One firm. Three models. Built around where you are.
If you run an accounting or advisory firm abroad, you already know the math. Skilled staff are expensive and hard to find, deadlines don’t move, and the work keeps growing. That’s why more firm owners across Australia, the US, the UK and Europe are building teams in the Philippines. The country has a deep pool of CPA-trained, English-fluent accountants who work comfortably across Xero, QuickBooks, MYOB and the software your clients already use.
But here’s what often gets missed. Hiring in the Philippines isn’t one decision. Not every firm needs the same thing. Some want help finding the right accountant. Some already have someone in mind and just need a compliant way to pay them. Others want to hand off the whole process and simply show up to lead their team. UpStaff offers three ways to work with us, so you can pick the one that fits where you are right now.
01. Direct Placement
We find them. You hire them.
This is the most hands-on model. We source, screen and shortlist top Filipino accounting professionals against your firm’s requirements, whether that’s bookkeepers, staff accountants, senior accountants, auditors or controllers. You interview the shortlist and hire the person directly as your own employee or contractor. From there, the relationship is yours to manage.
Best for: firms that want to own the employment relationship and are comfortable handling payroll and compliance themselves, but need help finding qualified, vetted accounting talent fast.
02. Employer of Record
You’ve found them. We make it compliant.
Maybe you already have someone in mind. A returning contractor, a referral, or a candidate you sourced yourself. We bring them on board compliantly, with no need to set up a local entity in the Philippines. UpStaff becomes the legal Employer of Record. We handle payroll, statutory benefits, taxes, HR and local labour compliance, while your accountant works fully for you, on your systems, to your standards.
Best for: firms that already have the person but want to avoid the cost, risk and admin of establishing a Philippine entity, while making sure their accountant is paid correctly and legally from day one.
03. Offshore Staffing
Fully managed. Just show up to lead.
This is the most hands-off model. If you’d rather hand it all off, we recruit, onboard and equip your accounting staff under our EOR. That includes hardware, a secure workstation and a managed environment. They arrive ready to work, laptop and all. You focus on the work and on leading your team, not on the setup. It’s the closest thing to expanding your back office without building one from scratch.
Best for: firms scaling quickly or building a whole offshore accounting team, who want recruitment, equipment, compliance and day-to-day support handled end to end.
Which one is right for your firm?
A quick way to decide: if you need help finding the accountant, start with Direct Placement. If you’ve already found them and just need a compliant structure, Employer of Record is your fit. And if you’d rather hand off recruitment, equipment and admin entirely and just manage the output, Offshore Staffing is built for you.
Whichever model you choose, the talent is the same. You get qualified, dedicated Filipino accountants who become a genuine extension of your firm, not a faceless outsourced desk.