Bookkeeping
Catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping
Catch-up bookkeeping brings a US business's books current when months or years have gone unrecorded. Finbryn categorizes and reconciles every backlog month against your bank and card statements, corrects miscoded entries, and logs each adjustment so your tax preparer and lender can trust the result.
Bank reconciliation summary
Illustrative client · August 2026
USD
| Account | Difference | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating account··4821 | 184,220.16 | 184,220.16 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Reserve account··0937 | 60,000.00 | 60,000.00 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Company card··1006 | (12,418.52) | (12,418.52) | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Card processor clearing | 8,905.40 | 8,905.40 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Payroll clearing | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
Last weekly runFri, Aug 28, every account agreed to its statement.
Two open itemsTwo card receipts requested from you, marked on the card account until they arrive.
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
Why books fall behind
It usually happens quietly. A founder does the books until the business gets busy, a bookkeeper leaves without a handover, or an app-based service shuts down and the records stop. By the time a tax deadline or a loan application arrives, there are months of uncategorized transactions and balances nobody has checked.
How we catch you up
We start by collecting statements for every bank, card and processor account for the backlog period. Each month is then categorized and reconciled in order, oldest first, so every closing balance becomes the next month's verified opening balance.
Along the way we fix what we find: duplicate transactions imported twice by a bank feed, personal spending coded to the business, transfers recorded as income. Every correction goes into an adjustments log that says what changed, in which period, and why.
What you get at the end
Reconciled books for the whole backlog period, a profit and loss and balance sheet for each year or month you need, and the adjustments log. Progress is shared as each month closes, not only at the finish. That package is what a tax preparer needs to file with confidence, and what a lender will ask for.
After the catch-up
Most businesses move straight onto monthly bookkeeping so the books never fall behind again. Catch-up work is priced per backlog month; the pricing page explains how. If a deadline is close, tell us on the first call and we will work the most urgent periods first.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: Catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping
Can you start before I find every statement?
Yes. We begin with the accounts and months you have and list exactly which statements are still missing.
Will a catch-up change what I reported to the IRS before?
It can reveal differences. We document them in the adjustments log, and whether an amended return is needed is a decision for you and your tax preparer.
Do you clean up books another provider left behind?
Yes. Cleanups after a bookkeeper or service leaves are one of the most common reasons businesses look for catch-up help.
What does catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping actually include, month to month?
Catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping covers backlog months sorted into categories and reconciled to bank and card statements, along with duplicate, missing and miscoded transactions corrected. The work runs inside QuickBooks Online or Xero, the file stays under your own subscription, and a senior principal reviews the output before it reaches you each period.
What access do you need to start catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping?
View or edit access to QuickBooks Online or Xero is enough to begin; nothing about your existing subscription or login changes on our side. Any additional access needed for a specific deliverable, such as a bank portal or receipt inbox, is agreed with you first, and the scope is set out in your engagement letter.
How far back can you go?
As far back as you have bank and card statements. We quote per backlog month after seeing the accounts involved.
Will you change figures that were already reported?
Only where the records show an error, and every change goes in a written adjustments log.
How do we get started with catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping?
Getting started with catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping begins with a short review of your current records and software access. Once that is done we confirm scope and timing in writing, and ongoing work begins on the schedule agreed with you.
What if our records for catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping are not up to date?
If your records are behind, we scope a catch-up first so catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping starts from a clean, reconciled base. That catch-up is priced and timed separately from the ongoing engagement, so you always know what each part costs.
Related services
- BookkeepingMonthly bookkeepingOngoing monthly bookkeeping: transactions sorted into categories, accounts reconciled and month-end reports delivered in the software you already use.
- BookkeepingBank and credit card reconciliationEvery bank, card and payment-processor account reconciled line by line against its statement, so the balance in your books always matches the balance at the institution.
Industries
- Ecommerce (Amazon and Shopify)Bookkeeping for online sellers on Amazon, Shopify, Etsy and their own storefronts, built around clean payout and sales tax data.
- Restaurants and multi-entity franchise groupsBookkeeping for restaurant groups and franchise operators running several locations or legal entities at once.
- Real estate and property managementBookkeeping for property owners and managers tracking income, expenses and reserves at the level of each individual property.
Next step
Talk to the team that would run your books
A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.