Outsourcing has opened up huge opportunities for accountancy firms. When done well, it helps you grow faster, tap into specialist skills, and manage costs without overloading your in-house team.
But problems can crop up if you’re not ready for it.
Choosing a provider that doesn’t align with your expectations, or jumping in without the right systems and structure in place, can cause issues. These aren’t problems with outsourcing itself; they’re signs that something in the setup or relationship isn’t working.
The good news? Most of these challenges can be avoided with the right approach and the right partner. One that understands your goals, shares your standards, and fits how your firm works.
In this article, we’ll look at the common outsourcing challenges accountancy firms face and how to fix them before they grow into something bigger.
Challenge: Poor communication is one of the most common outsourcing problems – especially across borders and time zones. Delays, mismatched hours, and unclear instructions can all lead to misunderstandings, errors, and reduced service quality.
For accountants, even small delays or misinterpretations can cause missed deadlines, frustrated clients, and unnecessary rework.
How to get it right:
With the right communication structure in place, you stay in control, your team stays aligned, and your clients get the consistent service they expect. Clear, timely communication is essential to making outsourcing work.
Challenge: Without the right systems in place, outsourced work can feel like it disappears into a black hole. Many accountants worry about losing control over work quality, deadlines, or processes once tasks are passed on.
Without visibility, problems can go unnoticed until it's too late.
What works instead:
Visibility gives you confidence. When you can track progress and trust the process, outsourcing becomes a seamless extension of your own team. Check out our guide on how to tell your team about outsourcing accounting.
Challenge: Handling financial data outside your organisation raises understandable concerns. The fear of GDPR breaches, cyberattacks, or insecure systems is one of the most serious outsourcing challenges accountants face.
According to the 2025 Cyber Security Breaches Survey, just over four in ten businesses (43%) reported having experienced any kind of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. When your clients’ financial data is at stake, there’s no margin for error.
What to look for:
Trust is built on security. When your outsourcing partner takes data protection as seriously as you do, you can safeguard client relationships and stay confidently compliant. Check out our guide on protecting client data from cyber risks.
Challenge: Even when language isn’t a barrier, working styles often can be. Some outsourcing teams follow instructions to the letter, while your team might expect initiative and proactive thinking. Misaligned expectations can create friction.
How to fix it:
A good outsourcing partner won’t just understand the work; they’ll understand how you like to work. When there’s cultural alignment and shared expectations, collaboration feels easy from the start.
Challenge: Rushing into an outsourcing deal that isn’t right for your firm often leads straight back to all the challenges listed above.
What you can do:
Outsourcing can give your firm the capacity and flexibility to grow – but only if you choose the right partner.
Miscommunication, lack of visibility, inconsistent quality, compliance risks, and cultural mismatches are all common outsourcing challenges. These challenges aren’t always inevitable – they’re often signs the partnership just isn’t the right fit.
At Advancetrack, we’ve helped accountancy firms outsource with confidence for over 20 years – offering secure, consistent, and transparent support that fits how you work.
Explore our outsourcing services and discover how we help firms grow with reliable, secure, and professional outsourced accounting.
