For accounting firms
Overflow cleanup projects
Overflow cleanup projects give US accounting and bookkeeping firms a fixed-scope way to hand off backlog work: months of unreconciled books categorized in order, a written adjustments log for every correction, and a clean handoff package your firm can present under its own name, priced before the project starts.
Engagement tracker
Illustrative client · August 2026
USD
- Client file access set up under your firm's nameDone
- Monthly books prepared to your review standardDone
- Review notes cleared and loggedIn progress
- Reports sent to your partner for sign-offNext
- Year-end workpapers staged for your preparerNext
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
When a firm's own staff cannot absorb the backlog
An acquired book of business, a client who has not been reconciled in two years, or a busy season that leaves cleanup work stacking up: all of these create backlog that competes with a firm's billable capacity. Routing that work to a fixed-scope project keeps it from eating into staff time that should go to ongoing clients.
How a project is scoped
We review the backlog with your firm first, agreeing the number of months, the accounts involved and the software the books live in. That produces a fixed price before any work starts, so the project does not become an open-ended drain on your engagement economics.
The cleanup itself
Backlog months are worked in order, oldest first, so every closing balance becomes a verified opening balance for the next. Along the way we flag what we find: transactions imported twice by a bank feed, personal spending coded to the business, transfers booked as income. Every correction is written into an adjustments log stating what changed, in which period and why, so your reviewing staff can see the reasoning rather than just the result.
What your firm hands the client
The finished package, reconciled books, a profit and loss and balance sheet for the cleanup period, and the adjustments log, is formatted so your firm can present it to the client under your own name. What we do not do is decide whether a prior filed return needs amending; that call sits with your firm and the client.
After the backlog clears
Firms often move from a cleanup project straight into ongoing white-label bookkeeping or a dedicated staff pod, so the backlog does not build back up.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: Overflow cleanup projects
How do you price a cleanup project?
We scope the backlog with your firm first, agreeing the months and accounts involved, and quote a fixed price before starting.
Can this run at the same time as busy season?
Yes. Firms often route cleanup projects through us specifically so busy-season staff time is not spent on backlog work.
Do you decide if a client needs to amend a prior return?
No. We document what the cleanup reveals in the adjustments log; whether to amend a filed return is a decision for your firm and the client.
What does overflow cleanup projects actually include, month to month?
Overflow cleanup projects covers backlog months sorted into categories and reconciled in order, oldest first, along with a written adjustments log documenting every correction and its reason. The work runs inside QuickBooks Online, Xero, Wave or Dext, 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 overflow cleanup projects?
View or edit access to QuickBooks Online, Xero, Wave or Dext 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 is a cleanup project scoped?
We review the backlog with you, agree the number of months and accounts involved, and quote a fixed scope before starting.
Can this run alongside your dedicated pod work?
Yes. Firms often route one-off overflow through project work while a dedicated pod handles ongoing files.
How do we get started with overflow cleanup projects?
Getting started with overflow cleanup projects 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 overflow cleanup projects are not up to date?
If your records are behind, we scope a catch-up first so overflow cleanup projects 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
- For accounting firmsWhite-label bookkeepingMonthly bookkeeping produced under your firm's own name and templates, so your clients see your brand while our team handles sorting transactions into categories, reconciling and reporting behind it.
- For accounting firmsBusy season tax prep supportPreparation-support capacity for firms during filing season: source documents put in order, workpapers built and draft returns assembled for your credentialed preparers to review and sign.
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.
- Construction and job costingBookkeeping for contractors and builders who need cost and profitability tracked by job, not just by month.
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.