Finance & accounting · Full-time · Sri Lanka & Philippines
Hire an offshore trust accountant for your agency or practice
We recruit full-time trust accountants in Sri Lanka and the Philippines who reconcile your trust account every day, receipt and allocate funds, prepare owner disbursements and keep you audit-ready. They work only for your business, inside your trust accounting software, while your licensee or principal keeps control of every payment.
Quick answer
How much does an offshore trust accountant cost?
A full-time offshore trust accountant costs a monthly salary plus our fee. Salaries typically run A$900–1,400 a month in Sri Lanka and A$1,500–2,200 in the Philippines. Our fee is either $5,999 + GST once (then $0 or $350 a month) or $1,000 a month with no upfront fee. Your licensee or principal still authorises payments; the trust accountant prepares and reconciles.
What the role covers
A trust account that reconciles every single day
Trust money carries strict state rules and an annual audit. A dedicated trust accountant does the daily work those rules demand, so your licensee reviews and approves rather than keys and reconciles.
Daily three-way reconciliation
Reconcile the bank statement, cash book and ledger balances every business day and flag any difference the same day.
Receipting and allocation
Receipt rent, deposits and other trust funds, match them to the right ledger and chase unidentified deposits.
Owner disbursements
Prepare end-of-month and mid-month owner payments and statements for your approval before funds are released.
Creditor and invoice payments
Enter tradesperson and supplier invoices against the right property or matter, ready for authorisation.
Bonds and sales trust
Prepare bond lodgement and claim paperwork, and track sales deposits held in trust until settlement.
Audit preparation
Keep reconciliations, receipts and authorisations filed so your annual trust account audit runs quickly.
How we screen
What we test before you see a shortlist
Every candidate has phone and video interviews with our recruiters and a skills assessment set for your role. For a trust accountant that covers:
- A three-way reconciliation test with a planted difference to find and explain
- Knowledge of how trust money differs from business money, and when to stop and escalate
- Accuracy and speed in your trust software or the closest equivalent
- Written English for owner and tenant emails about payments
Tools
Screened on your tools
Name your tools in the briefing and we assess candidates on them, not just on the names in a CV.
- PropertyMe
- Console Cloud
- PropertyTree
- REST Professional
- Ailo
- LEAP
- Actionstep
- Xero
- Excel
Salaries and costs
What a full-time offshore trust accountant costs
Two parts: the team member's monthly salary, which you agree before you commit, and our fee. The ranges below run from solid mid-level to senior, for people with strong English. We recruit at the experienced end of the market, so expect most hires in the upper half.
Sri Lanka
A$900–1,400 a month
UTC+5:30 · 4.5 hrs behind AEST
Suits back-office reconciliation and disbursement prep, with an early local shift that finishes the daily reconciliation before Australian lunchtime.
Philippines
A$1,500–2,200 a month
UTC+8 · 2 hrs behind AEST
Suits roles that also answer owner and tenant payment questions live through the AEST day.
READY FOR YOU
$5,999 + GST once
Then $0/mo if you employ, or $350/mo if we do, plus salary. 3-month replacement guarantee.
MANAGED FOR YOU
$1,000 / month
Plus salary. No recruitment fee, 12-month commitment, 5-month guarantee.
Salary ranges are a guide in Australian dollars, before IT options. The exact figure depends on experience and the skills in your brief. Compare every option →
Australian practices and businesses building offshore teams with us
Where this role fits
Industries that hire trust accountants
Related roles
Trust Accountant FAQ
Common questions
Can an offshore trust accountant release trust funds?
They prepare payments and reconciliations. A licensee, principal or other authorised person in your business approves and releases funds, as your state trust account rules require. You set the approval steps and system permissions.
Who is responsible for the trust account?
Your licensee or principal stays responsible under your state legislation. The trust accountant does the daily work and keeps the records your auditor needs, which makes that responsibility easier to meet.
Is this only for real estate agencies?
No. We also place trust accountants for law firms and conveyancers, who keep trust accounts under their own professional rules and software, such as LEAP or Actionstep.
How much does it cost in total?
Add the monthly salary to our fee. Ready for You is $5,999 + GST once, then $0 a month if you employ them or $350 a month if we employ them as Employer of Record. Managed for You is $1,000 a month on a 12-month commitment with no recruitment fee. IT options are extra and quoted with your role.
How does a trust accountant differ from a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper looks after your business accounts. A trust accountant works only on money held for clients, owners or tenants, where a daily three-way reconciliation and an annual audit apply. Many agencies hire one of each.
Plan your trust accountant hire
Tell us the work you want handed over. Free, 30 minutes, and you leave with a salary and cost estimate.