Books Exist but Cannot Be Trusted? We Fix Them Properly.
Wrong opening balances, reconciliations that never tie, years of errors in clearing accounts. We trace each problem to its source, correct it, and document every change so your reviewer can sign off with confidence.
- check_circleRoot cause investigated, not just the symptom adjusted away
- check_circleEvery correction documented with a journal entry trail
- check_circleBalance sheet supported by schedules when we hand it back
Cleanup means the books were kept, but kept wrong.
Transactions were recorded, yet the numbers cannot be relied on. Reconciliations are forced, balances do not match statements, and clearing accounts hold years of unresolved items. Cleanup is investigative work: find what went wrong, correct it in the right period, and leave a clear record of what changed.
What Complex Cleanup Covers
Every item below is part of the work, not an add-on. Scope is confirmed in writing before work begins.
Opening balance verification
Opening balances tied to prior year financials or the filed tax return, with differences explained.
Broken reconciliations redone
Forced or out-of-balance reconciliations reopened and corrected. Stale uncleared items resolved.
Duplicate and missing transactions
Feed duplicates, double-entered bills, and missing activity identified and corrected.
Clearing accounts emptied
Undeposited funds, uncategorized income and expense, Ask My Accountant, and opening balance equity cleared to the right accounts.
Loans and liabilities tied out
Loan, line of credit, and credit card balances agreed to lender statements.
Payroll liabilities reconciled
Payroll expense and liability accounts agreed to payroll reports and filed payroll tax forms.
AR and AP rebuilt or corrected
Open invoices and bills matched to payments. Phantom receivables and payables cleared.
Owner and intercompany activity separated
Personal, owner, and related-entity transactions reclassified so each entity stands on its own.
Inventory and COGS review
Inventory balances and cost of goods sold reviewed where the business carries stock.
Prior-period adjustments documented
Corrections affecting closed periods recorded with clear journal entries and notes for your tax team.
Balance sheet schedules
Supporting schedules for key balance sheet accounts so every balance can be explained.
Full change log
A written summary of what was wrong, what was changed, and why.
Files We See Every Week
Multi-Year Reconstruction
Several years corrected in sequence, each tied to the filed return before moving forward.
Rebuilt From Scratch
When the existing file is beyond repair, a new file is built from source documents with verified opening balances.
Migration Fallout
Errors from QuickBooks Desktop to Online conversions, Xero migrations, or duplicate imports corrected.
Prior Bookkeeper Errors
Systematic misclassifications and forced reconciliations from a previous provider reversed and corrected.
Amended Return Support
Corrected books and a clear list of changes affecting prior filings, ready for your tax team to evaluate.
Unexplained Balance Investigation
Specific accounts or differences traced back to source to explain where the number came from.
Same Clear Process on Every File
You always know the scope, the fee, and the timeline before anything starts.
What You Receive
- task_altCorrected, reconciled books through the agreed period
- task_altChange log with every adjusting and correcting entry
- task_altBalance sheet schedules
- task_altTie-out to prior year return or financials
- task_altOpen items list ready to forward to the client
- task_altNotes on items your tax team may want to review
Frequently Asked
Do you just make plugs to force things to tie?
No. Each difference is traced to its cause. If something cannot be resolved from available records, it is listed as an open item with a clear explanation rather than buried in an adjustment.
Will you change closed periods?
Only with your approval. Prior-period corrections are proposed first, so your firm decides how they are handled.
What if the file is too broken to fix?
The scope review will say so. Sometimes rebuilding from source documents is faster and cleaner, and the quote will reflect that option.
How is it priced?
Starting from $39 per month of books. The fixed quote is confirmed after the file review, before any work begins.
Practical Notes on This Kind of Work
Opening Balance Equity in QuickBooks: Why It Is Not Zero and How to Clear It
A balance in Opening Balance Equity means setup was never finished or something was entered twice. Where it comes from, how to trace it in QuickBooks Online, and the journal entries that tie the books to the prior-year return.
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 Many Hours Is That Cleanup? A Pricing Model for Accounting Firms
A working hours model for pricing bookkeeping cleanups: a base hours table by transaction volume, condition multipliers, and the fixed costs firms forget to include.
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.