Catch-Up Bookkeeping
Behind on your books? We clean up the mess.
3 months or 3 years behind. CoCountant’s QuickBooks ProAdvisor Elite team rebuilds and reconciles your records from the ground up, with a controller who signs off on every period.
WHAT CATCH-UP INCLUDES
Controller-reviewed clean-up from wherever you left off
- Full diagnostic review of your books
- Transaction rebuild for every open period
- Chart of accounts restructured and corrected
- Controller sign-off on every period closed
- P&L, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow delivered
- Seamless transition into ongoing monthly bookkeeping
Ongoing plans from $160/mo after catch-up
Finance leaders at 200+ companies have hired through CoCountant
If this sounds familiar, you're in the right place
Tax season doesn’t have to mean scrambling, second-guessing, or overpaying someone to clean up what should have been done right the first time.
Tax season becomes cleanup season every year
Your CPA asks for reconciled books and gets a mess. You pay extra for cleanup, file late, or both. It will keep happening until the books are fixed.
You do not know what the business actually made
Revenue is a number in your bank. Profit is a mystery. Without reconciled books, hiring and spending decisions run on guesswork.
You switched bookkeepers and the handoff went badly
The last person left mid-year. Now there are months of uncategorized transactions and accounts that do not tie.
You started doing it yourself and fell behind
You opened QuickBooks, then got busy. Now there are over a year of unreconciled bank feeds and you do not know where to start.
An investor or lender wants financials you cannot produce
You need audit-ready books to close a round or qualify for a loan. What you have right now would not survive a first look.
You do not know how far behind you actually are
Every month you wait, the gap gets wider. You know it needs fixing. You just do not know where to begin.
You are not alone. This is one of the most common situations we fix, and we have a structured process for it.
What catch-up bookkeeping includes
Every engagement starts with a diagnostic. Then we rebuild, reconcile, and deliver financials ready for taxes, decisions, or investors.
Diagnostic review and gap assessment
Your controller reviews the current state of your books, identifies every gap and miscoding, and maps the full scope before any work begins.
- Chart of accounts, opening balances, and transaction history reviewed
- Missing periods, duplicate entries, and miscoded transactions identified
- Clear scope document: what gets fixed, in what order, and by when
Historical transaction rebuild and reconciliation
We go back to wherever your books left off and work forward. Every transaction categorized, every account reconciled, every balance tied out.
- Bank, credit card, and loan accounts reconciled for every open period
- Revenue, AR, AP, and payroll entries corrected and brought current
- Chart of accounts cleaned and restructured to reflect your actual business
Controller-reviewed close for every recovered period
A dedicated controller signs off on each period we close, not just the most recent month. GAAP-consistent financials for every year we touch.
- P&L, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow for every completed period
- Variance notes explaining what changed and why
- Audit-ready records ready to hand to your CPA, investor, or lender
Clean handoff into ongoing bookkeeping
Catch-up is the first step. Once your books are clean, move directly into a monthly plan and never fall behind again.
- Seamless transition into Launch, Scale, or Command with no re-onboarding
- Same controller and team who did the catch-up stays with you
- Ongoing close: 15 working days on Launch, 10 on Scale and Command
From kickoff to actionable financial insight
Three steps. Zero downtime. We set up everything while your operations keep running.
What we do
Your outcome
Step 1
Diagnose
What we do
Your controller reviews your books, bank statements, and prior returns. We document every gap and confirm the full scope and timeline before any work begins.
Your outcome
A clear picture of where your books stand and what it takes to fix them. No surprises.
Step 2
Rebuild & reconcile
What we do
We work period by period, categorizing transactions, reconciling accounts, and correcting entries. A controller reviews and signs off before each period is closed.
Your outcome
Accurate, reconciled books for every month we touch, each signed off by your dedicated controller.
Step 3
Deliver & transition
What we do
We deliver controller-reviewed statements for every recovered period. If you are moving into ongoing bookkeeping, your team transitions seamlessly.
Your outcome
Audit-ready financials you can act on immediately, with a clean foundation going forward.
Catch-up is scoped and priced upfront on a discovery call. Ongoing bookkeeping starts at $160/mo
Talk to an expertWhat our clients say about our catch-up bookkeeping
Founders who came to us with messy books and left with a clean set and a team they trust.
Close time cut from 20 days to 10
Entertainment media company, 50–200 person team
Their controller is consistently and readily available for chats and meetings whenever we need their help. We definitely want to continue using them because of their availability and expertise.
