Define the bookkeeping scope
Transaction categorization.
Bank reconciliation.
Credit-card reconciliation.
Accounts payable support.
Accounts receivable support.
Monthly reporting.
Record cleanup.
Accounting-system maintenance.
Clarify professional boundaries
Bookkeeping, accounting, tax preparation and financial advice are not identical services. Define what the freelancer is and is not being hired to provide.
Control financial access
Use appropriate permissions and avoid granting broader banking or payment authority than the work requires.
Financial workflows deserve explicit access controls.Convenience should not erase separation between recordkeeping and authority over funds.
Set the reporting rhythm
Agree on deadlines, reconciliation frequency, reporting and how unresolved transactions are escalated.