Cleanup and catch-up bookkeeping
Months or years behind? Books that nobody trusts? I bring them current, oldest month first: every account reconciled, miscategorized transactions fixed and duplicates removed, so you can file your return and make decisions from real numbers.
Quoted after a free call, based on how many months are behind and how many accounts you have.
Signs your books need a cleanup
- Tax deadline coming, and the books stop months ago
- Bank feeds categorized by rules nobody checked
- Balances in your software don't match the bank
- Duplicate transactions, vendors or accounts
- Loans recorded as income, or owner deposits as sales
- A previous bookkeeper left and nobody knows what was done
Who this is for
Small business owners and rental owners in any industry whose books are behind, wrong, or both. If you're only a month or two behind, monthly bookkeeping usually covers it.
What's included
- A review of what's there and a written cleanup plan
- Every bank, card and loan account reconciled to statements, month by month
- Miscategorized transactions moved to the right accounts
- Duplicates removed and vendors merged
- Owner contributions, draws and loans recorded correctly
- Opening balances fixed, so the balance sheet is right
- Clean profit and loss and balance sheet for every month cleaned up
- A handover to monthly bookkeeping, if you want it
Why oldest month first
Each month's ending balance is the next month's starting point. Fixing months in order means the numbers stay right after the cleanup ends.
Your CPA or tax preparer
If someone else files your return, I can prepare the books the way they need them and answer their questions.
A loan booked as sales
A business received a $25,000 loan, and the bank feed rule recorded it as sales.
| Income as recorded | $25,000 too high |
| Fix | Move it to a loan liability account |
| Loan payments | Split into interest (expense) and principal (reduces the loan) |
Made-up numbers. Errors like this change the tax you owe.
How it works
- 1
Free call and quote
We go over how far behind the books are and what you have.
- 2
Gather statements
You upload bank, card and loan statements through the portal.
- 3
Cleanup
I work month by month and send one batched list of questions.
- 4
Review
We go through the cleaned-up reports together.
What I need from you
- Bank, card and loan statements for every month to clean up
- Access to your accounting software, if you have one
- Last year's tax return
- Answers to one batched list of questions
Documents go through my secure client portal, never email.
Cleanup questions
How long does a cleanup take?
It depends on how many months and accounts are involved. A few months of one business account can take a week or two; years of several accounts take longer. You get a timeline with the quote.
What if I don't have all my statements?
Most banks let you download past statements. If some are missing, we work from what's available and note anything that can't be confirmed.
Can you work in the software I already use?
Yes, if it's QuickBooks Online, Xero, Zoho Books or FreshBooks. If your file is beyond repair, starting a fresh one can be faster.
Will the cleanup change my past tax returns?
Sometimes. If the cleanup shows a filed return was materially wrong, I'll explain what changed so you can decide whether to amend.
Ready to get caught up?
Book a free call, or send a message about your business.