Falling behind on bookkeeping is common. A busy season, a bookkeeper who left, or a move to new software, and suddenly months of transactions are sitting unrecorded. The longer it waits, the harder it feels to start. But catch-up work follows a clear process, and most businesses are surprised how quickly they can get current.
Signs you need catch-up bookkeeping
- You haven't reconciled your bank accounts in months
- Your accounting software shows hundreds of uncategorized transactions
- You can't say with confidence whether you made a profit last quarter
- A lender, investor or your CPA has asked for financial statements you can't produce
- Tax season is coming and your books aren't ready
How the process works
- Review. We look at your accounting file, bank and card statements and any records you have, to see how far behind the books are and what condition they're in.
- Fixed quote. Based on the number of months, accounts and transactions, you get a fixed fee in writing before any work starts.
- Gather records. You share statements for every account through a secure shared folder. We tell you exactly what's missing.
- Record and categorize. Every transaction for the catch-up period is entered and coded correctly, and existing errors are fixed.
- Reconcile. Each account is reconciled month by month to its statements, so the opening balance of each month is right.
- Review and deliver. A senior accountant reviews the results, and you receive financial statements for every month brought current.
How long does it take?
It depends on volume and how complete your records are. A few months for a small business can take a week or two. A year or more with several accounts takes longer. The biggest factor is usually how quickly missing statements and answers come in.
Then stay current
Once the books are caught up, a monthly bookkeeping plan keeps them that way, so you never face a backlog again.