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Scope sheet
finbryn.com

Forensic accounting

Forensic data extraction from accounting systems

Forensic data extraction from Finbryn pulls a complete, audit-trail-intact transaction history out of QuickBooks Online, Xero or NetSuite before any tracing or fraud-indicator work starts. The export is read-only against the live file, includes voided and deleted entries the platform still retains, and reconciles to a control total first.

What is included

  • Full transaction-level export from the live accounting system
  • Audit log or user-activity log pulled alongside the transaction data where retained
  • Control-total reconciliation showing the export matches the live system at extraction date
  • A dated extraction memo noting method, scope and any retrievability limits
  • A working file organized by account and period for the next phase of the engagement
  • Separate exports and reconciliations for any sub-ledger or processor feed outside the main system
  • Confirmation that the live file was accessed on a read-only or view-only basis throughout
  • A source list mapping every figure in the working file back to its original export

The process

  1. 1.

    Scope and access

    Confirm which accounts, entities and time period are in scope, then request view-level access to the live accounting system rather than edit rights.

  2. 2.

    Platform-specific export

    Run the widest available transaction export for the platform, plus its audit log or user-activity log where the platform retains one.

  3. 3.

    Control total reconciliation

    Match the exported total to a control figure from the live system at the extraction date, flagging any variance before proceeding.

  4. 4.

    Gap check

    Confirm no sub-ledger, payment processor feed or payroll feed was left out of the pull, and pull any that were separately.

  5. 5.

    Working file build

    Organize the reconciled export into a working file by account and period, ready for tracing, testing or reconstruction.

  6. 6.

    Extraction memo

    Document the date range, method, control totals and any retrievability limits in a short memo attached to the working file.

Software

QuickBooks Online, Xero, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Microsoft Excel

Quality control

A senior reviewer reviews the reconciliation before the export moves to the next phase of the engagement, and reviews the extraction memo for completeness.

Pricing

Extraction is scoped as part of the overall forensic engagement rather than sold as a fixed add-on, since cost depends on how many systems, entities and years are in scope. See the rate card for how standard monthly bookkeeping is priced; a forensic extraction and the work that follows it are quoted separately after a short scoping call.

See current pricing

Finbryn is a brand of Northlane Solutions Inc., a Delaware corporation.

Reviewed September 2026