How to become a remote bookkeeper without a CPA license

What remote bookkeeping work looks like, what clients ask for instead of a CPA license, how to get experience before your first job, and what to avoid.

You can do bookkeeping for a small business without passing the CPA board. The bookkeeping role posted on DayShift, our job site for remote roles with clients in Singapore and Asia, didn't ask for a CPA license or a degree. It asked for experience, care with numbers and the client's accounting software. This guide is built from that listing and our bookkeeping page, as of 6 October 2026.

Can you do bookkeeping part time? What the work looks like

Yes. Small businesses often need a set number of hours a month rather than a full-time bookkeeper. Our listing was part-time, 40 hours a month, for a Singapore client.

This is the work it listed:

Bookkeeping is the recording part. You keep the books up to date, and the client's accountant uses them for reports and taxes.

Do you need a CPA? What clients ask for instead

No. No bookkeeping listing on DayShift has asked for a CPA license so far. Here's what the listing did ask for:

You also need the basics: debits and credits, a trial balance and a bank reconciliation.

How to get bookkeeping experience before your first job

Clients ask for 2 years because they want proof you won't make errors in their books. Here are four ways to build that proof before your first bookkeeping job:

  1. Take the free Bookkeeping NC III course on TESDA's online program, e-tesda.gov.ph. Its modules run from journalizing and posting transactions to preparing a trial balance.
  2. Keep a month of books for a practice business in Google Sheets. Make up 40 transactions and a matching bank statement, then reconcile them and save the file as a sample of your work.
  3. Ask a family business or a small group you belong to if you can keep their books for a month. Use their real receipts, with their permission.
  4. Already in an office job? Ask to help with invoices, receipts or follow-ups on unpaid bills. It counts as bookkeeping experience on your CV.

Our guide (/blog/virtual-assistant-training) lists more free courses for remote work, with what each one teaches.

How to land your first bookkeeping job without paying anyone

You should never pay to get a bookkeeping job, whether someone calls it an application fee, a training fee or a software deposit.

It's free to apply on DayShift, and every role shows its pay before you apply. Roles on DayShift today pay SGD 5 to 8 an hour or SGD 400 to 1,200 a month (checked 6 October 2026). The pay guide at /pay shows the range for each role. Our clients are in Singapore and Asia, on the same clock as Manila, so the work is day shift.

Here's what happens after you apply:

  1. You apply with your CV and answers to a few questions.
  2. We review it, and if you fit the role, we invite you to a short interview.
  3. If you're shortlisted, the client interviews you.
  4. If you're hired, your work login arrives by email.

Expect a question on reconciliation. Our practice page has three bookkeeping questions, like "A bank account doesn't match the books. How do you find the difference?" Walk through your steps out loud at /interview-practice?role=bookkeeping.

Bookkeeping roles are listed at /jobs/bookkeeping when they're open. Many are part-time, so check /jobs/part-time too.

What to avoid: fees, and requests to move money

Watch for these before you say yes:

A real bookkeeper records the client's money in the client's own software. Their money never passes through your account.

Our own rule, from our homepage: we never ask you to pay, whether it's an application fee, a placement fee or a training fee.

Sources

Questions

Can I be a remote bookkeeper without a CPA license?

You can. No bookkeeping listing on DayShift has asked for one, and clients ask for bookkeeping experience and their own software instead.

Can I become a bookkeeper with no experience?

Start by building proof: a practice set of books you reconciled, the free TESDA lessons, and a month of real books for a family business. Then apply to roles that don't set a number of years.

Is bookkeeping the same as accounting?

No. Bookkeeping records the transactions and keeps the books up to date. The client's accountant uses those books for reports and taxes.

Can I do bookkeeping part time?

Yes. Our bookkeeping listing was 40 hours a month, and each listing says its hours.

How much does a remote bookkeeper earn?

It depends on the role and the hours. Roles on DayShift today pay SGD 5 to 8 an hour or SGD 400 to 1,200 a month (checked 6 October 2026), and every listing shows its pay.