The hiring of a chief accountant is becoming a crucial solution for businesses to optimize costs, control accounting records, and ensure compliance with tax laws, especially in the context that from January 1, 2026, many business households with annual revenue exceeding 1 billion VND will be subject to tax declaration regulations under the new rules. This has led to a significant increase in the demand for standardizing accounting systems, managing accounting records, and preparing financial reports.
This article will help you gain a comprehensive understanding of the chief accountant hiring model, its operation, costs, benefits, and when businesses should utilize this service.
What is a chief accountant rental service?
Dịch vụ cho thuê kế toán trưởng là hình thức doanh nghiệp thuê một chuyên gia kế toán có đủ tiêu chuẩn, chứng chỉ và kinh nghiệm để đảm nhận vai trò kế toán trưởng mà không cần tuyển dụng nhân sự toàn thời gian.
Instead of paying fixed salaries, insurance, and managing internal personnel, businesses will use external services to perform managerial and control-oriented accounting tasks.
In essence, outsourced accounting It still ensures full functionality as prescribed by law, including:
- Organizing and managing the accounting system.
- Verify the validity of documents.
- Sign and be responsible for financial reporting.
- Monitoring accounting activities
- Providing tax and financial consulting services for businesses.
This model is particularly suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises, startups, or businesses that are in the process of optimizing operating costs.
The role of chief accountant outsourcing services in businesses.
In the financial and accounting system, the chief accountant is the "backbone" position, ensuring that all financial data is managed correctly.
Comprehensive accounting system management
The chief accountant is responsible for establishing and operating the entire accounting system of the enterprise in accordance with accounting standards and current legal regulations. The job goes beyond simply recording data; it includes building a unified and controlled financial operating framework.
Specifically, this includes:
- Establish an accounting system appropriate for the type of business (trading, manufacturing, construction, services).
- Standardize the process of receiving, checking, and storing accounting documents.
- Designing the accounting flow from transaction generation to recording in the books and reporting.
- Control the consistency between documents, accounting records, and financial statements.
- Ensure that the accounting system operates continuously, transparently, and can be audited and verified at any time.
The goal of this activity is to help businesses have a clear financial system, minimize data discrepancies, and be ready for tax audits and inspections.
Monitoring and verifying data accuracy.
The chief accountant acts as the “final control layer” before data is recorded or reported outside the company.
All transactions that arise are:
- Verify the validity of invoices and input and output documents.
- Compare the detailed ledger and the summary ledger to ensure there are no discrepancies.
- Review any unusual or non-compliant accounting entries.
- Controlling accounts receivable and payable helps avoid cash flow discrepancies.
- Early detection of risks such as incorrect recording of periods, incorrect tax rates, or incorrect nature of transactions.
Through this monitoring process, businesses minimize the risks of financial reporting errors, tax arrears or penalties, and accounting discrepancies.
Prepare and sign financial statements and tax reports.
During its operation, a business not only records accounting transactions but also must prepare complete financial reports, periodic tax reports, and settlement procedures as required by law. Accurately compiling and controlling accounting and tax data helps businesses mitigate risks, ensure transparency, and fulfill their obligations to the tax authorities.
Below is a summary of the key accounting and tax reporting and tasks that businesses need to perform during the fiscal year:
| Job group | Detailed content |
| Annual financial report | Balance sheet
Business performance report Cash flow statement Financial statement notes |
| Periodic tax reporting | Value Added Tax (VAT) paid monthly or quarterly
Personal income tax Estimated Corporate Income Tax (CIT) |
| Year-end tax settlement | Summary of tax obligations for the entire year
Prepare personal income tax and corporate income tax return documents. |
| Review and compare data. | Compare accounting data and tax return data.
Verify the validity of invoices and documents. |
| Adjusting accounting and tax discrepancies | Adjust any discrepancies (if any) before submitting to the tax authorities.
Standardize accounting records to ensure compliance with regulations. |
Completing financial and tax reports accurately and completely is not only a mandatory obligation for businesses but also a crucial factor in controlling cash flow, evaluating operational efficiency, and mitigating legal risks. Therefore, businesses need to build a robust accounting system or utilize professional accounting tools. full accounting service Professionalism is essential to ensure the entire process is carried out correctly, on time, and transparently in accordance with current regulations.
When does a business need to use a chief accountant rental service?
Not every business needs to hire a full-time chief accountant. In many cases, a chief accountant outsourcing service is a more suitable solution.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the biggest challenge often lies in optimizing operating costs while ensuring full compliance with regulations.
Most SMEs lack the resources to establish a complete accounting department with positions such as general accountant, tax accountant, and chief accountant. However, according to legal regulations, businesses must still ensure:
- Record all transactions that occur.
