QuickBooks Cleanup for Accounting Pros
We correct messy client files for accounting, bookkeeping, and tax firms, then hand them back to you.
Cleanup work takes time many firms don't have available: uncategorized transactions, unreconciled accounts, and balance sheets that simply won’t work for tax prep. We handle that work directly, so your firm can move the client into onboarding or tax prep without the delay.
Not an accounting firm? Visit our business owner cleanup page.
How I Work With Firms
The client relationship stays with your firm.
We offer two engagement structures:
White-label: We work under your firm's name and communicate only with you. You review the file and deliver it to your client.
Referral: We work directly with the client to complete the cleanup, then return the file to your firm for ongoing work. We never offer or provide monthly bookkeeping to referred clients.
In both cases, the deliverable includes the corrected file and a written summary of the work performed.
Why Firms Outsource Cleanup
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Faster onboarding.
New clients often arrive with files that are months or years behind. Rather than assigning internal staff to a cleanup phase before regular monthly work can begin, firms can route the file to us and bring the client into their standard workflow once it's corrected.
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Capacity.
Cleanup work doesn't scale the way monthly bookkeeping does — a single file can take significantly longer than an ordinary month of upkeep, and that time is difficult to plan around. Outsourcing it keeps internal staff focused on recurring, billable client work instead of one-off projects with unpredictable scope.
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Specialized skill set.
Multi-year cleanups and complex files require experience most bookkeepers don't build in the course of regular monthly work: reconstructing prior-period balances, identifying the source of long-standing errors, and correcting them without disrupting filed tax returns. This is a narrow skill set, and not every bookkeeper on staff has had reason to develop it.
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Ability to take on more complex files.
Firms can accept clients they might otherwise decline (multi-year backlogs, post-migration errors, files with no clear starting point) rather than turning away work that's beyond their team's cleanup experience or referring the prospect elsewhere.
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Documentation.
Each project includes a written summary of the issues identified, the corrections made, and any items that remain open. It's suitable for client communication, for the engagement file, or for briefing the client's CPA prior to tax preparation.
Services & Pricing
Process
Submit project details. Complete the intake form with information on the file, the period involved, and the client's needs.
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Receive a flat-fee quote. For larger or unclear-scope files, we recommend starting with a Books Check so the quote reflects the actual condition of the file.
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Work is completed with regular updates. Any change in scope is discussed with you before proceeding.
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File is returned. You receive the corrected file, a written summary, and a wrap-up call.
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About
Cleanup is my primary area of focus.
I'm Jessica, founder of Open Book. My background covers both sides of the cleanup handoff: while working at a CPA firm, I learned what a file needs to look like for tax preparation. But prior to that, I was an in-house accountant for small businesses, managing the everyday books and focused on KPIs, not tax prep readiness. Cleanup is largely about closing that gap — turning disorganized records into financials your firm can use right away, whether that's filing an accurate tax return or picking up the monthly bookkeeping engagement without stressing out the staff.
Most firms treat cleanup as occasional overflow work. I approach it differently: cleanup is a dedicated service line, with its own process and pricing, rather than something fit in around other work.
Multi-year cleanups in particular require a different skill set than monthly bookkeeping: comfort with prior-period adjustments, an understanding of how errors compound across years, and judgment about what can be safely corrected versus what should never be touched. It's not a natural extension of monthly bookkeeping experience, which is part of why these files tend to sit unresolved.
Fully virtual, working with firms nationwide.
FAQs
Will you contact our client about ongoing bookkeeping?
No. For referral engagements, cleanup is the full scope of the project, and this is specified in writing. We do not solicit referred clients for recurring services.
What software do you work in?
QuickBooks Online. We also handle Desktop-to-Online conversions and related cleanup.
How is client access handled?
Either through accountant-user access granted by your firm, or direct client access for referral engagements, depending on the arrangement.
What if the file isn't a good candidate for cleanup?
In some cases, starting fresh is more cost-effective than a full correction. If that applies, we'll note it in the Books Check before further cost is incurred.
What's the typical turnaround?
Books Checks are generally delivered within 3 business days. Full Cleanup timelines depend on scope and are provided with the quote.
Have a file that needs cleanup?
Submit this form to begin the project review. Once received, we'll send a Project Intake Form along with instructions for providing access to the QBO file.