Catch-up bookkeeping: where to start when you are a year behind

Being behind is normal. Most new clients come in exactly here. The way out is a sequence, not a weekend.

1. Get every statement

Bank and credit-card statements for every month, for every account the business touched. Download the PDFs or give your bookkeeper online read-only access. Statements are the backbone; receipts are the detail.

2. Pick a start date

Usually January 1 of the earliest year that still needs a tax return. Older than that, ask your preparer whether it matters before you spend money rebuilding it.

3. Rebuild month by month

Each month: every statement line gets a category, deposits get matched to invoices or marked as owner money, and the ending balance is reconciled to the statement. A month that reconciles is done; move on.

4. Flag, don't guess

Lines nobody can identify go on a short list for you to answer in one sitting. Guessing categories is how clean-up work gets redone.

What it costs

We quote catch-up by the month of records, after seeing one statement, so you know the total before any work starts. Then monthly bookkeeping keeps you from being here again.