The short answer: Offshore accounting can work for a US firm when the hours match the responsibilities. Start with the meetings and decisions that require both people online, then agree a sustainable working pattern. South Africa and Sri Lanka are ahead of US time zones, so ordinary local office hours provide limited or no overlap with parts of the US day. Check the actual schedule, seasonal clock changes and handover process before hiring. A location alone does not establish availability.
A file can move forward while your US team is offline. A client call cannot. That distinction should come before the country choice.
If the role mostly involves preparation from clear instructions, a handover between working days may be useful. If it involves reviewing junior staff, resolving questions throughout the day or joining US client meetings, the schedule needs to support those responsibilities.
Decide what must happen at the same time
Separate the role into work that needs live contact and work that can progress independently. For a CPA firm, where CPA means certified public accountant, that may look like this:
- Live contact: an onboarding demonstration, a discussion about an accounting judgement, a client meeting or an urgent decision about a blocked file.
- Independent work: preparing documented reconciliations, compiling working papers, recording review points or completing agreed follow-up.
The balance depends on the person and the stage of the relationship. A new hire may need more live support than an established colleague with a familiar client portfolio.
In my published explanation of hiring in South Africa, being online when clients are online was part of the reason the location suited our Irish practice. A US firm must make that assessment against its own day. An advantage for Ireland does not automatically mean full alignment with New York or Los Angeles.
What the time difference means in practice
The table shows the local time in Johannesburg and Colombo when it is 9am in the two US cities. It compares US standard time with US daylight time. These are clock conversions, not proposed or promised working hours.
| US office at 9am | Johannesburg | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| New York, standard time | 4pm | 7.30pm |
| New York, daylight time | 3pm | 6.30pm |
| Los Angeles, standard time | 7pm | 10.30pm |
| Los Angeles, daylight time | 6pm | 9.30pm |
Calculated from the current IANA US time-zone data, Johannesburg data and Colombo data, checked 11 October 2026. Johannesburg is UTC+2 and Colombo UTC+5:30. Neither currently changes clocks seasonally.
Consider an illustrative 9am to 5pm Johannesburg workday. It overlaps a 9am to 5pm New York workday for one hour during US standard time and two hours during US daylight time, before allowing for breaks or other commitments. The same Johannesburg workday has no overlap with a 9am to 5pm Los Angeles workday. This example does not describe an Around People placement schedule.
Those differences matter. A US client-facing role may require a later agreed shift. Establish whether a suitable candidate and working arrangement are available before relying on it in your service plan.
Choose the working pattern around the work
A shared part of the day
Reserve an agreed period for questions, review and meetings. Outside it, the person progresses work independently. This can suit a role with a predictable preparation workload and contained decision points.
A shift aligned more closely with the US office
Where responsibilities need regular US-day contact, discuss a later local schedule. Ask which hours can be sustained, how breaks and leave are handled and whether the arrangement suits the candidate. Availability and any pricing implications need to be established for the specific role.
A handover between working days
Where live interaction is limited, the US team can leave complete instructions and source records for preparation during the offshore day. The benefit depends on a usable handover. An unanswered question can otherwise sit until the next shared window.
These patterns can be combined. What matters is that the agreed arrangement gives the person the access to decisions and feedback that their responsibilities require.
Write a handover that lets work continue
Specify the file, current version, task, deadline and unresolved questions. Make clear which work can proceed while a decision is outstanding. Include the named person who can answer the question and the time by which a response is needed.
For example, a preparer may complete supported reconciliations while an unusual posting remains open. They should record the issue for review rather than infer an answer from silence. The handover should leave the reviewer with the evidence and a specific decision to make.
Keep the agreed instructions and decisions in a shared place. In my post on running a distributed firm, I described the value of moving knowledge out of individual people’s heads. Across time zones, an instruction that only exists in yesterday’s conversation is particularly fragile.
Check clock changes and absence cover
The US National Institute of Standards and Technology explains that most US locations move clocks forward on the second Sunday of March and back on the first Sunday of November. In 2026 those dates are 8 March and 1 November. Some US locations do not observe daylight saving time.
Use named locations in calendar invitations and check the arrangement on both sides of a clock change. Specify whether a recurring meeting follows the US office’s local time or the offshore person’s local time. Otherwise one person’s expectation of overlap can move by an hour.
Also agree what happens during leave and public holidays. A dedicated person brings continuity, but a one-person role still needs an absence plan.
Confirm these points before choosing the person
- Your US office location and working hours.
- The live meetings, review conversations and client calls the role must attend.
- The agreed local schedule, overlap window and treatment of seasonal clock changes.
- The handover deadline, decision owner and urgent escalation route.
- The candidate’s suitability for the schedule and the confirmed employment arrangement.
Use our onboarding guide for the wider first-90-day plan. The working-hour agreement should be part of that preparation, with live feedback built into the initial weeks.
Start with the responsibility you need to hand over
Bring your US time zone, required meeting windows and the work you want the person to own. We can establish whether a suitable role and schedule are available.
See staffing for US firms and indicative USD pricing or book a role-planning call.
Frequently asked questions
Can offshore accountants work US hours?
Some roles may be arranged around US working hours, subject to the candidate and confirmed employment schedule. Ask for the actual local hours and overlap before selecting the person. A country label does not guarantee availability.
Is South Africa in the same time zone as the US?
No. Johannesburg is currently six hours ahead of New York during US daylight time and seven during standard time. It is nine hours ahead of Los Angeles during daylight time and ten during standard time.
How much overlap do we need?
Enough to support the responsibilities. Preparation from clear instructions may need a contained review window. A client-facing or supervisory role may need more live contact. Define the required meetings and decisions before agreeing the schedule.
Will work be completed overnight?
Some preparation can progress while your US office is closed. Completion still depends on the task, available evidence, instructions and review. Agree deadlines for each workflow rather than assuming an overnight turnaround.
