When to call
- You are more than two months behind and not gaining ground
- A tax deadline is coming and the books are not close to ready
- A lender, landlord or investor has asked for financial statements
- You inherited books from a departed bookkeeper and cannot tell what is real
- The balance sheet has accounts on it you do not recognize
- Your accountant said the books needed work before a return could be prepared
How the cleanup runs
- 1Assessment. We look at the file and tell you honestly how much work it is and what it will take. No surprise scope.
- 2Reconstruct. Bank and card statements, merchant processor records, payroll reports and loan documents, period by period.
- 3Reconcile. Every account, every month, in order — because an unreconciled month poisons every month after it.
- 4Correct. Misclassified draws, duplicated transactions, undeposited funds, the suspense account everything got dumped into.
- 5Close and report. Clean statements per period, so the tax returns can be filed from real numbers.
- 6Prevent the recurrence. Either you take over a system that works, or we keep it monthly.
How long does a cleanup take?
A single year of a straightforward business is usually a few weeks. Multiple years, mixed personal and business accounts, or unreconciled payroll takes longer. We give you the estimate after the assessment, not before.
What if I have lost some records?
Bank and card statements can be re-obtained, and merchant processors keep history. We reconstruct from what is retrievable and document what is not.
Will you tell my accountant how bad it was?
Your accountant is generally us, and no. Everyone who has run a business has been behind on something.
Is it worth doing for a business I am closing?
Usually yes — final returns still need to be filed, and a clean set of books protects you if anything is questioned later.
Talk it through before filing season starts
Start with a complimentary 15-minute introductory call about your situation and whether we are a good fit. No tax advice is given on that call.

Written by
Bookkeeper, 25+ years
Katie has kept books for small businesses for more than 25 years — QuickBooks, payroll, AP, AR, reconciliations and monthly reporting.
Reviewed by
Heather Perkins
Enrolled Agent, Oregon Licensed Tax Consultant
Last reviewed
This page is general information about Oregon, Washington and federal tax rules, not advice about your own return. Thresholds and rates change every year. Figures were verified as of August 2026 — check the linked official sources, or talk to us about your situation.
