right now.

Why?

Because they’re closer to the work.

They’re doing it every day, thinking about it constantly, refining their approach.

Meanwhile, you’re jumping between 28 different things and trying to remember how you handled this exact situation three months ago.

Besides, output does not need to be “perfect.”

Like Dan Martell said in one of my favorite tweets, 80% of something done by someone else is 100% awesome.

(And in some cases, the work might be even better than you think.)

Just because someone does something differently than you would doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

It might actually be an improvement.

But you’ll never know if you don’t let them do it.

Reason #4: It Reduces Employee Turnover

Want to know one of the best ways to lose A-players?

Treat them like order-takers.

Good team members don’t want to be told what to do and how to do it.

They want to own their work, solve problems, and feel trusted.

When you hold onto everything and micromanage the rest, you’re sending them a clear message:

“I don’t trust you to handle this.”

But when you delegate tasks to them, you give them a sense of autonomy.

This builds satisfaction and retention.

For example, I heavily delegate in my company — I let them do their work how they want to and give them ownership of their responsibilities.

The result is a happy and satisfied team, as shown by our eNPS (a metric I value a lot).

When someone on your team…

• Gets to own a client relationship from start to finish…
• Can make decisions without running everything by you first…
• Can see the direct impact of their work…

They feel valued and stick around.

So if you’re worried about turnover…

Or if you’re wondering why that talented person on your team seems checked out…

Look at how much you’re letting them do.

Accounting Tasks to Delegate

Let me break down the categories of work you can start handing off today, along with specific tasks in each area that are prime candidates to get off your plate.

Admin Tasks

These are the tasks that make firm owners go, “It’s easier if I do this myself.”

(You know the ones I’m talking about.)

Let me give you an example from my own life:

Future Firm isn’t an accounting firm, but since I’m an accountant, I could do the books for the company if I wanted to.

Do I?

Nope, I have someone else handle the accounting.

Why?

Because my time is better spent on other, more valuable tasks.

Like creating content, coaching firm owners, and thinking about where the business is headed.

Here are the admin tasks you should delegate:

• Appointment scheduling and calendar management
• Paying bills and processing invoices
• Updating and maintaining spreadsheets
• Filing and organizing documents
• Data entry
• Answering routine phone calls and emails
• Scanning and uploading documents
• Processing mail
• Processing payments

None of this needs your attention.

Delegate it.

Operations Tasks

These are the tasks that keep the firm running behind the scenes.

I’m talking about processes, technology implementation, project management, etc.

As an example, here is a sneak peek of the recurring operations tasks at Future Firm.

(This is just the tip of the iceberg!)

These tasks can and should be delegated to a virtual assistant or a Director of Operations.

I’ve seen firm owners all the time who are spending hours tweaking workflows, managing software implementations, and coordinating projects.

All while telling themselves they’re “saving money” by handling operations themselves.

But like I shared on LinkedIn, you are not saving money.

You’re just spending your most expensive resource (your time) on work that someone else could do.

Here are the operations tasks you should delegate:

• Creating and documenting processes and SOPs
• Implementing new software and technology
• Managing software integrations and troubleshooting
• Project management and timeline tracking
• Workflow design and optimization
• Onboarding new team members
• Training team on systems and processes
• Payroll management
• Quality control checks and process audits
• Team capacity management and resource allocation
• Coordinating between team members on projects
• Updating and maintaining the firm’s tech stack
• Creating internal templates and resources
• Tracking and reporting on operational metrics
• Managing firm compliance and deadlines
• Team member performance reviews

Get this stuff off your plate.

Your firm will run smoother, and you’ll actually have time to work on the business instead of in it.

Client Work

Here’s where most firm owners really struggle to let go.

Many firm owners think they have to be constantly involved in all types of client work.

That they need to be the one reviewing every return, attending every meeting, answering every question.

But believe it or not, you can remove yourself from it.

And your clients will be just fine.

(Better than fine, actually.)

Like I shared in my Future Firm newsletter, you should be spending zero time with your clients if you want to grow your firm.

You can delegate these tasks to senior accountants who can not only review work but also mentor junior accountants and handle client communications.

Here are the client work tasks you should delegate:

• Bookkeeping and monthly close processes
• Accounts payable processing and management
• Reconciling bank statements
• Preparing financial reporting packages
• Tax return preparation and review
• Client meetings and check-ins
• Responding to client questions and emails
• Advisory and financial strategy discussions
• Year-end planning conversations
• Identifying tax-saving opportunities
• Preparing quarterly estimates
• Managing client deliverables and deadlines
• Handling client onboarding
• Conducting financial reviews
• Presenting financial results to clients
• Expense management

Your senior accountants are more than capable of handling this, so let them.

Even if you aren’t pursuing aggressive growth in your firm, I still recommend delegating client work because this helps you significantly reduce tax season stress.

How to Delegate Accounting Tasks With the F.I.R.M. Delegation System

Okay, so you know what to delegate.

But how do you actually do it without everything falling apart?

The things we discussed earlier are one part of a bigger system that helps you build an autopilot firm: The F.I.R.M. Delegation System.

This is a framework I developed for firm owners to successfully hand off work without losing quality or control.

It also helps firm owners in improving accounting work-life balance.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Flip Your Mindset

I’ve never been a micromanager.

