Accountant & bookkeeper guides > What is bookkeeping? > What does a bookkeeper do?
Keeping the books is just one of the tasks modern bookkeepers might handle. Depending on the business they work with, their duties can be quite diverse.
Responsibilities of a bookkeeper
Bookkeepers are responsible for providing accurate, up-to-date financial information about a business. They’re always taking the pulse of a business.
Most often, their reports go to business owners and managers to help them make decisions. Some bookkeepers, however, are actually involved in strategy development.
Bookkeepers may also share some jobs with accountants, such as the preparation of annual financial reports and tax returns.
Bookkeeping duties
The two foundational tasks in small business bookkeeping are data entry and bank reconciliation. Without these, all other bookkeeping tasks fall over. Let’s walk through the core duties, common additional duties, and advanced bookkeeping.
Core duties
Data entry
Recording financial transactions and balancing the books. Learn more.
Bank reconciliation
Cross-referencing the books against bank statements and other source documents to confirm accuracy. Learn more.
Monthly reports
Summarising the business’s financial position. Learn more.
Additional duties
Accounts receivable (and credit control)
Creating and sending invoices, and following up to get them paid. Learn more.
Accounts payable
Making sure invoices from suppliers are accurate and paid in a timely manner. Learn more.
Payroll
Calculating pay and deductions. Learn more.
Chapter 4: What types of bookkeeper are there?
There are many types of bookkeepers. Just like there are many types of business. Get a sense for the bookkeeping roles out there.
Read next chapterAll chapters:
1. Introduction to bookkeeping
2. Double-entry bookkeeping explained
3. What does a bookkeeper do?

