Is this for me?
Yes, if your books are a few months or more behind, if your QuickBooks file doesn't match the bank, or if a lender or a buyer is going to ask for clean numbers. It's also for owners who want monthly books they can actually rely on at tax time.
What happens
- I start from your statements. Bank and card statements show what really happened, so I begin there and not from memory.
- I sort out what's wrong. Miscategorized transactions, duplicates, stale balances, and owner money mixed in with business money.
- We agree on a schedule. Monthly or quarterly, with a set day for reconciliations, so the books stay close to current.
- You get a clear picture. Books that match the bank, plus a short note on anything that still needs your decision.
What I do
- Monthly or quarterly bookkeepingCategorized, reconciled and closed, on a schedule
- QuickBooks Online setupChart of accounts built for your business and your tax return
- QuickBooks cleanupFixing miscategorized transactions, duplicates and stale balances
- Catch-up bookkeepingRebuilding months or years of books from statements
- Bank and credit card reconciliationsSo the books match reality, every month
- Cloud accountingBank feeds, receipt capture and shared access to your file
- Training for you or your staffSo day-to-day entry gets done right the first time
What to bring
Bank and credit card statements for every business account and card, starting with the first month you need. Access to your QuickBooks file, or a backup of it. Your sales records and payroll reports for the same period.
Bookkeeping catch-up checklist
The messes I see most
Credit card charges that never got categorized. Owner draws mixed in with business expenses. A loan recorded as income. A suspense or clearing account with a six-figure balance nobody can explain. Sales tax collected but sitting in the wrong account.
All of it is fixable. And honestly, fixing the books is often where the tax savings come from, because you can't deduct what you can't find.
Why it matters at tax time
When the books are clean, your business return is faster, cheaper and more accurate. When they're not, the return gets built on guesses, and guesses are what auditors look for. Clean books also make it far easier to get a loan, sell the business or bring in a partner.
I am a QuickBooks ProAdvisor.
Common questions
Should I use QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop?
For most small businesses starting today, QuickBooks Online. We can work in your file directly, instead of passing backup files back and forth. If you already use Desktop and it works for you, I'll tell you honestly whether a move is worth the cost.
I'm a year (or two) behind. Can you catch me up?
Yes. Catch-up work is common, especially right before a tax deadline or a bank loan. I start from your bank and credit card statements, rebuild the books month by month, and get you to a point where staying current is easy.
Can you work in my existing QuickBooks file?
Usually, yes. I'll take a look first. Some files just need cleanup. Occasionally one is far enough gone that starting a fresh file with clean opening balances is faster and cheaper, and I'll tell you if that's the case.
Do I still need to do anything myself?
A little. You'll keep receipts, answer the occasional question about a transaction, and keep business and personal spending in separate accounts. That last one does more for clean books than anything I can do.