- Prepare and submit tax reports on time.
- Prepare year-end financial statements.
- Manage valid invoices and documents.
Therefore, hiring a chief accountant becomes the optimal solution, helping businesses both control their financial system and significantly save on fixed personnel costs.
Newly established businesses
Newly established businesses often face difficulties in building an accounting system from the outset. At this stage, the business does not yet have:
- Standard accounting procedures
- Scientific document archiving system
- Experienced accounting personnel
- Thorough knowledge of tax and financial reporting.
If not properly established from the start, businesses are prone to errors such as incorrect revenue and expense recording, lack of valid documentation, or incorrect tax declarations.
Therefore, using a chief accountant rental service helps businesses:
- Establish an accounting system right from the start.
- Establish standardized document processing procedures.
- Minimize the risk of future tax errors.
- Ensure that financial reporting is transparent and easily verifiable.
This is a crucial foundation for the sustainable growth of the business in the future.
Businesses with annual revenue of 1 billion VND or more from 2026 onwards.
Officially from January 1, 2026, specifically at Article 2 of Decree 141/2026/ND-CP regulations:
Therefore, businesses will have to file tax returns and pay taxes. Corporate income tax is calculated if annual revenue exceeds 1 billion VND.
In this case, the business needs not just a regular accountant, but someone capable of overseeing the entire financial system, ensuring legality, and mitigating tax audit risks.
Therefore, the chief accountant rental service acts as a "financial control filter," helping businesses:
- Standardize all accounting records.
- Minimize the risk of tax arrears or penalties.
- Optimizing tax obligations within the limits permitted by law.
- Enhance transparency in financial reporting.
Manufacturing and Construction Businesses
Manufacturing and construction businesses typically have more complex accounting practices compared to typical trade and service industries.
Some notable features include:
- The costs of raw materials, labor, and machinery fluctuate constantly.
- Numerous indirect costs and work-in-progress costs.
- Construction projects are carried out in phases.
- Many contracts are processed, inspected, and payments are made according to a schedule.
Without an experienced chief accountant, businesses are likely to encounter problems such as:
- Recording incorrect costs for products or projects.
- Differences in expenses between accounting periods.
- It is difficult to control the actual cash flow.
- The financial statements are inaccurate.
Therefore, chief accountant rental services help manufacturing and construction businesses:
- Control costs on a project-by-project or construction-by-construction basis.
- Accurate and transparent cost calculation
- Effectively track cash flow and accounts payable.
- Ensure that financial reports accurately reflect the company's operating conditions.
This group of businesses has a very high demand for outsourced chief accountants due to the complex nature of their operations.
The company needs a temporary chief accountant.
In practice, not all businesses can maintain a stable accounting team throughout their operations. Situations such as the sudden resignation of an internal chief accountant, the transition to a new accounting system, preparation for audits or tax inspections, or the implementation of short-term projects requiring in-depth financial control may necessitate the use of a temporary chief accountant.
Without timely replacement personnel, businesses may face numerous impacts on their financial and accounting operations, such as disruptions in bookkeeping, delays in preparing and submitting tax reports, discrepancies in financial data, or the risk of penalties for failing to comply with current accounting and tax regulations.
In these situations, chief accountant rental services are considered an effective bridging solution, helping businesses maintain continuous accounting operations without interruption. The service provider will quickly take over and review existing accounting records, check documents, assist in handling arising issues, and ensure financial and tax reports are prepared on time. Simultaneously, hire chief accountant It also helps businesses stabilize their accounting processes until they find suitable permanent staff.
Reference price list for chief accountant rental services in 2026
The pricing for chief accountant services is based on the scale of operations, business sector, and the number of invoices generated during the period. Each business will have different accounting needs, so the fee may vary depending on the complexity of the tasks. Below is a reference price list to help businesses easily choose a service package that suits their actual situation.
| Business type | Volume of invoices/month | Estimated service fee (VNĐ/month) |
| Trade – Services | No issues arose. | 500.000 |
| Under 10 | 700.000 | |
| Under 30 | 1.000.000 | |
| Under 70 | 1.700.000 | |
| Under 100 | 2.000.000 | |
| Under 150 | 2.500.000 | |
| Manufacture | No issues arose. | 500.000 |
| Under 30 | 1.200.000 | |
| Under 50 | 1.500.000 | |
| Under 100 | 2.300.000 | |
| Under 150 | 3.200.000 | |
| Over 150 | Contact for agreement | |
| Construction, installation, and repair | No issues arose. | 500.000 |
| Under 30 | 1.500.000 | |
| Under 70 | 2.200.000 | |
| Under 100 | 2.700.000 | |
| Under 150 | 3.200.000 | |
| Over 150 | On-site survey and separate quotation. |
Important Note: The prices quoted above are for reference only at the time of writing. Actual costs may be adjusted based on the complexity of each specific application and any unforeseen fees from the authorities.
