Simplified Startup1–3 months
- Recent statements are easy to get
- Mostly categorizing and reconciling
- Often the quickest to finish
Behind on your books?Let’s get them current.
Catch-up bookkeeping that rebuilds, categorizes, and reconciles past months or years, so your records are accurate and ready for your CPA. Without the stress.
Catch-up brings your records up to date. Tax filing, amended returns, and IRS matters are handled by your CPA, and we work alongside them.
Rebuilt & reconciled Months or years Ready for your CPA Then stay current monthly
Why it matters
The cost of falling behind.
Messy books often lead to late tax returns. Under general IRS rules, late filing and late payment add up quickly.
0% / mo
Failure-to-file penaltyOf unpaid tax for each month or part of a month a return is late, up to 25%. IRS.gov
0.0% / mo
Failure-to-pay penaltyOf unpaid tax for each month or part of a month it stays unpaid, up to 25%. IRS.gov
0.0%
Combined maximumThe highest combined late-filing and late-payment penalty on the tax owed. IRS.gov
Source: IRS.gov, Collection Procedural Questions. Interest may also apply. Your CPA can confirm what applies to your situation.
Where you stand
How far behind are you?
Catch-up work is scoped by how many months are missing and how complex your accounts are.
3–12 months
- More documents to gather
- Some errors to fix
- Usually done in stages
1+ years
- Older records may be missing
- Year-by-year rebuild
- Close coordination with your CPA
How it works
The catch-up process.
Each step builds on the last, so every month is checked before your books are handed off.
Gather
Collect statements, receipts, and past records.
Rebuild
Enter or import missing transactions.
Categorize
Assign every transaction to the right account.
Reconcile
Match books to bank and card statements.
Hand-off
Reports and a summary ready for your CPA.
Before we start
Documents we’ll need.
Don’t worry if some are missing: we’ll help you track down what we can.
Banking
- Bank statements
- Credit card statements
- Loan statements
- Merchant processor reports
Income & Expenses
- Sales and invoice records
- Receipts and bills
- Recurring vendor list
- Payroll reports
Background
- Prior tax returns
- Last known accurate balances
- Accounting software access
- Notes on unusual items
Missing a few? We request copies from banks and vendors, and note any gaps for your CPA.
What we fix
Common problems we untangle.
The problem
How it gets fixed
Duplicate transactions
Removed after matching against bank statements.
Hundreds of uncategorized items
Sorted into the right accounts with clear rules.
Personal and business spending mixed
Separated and flagged for owner review.
Accounts that don’t reconcile
Traced month by month until balances match.
Missing receipts
Listed and requested, with gaps noted for your CPA.
Wrong opening balances
Corrected using statements and prior returns.
Every catch-up includes
From a backlog review to a clean hand-off, and a way to stay current.
Review of your current books and missing periods
Document checklist and collection support
Missing transactions entered or imported
Categorization of all transactions
Bank and credit card reconciliation for every month
Cleanup of duplicates and errors
Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet for each period
Summary of open items for your CPA
Option to move straight into monthly bookkeeping
Who needs catch-up bookkeeping
If the backlog is keeping you up at night…
Owners who fell behind during a busy season or a big change.
Businesses facing a tax deadline with books that aren’t ready.
Founders preparing to raise money or apply for a loan who need clean historical numbers.
Companies switching bookkeepers and inheriting messy records.
Common questions
Asked before every cleanup.
It depends on how many months are behind, the number of accounts, and transaction volume. We share pricing after reviewing your books on the free call.
It depends on how far behind you are and how quickly documents come in. Smaller catch-ups move faster; multi-year work is usually done in stages.
We prepare accurate books that your CPA or tax professional can use for past-due or amended returns. Tax filing and IRS matters are handled by them.
We help you request copies from banks and vendors, and note any gaps so your CPA knows how they were handled.
You can keep them current with monthly bookkeeping, so you don’t fall behind again.
We work inside your existing QuickBooks or Xero (or set it up if needed), rebuilding history cleanly without disrupting what’s already there.
Catch-Up Bookkeeping
Clear the backlog and start fresh.
Book a free call to review where your books stand and what it will take to bring them current: we’ll look at how many months need work and what’s involved.