But there was definitely a time when I would involve myself in everything.

Not because I didn’t trust my team…

But because I thought that’s what being a good business owner meant.

Being on top of everything, knowing everything, having a hand in everything, etc.

Even now, I still get the occasional urge to jump into things — I’ve simply learned to recognize it and stop myself.

I became better at delegation because I accepted that I don’t need to be involved in everything.

Firm owners typically try to do everything themselves because it’s what they are used to.

For most of them, this may be the hardest step of this process, but if you can get over this hurdle, everything else will feel more natural.

So before you can delegate effectively, you need to flip your mindset.

You need to accept that:

• You don’t need to be involved in everything for it to be done well
• Your team is capable (and sometimes better at certain things than you)
• Your highest value isn’t in doing the work but in leading the business

Once you make that mental shift, delegation becomes so much easier.

Plus, your team members will appreciate it — my Future Firm team certainly does. 🙂

Step 2: Identify What to Delegate

We already covered the three main categories of tasks you can delegate: admin work, operations tasks, and client work.

But how do you figure out which specific tasks to hand off first?

Here’s a simple exercise that’ll make this crystal clear:

List out all the tasks you’re currently doing.

Then rate each one on three factors:

1. How much do you enjoy it? (Love it, neutral, hate it)
2. How much skill does it require from you specifically? (High, medium, low)
3. How much money does it bring in for the business? (High, medium, low)

If you want an easy way to do this, feel free to swipe my task delegation planner.

Once you’ve rated everything, your priorities should become obvious.

If you love a task, it requires your unique skills, and it brings in money?

Keep it — that’s not a priority to delegate.

If you love a task, but it doesn’t require much skill and isn’t super profitable?

It might need to be delegated eventually, but it’s not urgent.

But if you hate a task, it doesn’t require your specific skills, and it’s not bringing in money?

Delegate it ASAP.

For example:

Updating spreadsheets? Hate it, low skill, no revenue. Delegate immediately.

Responding to routine client emails? Neutral enjoyment, medium skill, low revenue. Delegate it.

Strategic planning for the firm? Love it, high skill, drives revenue. Keep it.

See how that works?

Go through your list and identify what falls into that “delegate ASAP” category.

If you want more practical tips that make an immediate impact on your firm like this, feel free to subscribe to my Future Firm newsletter. 🙂

Step 3: Roll Out Roles and Responsibilities

Delegation only works when everyone knows exactly what they own.

If your bookkeeper thinks someone else is handling reconciliations and your senior accountant assumes the bookkeeper’s got it, nothing’s getting done.

I’ve seen this play out many times.

For instance, a firm owner delegates “client communication” but doesn’t specify which communications or when the team should handle them versus escalating to the owner.

So the team hesitates, waits for approval, and suddenly you’re back to being the bottleneck.

Here’s what you need to do:

Define clear roles with specific ownership, handoff points, and what “done” looks like.

Here’s an example of a list of recurring responsibilities:

Instead of saying “You handle bookkeeping,” get specific:

• You own: Monthly bookkeeping for clients A, B, and C
• Your responsibilities: Categorizing transactions, reconciling bank statements, preparing financial reporting packages by the 15th of each month
• Handoff points: If a transaction is unclear or over $5,000, escalate to me before categorizing
• What “done” looks like: Books reconciled, reports sent to client, and month closed in the system

Delegation is most effective when your accounting firm’s structure supports it, like the example below:

If you want to learn more about this, I recommend reading my guide to accounting roles for growing firms.

Step 4: Map Out SOPs

Let’s talk about Standard Operating Procedures.

I know, I know — it sounds boring and corporate and like a huge time suck.

But you can’t properly delegate without processes.

If you hand someone a task without any documentation on how to do it, one of two things happens:

1. They come ask you questions every 20 minutes (so you’re still involved)
2. They do it wrong and you have to fix it (so you might as well have done it yourself)

Neither is delegation.

That’s just you creating more work for yourself.

Your SOP doesn’t need to be perfect; it just needs to exist so your team can execute the task correctly without hunting you down every 20 minutes.

Here’s an example of an SOP at Future Firm:

It can be a simple checklist, a Google Doc with step-by-step instructions, or a Loom video walking through the process.

It just has to answer: “What do I do, in what order, and what does good look like?”

What would make this even better and easier is creating a single repository of SOP links so your team can easily locate them (below is the spreadsheet we use at Future Firm):

If documenting processes sounds painful, hire someone to help.

Get a virtual assistant and/or a Director of Operations to shadow you, watch how you do things, and document it for you.

(You can listen to what a Director of Operations can do for your firm in this episode of the Future Firm podcast.)

Then, you just review and approve.

This is way easier than staring at a blank document trying to remember every step of your month-end close process.

Build Your Delegation Plan Now

There you have it!

The tasks you can delegate, why you should delegate them, and a system to make it happen.

Pick one task from the lists above and delegate it this week.

If you do this right, you’ll start freeing up hours in your schedule to focus on the work that grows your firm.

But if you’re feeling stuck on where to start, go back to Step 2 and rate your tasks to find the obvious wins.

Now, I’d like to hear from you.

What tasks have you successfully delegated in your firm?

What’s holding you back from delegating more?

Share in the comments!

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