Comparing in-house chief accountants and outsourced chief accountant services.
The choice between hiring an in-house chief accountant and using a chief accountant outsourcing service depends on the size, financial management needs, and operational capabilities of each business. Each option has its own advantages; however, outsourcing is becoming a popular choice for many businesses due to its cost-effectiveness and greater management flexibility.
| Criteria | Internal Chief Accountant | Chief Accountant Rental Service |
| Expense | Businesses have to pay a fixed monthly salary, along with expenses such as insurance, bonuses, training, work equipment, and related benefits. For small businesses, this can be a significant operating expense. | Businesses only pay for the agreed-upon service package, with no additional costs for recruitment, training, or long-term staff retention. This solution optimizes budget while still ensuring professional chief accountant support. |
| Flexibility | Internal chief accountants typically work in a fixed position within a traditional staffing model. When a business expands or needs change, adjusting staffing can be time-consuming. | Chief accountant rental services offer high flexibility, easily adapting the scope of work to actual needs such as managing recurring accounting, assisting with tax settlements, reviewing financial statements, or handling peak periods. |
| Risk of job loss | A business's accounting operations may be disrupted if the chief accountant takes unexpected leave, especially during the period of preparing financial statements or tax returns. | Service providers typically have a team of specialists to provide backup support, helping businesses maintain accounting continuity and minimize the impact of personnel changes. |
| Expertise updated | The professional competence and ability to keep up with new regulations depend heavily on each individual chief accountant. Without regular updating, businesses may face risks in the process of filing and fulfilling their tax obligations. | Businesses are supported by a team of experts with practical experience, who regularly update their knowledge on changes in tax policies, related-party transactions, and relevant legal regulations. |
| Scalability | As a business grows, the increased workload may necessitate hiring additional accounting staff or restructuring the finance department, resulting in increased management costs. | The service is scalable to business size. As the number of transactions, invoices, or consulting needs increase, businesses can adjust their service package accordingly without having to rebuild their accounting system. |
In general, having an in-house chief accountant is suitable for large businesses with frequent financial management needs and a complete accounting department already in place. Meanwhile, hiring a chief accountant is a suitable option for small and medium-sized enterprises, newly established businesses, or businesses that want to control costs but still need support from an experienced accounting professional.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chief Accountant Rental Services
Yes. For small businesses, hiring a full-time chief accountant can create significant personnel cost pressure. However, businesses still need someone with expertise to manage bookkeeping, tax reporting, and handle financial matters. Utilizing a chief accountant outsourcing service ensures businesses have expert support while saving costs compared to maintaining an in-house chief accountant position.
Yes, provided that the individual holding the position of chief accountant fully meets the qualifications and standards stipulated by current accounting laws. Signing financial statements must be done within the proper authority, responsibility, and relevant regulations to ensure the legality of the company's records.
Yes. Reputable and professional service providers typically implement data security procedures, access control, and commitments to protecting information related to revenue, expenses, financial reports, and business operations. Businesses should choose providers with clear service contracts and transparent work processes to ensure information security.
Depending on the size and management needs of each business, outsourcing accounting services can handle most of the work for small or newly established businesses. For businesses with an in-house accounting department, an outsourced chief accountant can play a managerial, supervisory, and guidance role, ensuring the accounting system operates correctly. Do small businesses need to hire a chief accountant?
Can an outsourced chief accountant sign financial statements?
Does hiring an external chief accountant guarantee the confidentiality of business information?
Can a chief accountant rental service completely replace an in-house accountant?
Conclude
Instead of investing significant resources in recruiting, training, and maintaining an in-house chief accountant, businesses can opt for outsourcing to receive support from a team of experienced professionals who are knowledgeable about legal regulations and capable of handling a wide range of accounting issues.
Particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises, newly established businesses, or businesses in the expansion phase, using a chief accountant rental service not only helps ensure the accuracy of accounting records and financial reports but also contributes to minimizing tax risks and improving financial management efficiency.
A professional accounting solution will help businesses be more proactive in controlling cash flow, making business decisions based on accurate data, and building a stable financial foundation for long-term growth.
Contact MAN – Master Accountant Network For detailed advice and support!
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Responsible for production and professional content review by: Mr. Le Hoang Tuyen – Founder & CEO of MAN – Master Accountant NetworkHe is a CPA Vietnam auditor with over 30 years of in-depth experience in accounting, auditing, taxation, and corporate legal consulting.