Recovered $200K in overdue AR
PropTech SaaS company, 11–50 person team
Their controller took it upon himself to work on our outdated AR and brought in a couple hundred thousand AR dollars for us that seemed unrecoverable. Our reporting to board members and shareholders has also improved significantly.
12 hrs exec time saved / month
Fractional HR consultancy, founder-led
Extremely friendly to tight budgets. Their monthly calls to go over the books help immensely and save me money. With reconciled accounts and their timely updates, I have a clear picture of my revenue, expenses, and cash flow.
Custom chart of accounts built
Botanical gift box e-commerce brand, solo founder
They came in and helped me with exactly what I needed: setting up QuickBooks, detailed bookkeeping, building custom categories specific to my business so I know where I’m spending to improve cash flow, and monthly calls to review transactions.
Audit-ready & tax-smart
Specialty music instrument retailer, founder-led
They helped us with compliance and tax planning, streamlining our financial management system and accounting processes. They’re dedicated to our success and really understand our needs.
14 months cleaned & reconciled
Digital marketing and web agency, founder-led
Hiring CoCountant in 2024 was the best decision I’ve made in a long time. Each month they do a great job of managing our books and reporting.
Strong ROI, more strategic intel
Business consulting and innovation firm
The value-to-cost ratio is amazing. I save so much time using CoCountant’s bookkeeping services, and I get more strategic intelligence on our financial situation than I could create on my own. Wonderful service for busy entrepreneurs.
Systems streamlined, ops simplified
Health-tech startup, precision medicine platform
CoCountant team is very thorough with their review of my transactions, and their bookkeeping service helps keep my books updated to provide a clear financial picture.
Why our catch-up bookkeeping holds up
Founders who came to us with messy books and left with a clean set and a team they trust.
Fix the past. Control the future.
Talk to an expertClient-verified performance. QuickBooks certified expertise at the Elite level.
Elite is the highest tier in Intuit’s QuickBooks ProAdvisor program.
4.4
on TrustPilot
5.0
on Clutch
4.5
on Goodfirms
4.3
on G2
Frequently asked questions
How does catch-up bookkeeping work at CoCountant?
We start with a diagnostic review of your books: how far behind they are, what is missing, and what needs to be corrected. Your dedicated controller then works through each open period, categorizing transactions, reconciling every account, and signing off on the close. You receive controller-reviewed financials for every period we touch. Most engagements are scoped and priced on a short discovery call before work begins.
How far back can you go?
There is no strict limit. We have cleaned books that were a few months behind and books untouched for several years. Scope and timeline depend on transaction volume, number of accounts, and completeness of your records. We confirm everything upfront before work starts.
How is the catch-up engagement priced?
Catch-up bookkeeping is a one-time project priced based on how many months need to be rebuilt and the complexity of your accounts. We quote the full cost upfront on your discovery call. Ongoing bookkeeping plans start at $160/month if you continue after catch-up.
Will the same team manage my books going forward?
Yes. If you move into an ongoing CoCountant plan, the same controller and accounting pod stay with you. They already know your books, your business, and your chart of accounts. There is no re-onboarding.
Does CoCountant use my QuickBooks account or a separate system?
We work inside your own QuickBooks Online account. You maintain full ownership and access at all times. If you are not currently on QuickBooks Online, we migrate your books to QBO as part of the engagement.
What if I have missing bank statements or incomplete records?
We work with whatever records you have. If there are gaps, your controller will flag them, document what is missing, and advise on the best path forward. In some cases we reconstruct transactions from partial records; in others, we note the gap clearly in the financials.
Will the cleaned-up books be ready for my CPA or tax preparer?
Yes. Every period we close is reviewed and signed off by a controller using GAAP methodology. The financials are reconciled and ready to hand directly to your CPA, a lender, or an investor. Tax filing is available as a separate service if needed.
Is there a commitment period for catch-up bookkeeping?
The catch-up itself is a one-time project with no ongoing commitment. If you continue with monthly bookkeeping, that moves to a 12-month agreement paid monthly or annually. The one-time onboarding fee is quoted upfront before work begins.
Can you help if I have never used QuickBooks before?
Yes. If your books exist in spreadsheets, another platform, or nowhere at all, we handle the setup, chart of accounts build, and historical data entry. We bring everything into QuickBooks Online and get it reconciled from your start date forward.
Ready for controller-led catch-up bookkeeping?
Talk to our solutions advisor. We will scope your books and map your first 30 days to a controller-signed close.
