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How to Catch Up on Bookkeeping Fast Before Tax Season
Short version: stop the panic → get prioritized, tax-critical books ready → avoid penalties and surprises. Follow this battle-tested sprint or hand it to professionals to run an emergency cleanup.
Why acting now matters
- Accurate books protect deductions, lower audit risk, and prevent last-minute fees.
- A focused catch-up gives your CPA the reports they need — on time.
- Fixing records early gives you clarity for year-end tax planning and cash decisions.
Rapid Catch-Up Plan — 7 steps (do these in order)
- Freeze new uncategorized entries. Put a hold on adding new, uncoded transactions until the cleanup starts.
- Snapshot & backup. Export a full backup of your accounting system (or download CSV/QBO). Keep a rollback snapshot.
- Prioritize tax items. Tackle payroll, sales tax, 1099 contractors, major deposits, and deductible expenses first.
- Collect documents. Bank & card statements, payroll reports, merchant/processor exports, invoices, receipts, and prior year tax returns.
- Automated import + batch triage. Hook up feeds where possible, then batch-code transactions to consistent categories.
- Reconcile accounts. Reconcile bank, credit cards, loans, and merchant processors to statements. Flag and document discrepancies.
- Deliverables & handoff. Clean GL, P&L, balance sheet, cash summary, and a short issues log your CPA can use.
Typical timelines (realistic)
Small business
Medium
Complex
Note: Timelines compress dramatically when you provide full statements and admin access immediately.
Year-End Catch-Up Checklist — What to provide
- Full bank statements (all business accounts) for the year
- Business credit card statements for the year
- Merchant processor reports (Stripe, Square, Shopify, PayPal)
- Payroll reports & tax filings (W-2/941/state filings)
- Vendor invoices & large purchase receipts (equipment, repairs)
- Loan and lease statements
- Prior year federal & state tax returns
- Access to accounting software (QuickBooks Online/Xero) with admin rights or exported files (CSV/QBO)
- List of owner draws/contributions and any personal transactions mixed with business
- POS or inventory reports (if applicable)
Pro tip: Zip documents into named folders (Bank, Cards, Payroll, Merchants, Receipts). It shaves days off the timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Emergency Sprint — If tax day is under 30 days
- 48–72 hour intake & collection window: We lock a rapid document submission schedule.
- 72–96 hour prioritized cleanup: Focus strictly on payroll, sales tax, and tax-deduction categories so your CPA can file.
- Deliverable: Tax-ready P&L, cash summary, and issues log for items that need follow-up.
This is an intense, prioritized service and carries a premium — but it prevents missed deadlines and fines.
Client Stories
“Two weeks from filing our books were a mess. GTB reconciled everything and delivered what our CPA needed — no penalties, no stress.”
— Chiropractic Clinic, WA
“GTB found $9,200 in unrecorded Stripe refunds and had our accounts reconciled in 10 days. The cleanup paid for itself.”
— E-commerce Owner, OR
“They cleaned two years of backlog and trained our treasurer — we filed on time and finally understand our numbers.”
— Nonprofit Director, WA
Want these replaced with real client names or star ratings? Provide quotes/permission and we’ll swap them in.
Book a Free Bookkeeping Evaluation
Or follow the DIY checklist above and freeze new uncoded entries before you begin.