Bookkeeping Cleanup & Catch-Up Services
Get your books back on track — calmly, carefully, and completely
If your QuickBooks file is behind, inconsistent, or simply doesn't feel trustworthy, you're not alone. Our bookkeeping cleanup service brings your books current, corrects errors, and creates a clean, accurate foundation, whether you're six months behind or several years.
We work with businesses nationwide, entirely virtually, with a fixed project fee quoted up front.
Who needs bookkeeping cleanup?
This service is a good fit if:
Your books are months (or years) behind
You’re unsure whether your numbers are accurate
Accounts haven’t been reconciled consistently
Reports don’t match what you see in your bank accounts
You’re preparing for tax filing, applying for a loan, or ongoing bookkeeping
If you’ve been thinking “I don’t even know where to start,” cleanup is the right first step.
What we'll need from you
Cleanup is designed to demand very little of your time. Typically we ask for:
Accountant access to your QuickBooks Online file (we'll walk you through it, takes about two minutes)
Bank and credit card statements for the cleanup period
Loan statements and payroll reports, if applicable
Answers to a short list of questions about unclear transactions — usually one consolidated list, not a stream of emails
That's it. We handle the rest, and you keep running your business.
What bookkeeping cleanup includes
Bookkeeping cleanup is more than catching up transactions. It’s a thorough review and correction process designed to restore accuracy and reliability.
Cleanup services typically include:
Catch-up bookkeeping for prior months or years
Review and correction of income and expense categorization
Bank and credit card reconciliations
Cleanup of duplicates, misclassifications, and gaps
Organization of accounts for clear reporting
Clean, CPA-ready financial statements
Every cleanup is customized based on how far behind your books are and how complex your business is.
Signs your QuickBooks file needs a cleanup
Your Profit & Loss shows income or expenses that don't make sense
Negative balances appear in accounts that should not be negative (like your bank balance, unless you’re overdrawn)
"Uncategorized Expense" or "Ask My Accountant" has a large balance
Undeposited Funds keeps growing and never clears
Bank balances in QuickBooks are wildly different from balances shown on your actual bank statements
Old, unpaid invoices or bills are still open, but you know they were paid
You switched bookkeepers, software, or entity types and things never quite lined up
Any one of these is fixable. Several together usually means it's time for a structured cleanup rather than piecemeal fixes.
How the cleanup process works
We take a structured, methodical approach so nothing is rushed or overlooked.
1. Initial Review
We assess the current state of your books to understand what’s missing, incorrect, or incomplete.
2. Catch-Up & Corrections
We bring all outstanding periods current, reconcile accounts, and correct errors.
3. Quality Check
We review the full set of books to ensure accuracy and consistency.
4. Clean Starting Point
You receive organized, reliable financials you can confidently use — and hand off to your CPA if needed.
Common questions about bookkeeping cleanup
How far behind is too far?
There’s no limit. We routinely clean up books that are a year or more behind.
Do I need cleanup if I plan to hire a bookkeeper?
Often, yes. Cleanup ensures monthly bookkeeping starts from a clean, accurate foundation.
What is cleanup going to cost?
This is a tough one. Cleanup costs can vary wildly depending on several factors, including: how many months or years behind the books are, number of financial accounts, number of transactions per month, whether the books were set up correctly to begin with, availability of source documents, and the desired outcome of the cleanup (can we do a year end adjustment for tax purposes or do we need to move every single transaction to its proper place?). That said, a good way to estimate cleanup costs is to take the expected monthly bookkeeping fee (our lowest fee is $350 per month) and multiply by the number of months that need to be cleaned up. So, 12 months behind x $350 = $4200 would be a good ballpark estimate for full cleanup of an entire year, moving all transactions to the correct accounts and producing accurate financial statements.
How long does a cleanup take?
Most cleanups are completed in two to six weeks, depending on how many months are involved and how quickly we receive statements and answers to open questions.
Do you only clean up QuickBooks?
QuickBooks Online is our specialty, including files converted from QuickBooks Desktop. If you're on other software, ask! In many cases part of the engagement is moving your books onto QBO with clean data.
Do you work with businesses outside Hawaii?
Yes. Many of our cleanup clients are on the mainland. All work is done virtually through QuickBooks Online, secure document sharing, and video calls scheduled around your time zone.
Will this fix issues my CPA flagged?
Yes. Cleanup is designed to resolve the kinds of issues CPAs often identify at tax time.
What happens after cleanup?
Most clients move directly into flat-fee monthly bookkeeping once cleanup is complete.
Ready to get your books back on track?
Cleanup is a focused, one-time project with a fixed fee and a clear finish line.
Wherever you are in the country, it starts with a short call to review where your books stand.
