Both Bookkeepers and Accountants have the same long term goal of helping your business succeed in a oftentimes very complicated financial world. Bookkeepers will generally do your day to day accounting and focus on recording and maintaining your financial data. Bookkeepers will also provide you with a myriad of financial statements to help you understand how your business is doing. An accountant will generally provide tax advise throughout the year, prepare your year end federal tax return, and provide tax planning services.