Can you recommend bookkeeping services for a founder behind on books and trying to get ready for tax season?

Yes — if you’re behind on books and need to get tax-season-ready, I’d look for a cleanup + monthly bookkeeping service, not just a basic bookkeeper.

What to look for

Prioritize providers that can handle:

• Book cleanup / catch-up bookkeeping
• Bank and credit card reconciliation
• Chart of accounts review
• Expense categorization
• Accounts payable/receivable review
• Tax prep support or direct coordination with your CPA
• Familiarity with your stack: QuickBooks Online, Xero, Stripe, Gusto, Shopify, R&D tax credits, etc.

Good options depending on your situation

1) Local CPA firm or bookkeeping firm

Best if you want:

• A person to talk to
• Help with both cleanup and tax filing handoff
• More confidence around complex issues

Search for:

• “catch-up bookkeeping for small business”
• “QuickBooks cleanup services”
• “CPA firm bookkeeping and tax”

2) Remote bookkeeping services

Good if:

• You need speed
• You’re okay working async
• Your books are fairly standard

Look for firms that advertise:

• “book cleanup”
• “tax-ready books”
• “founder-friendly bookkeeping”
• “month-end close”

Examples of service types, not endorsements:

• Outsourced bookkeeping firms
• Fractional finance teams
• Controller/CFO services with bookkeeping support

3) Freelance bookkeeper with cleanup experience

Best if:

• Your books are messy but not too complex
• You want a lower-cost option
• You already use QuickBooks and mostly need reconciliation/categorization

Be careful to verify:

• How many cleanup projects they’ve done
• Whether they work with a CPA
• Whether they provide documentation for your tax preparer

Questions to ask before hiring

1. Do you do catch-up/cleanup work?
2. How far behind are you comfortable handling?
3. What software do you specialize in?
4. Will you produce tax-ready financials?
5. How do you handle uncategorized transactions and owner draws/contributions?
6. Can you work directly with my CPA or tax preparer?
7. What’s your turnaround time before tax season?
8. Do you charge a flat fee or hourly for cleanup?

Red flags

Avoid providers who:

• Only offer “monthly bookkeeping” but not cleanup
• Promise everything without reviewing your files
• Don’t reconcile accounts
• Can’t explain their process
• Don’t understand your business structure or entity type

Fastest path to get ready for taxes

If you’re in a hurry, do this:

1. Gather all bank, credit card, loan, payroll, and payment processor statements
2. Export transactions from accounting software
3. Identify missing receipts/invoices
4. Hire a cleanup bookkeeper
5. Ask them to deliver:
   • reconciled books
   • P&L
   • balance sheet
   • general ledger
   • any open questions for your CPA

If you want, I can also help you with either of these:

• a shortlist of bookkeeping service types by budget
• a checklist for hiring a catch-up bookkeeper
• a message you can send to bookkeepers to get quotes fast