Books Months or Years Behind? We Bring Them Current.
Your client stopped bookkeeping somewhere along the way. We pick up from the last clean point, work through every month, and hand back a reconciled, reviewed file your team can use the same day.
- check_circleEvery bank and credit card account reconciled to statements
- check_circleAccruals, prepaids, payroll, loans, and fixed assets handled, not just categorized
- check_circleAbnormal balances flagged before the file reaches your reviewer
Catch-up means the books exist, but nobody has kept them up to date.
The setup is usually fine. What is missing is the work: months of uncategorized feeds, unreconciled accounts, and no adjusting entries. Catch-up bookkeeping completes that missing work, period by period, until the books are current and reconciled through the latest month-end.
What Catch-Up Bookkeeping Covers
Every item below is part of the work, not an add-on. Scope is confirmed in writing before work begins.
Complete categorization and reconciliation
Every transaction categorized and every bank and credit card account reconciled to statements. Duplicates identified and removed.
Flag inconsistencies in bank and credit card activity
Missing statements, gaps in activity, unmatched transfers between accounts, and unusual items listed for follow-up.
Accruals, prepaids, and unearned revenue
Expenses and revenue recorded in the right period, with prepaid and deferred balances supported.
Payroll reconciliation
Payroll expense and liabilities tied to payroll provider reports.
Loan reconciliation
Loan balances tied to lender statements, with principal and interest split correctly.
AR and AP review
Aging reports reviewed. Stale, duplicate, or abnormal open items flagged.
Chart of accounts corrections
Unused, duplicate, or misclassified accounts merged or corrected so reports read cleanly.
Fixed assets, depreciation, and amortization
Assets recorded per company capitalization policy, with depreciation and amortization entries posted.
Merchant and processor deposits grossed up
Stripe, Square, PayPal, and similar deposits recorded at gross sales with fees separated.
Owner activity separated
Owner draws, contributions, and personal charges classified so equity is clean.
Sales tax review where applicable
Sales tax collected tied to the liability account and flagged where it does not match.
P&L and balance sheet analysis
Final analytical review to flag abnormal items before the file is returned to you.
Files We See Every Week
A Few Months Behind
Feeds piled up after a busy season. Quick turnaround to bring the file current before the next close or filing.
One to Three Years Behind
Multiple years caught up in order, with each year closed and reconciled before moving to the next.
No Bank Feeds Available
Books built from PDF statements, exported spreadsheets, or check images when feeds are not connected.
Prior Bookkeeper Left
We pick up mid-year, review what was done, and continue from the last reliable point.
Deadline Driven
Extension or filing deadline coming. Work is sequenced so the tax-critical accounts are finished first.
After a Software Switch
Catch-up after a QuickBooks Desktop to Online move or a Xero conversion, with opening balances verified.
Same Clear Process on Every File
You always know the scope, the fee, and the timeline before anything starts.
What You Receive
- task_altBooks current through the agreed month-end
- task_altReconciliation reports for every bank, card, and loan account
- task_altProfit and loss and balance sheet
- task_altOpen items list written so you can forward it to the client
- task_altSummary of changes and key decisions
- task_altWorkpapers in your preferred format
Frequently Asked
How is catch-up different from cleanup?
Catch-up completes work that was never done. Cleanup fixes work that was done incorrectly. Many files need some of both, and the quote will say which applies.
What do you need to start?
Read-only access to the accounting file and a short note on the period and deadline. Statements and missing documents are requested in the first open points list.
Can you work without bank feeds?
Yes. We regularly build books from PDF statements, spreadsheets, scanned documents, and check images.
How is it priced?
Starting from $29 per month of books. The final fixed quote depends on volume, number of accounts, and condition of the file, and is confirmed before work begins.
Practical Notes on This Kind of Work
Cleanup vs. Catch-Up: How to Tell Which One a Client File Needs
They get quoted the same way and they are not the same job. A quick diagnostic your team can run in twenty minutes before promising a fee or a deadline.
How to Scope a Bookkeeping Cleanup Before You Quote It
A findings-first approach that turns an open-ended cleanup into a fixed-fee project, and the questions to ask the client before anyone touches the file.
1099 Threshold 2026: What the $2,000 Rule Changes for Year-End Vendor Cleanup
Most 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC thresholds jumped from $600 to $2,000 for payments made in 2026. What changed, what stayed the same, and how to get client vendor lists right before the February 1, 2027 deadline.
Have a File in Mind?
Share read-only access and a short note. You get scope, fee, and timeline before any work begins. Your first file is free in exchange for honest feedback.