Export 12–24 months of bank/credit-card statements, merchant payouts, payroll reports, vendor invoices, prior tax returns, and your current Chart of Accounts. Label files by month and vendor, provide access to accounting software, and highlight problem areas to prioritize. A well-prepared handoff reduces cleanup time and cost.
How to Prepare for a Bookkeeping Cleanup Engagement
On the go? Listen on The Deep Dive — where we dig deeper into this topic: ‘Bookkeeping Cleanup Deep Dive_ Prep Secrets to Cut Costs, Speed Up Reconciliation, and Fix Gross Margins’. Listen or download.
Why cleanup preparation matters
A bookkeeping cleanup is most efficient when you provide complete, well-organized source documents and clear access. Missing files, mixed personal/business transactions, and unclear expectations add hours and cost. Preparing properly helps your bookkeeper focus on high-impact fixes (merchant reconciliations, payroll, COGS) and deliver clean, audit-ready books faster.
A quick story
A growing e-commerce store hired us for a cleanup but initially provided only bank statements. We requested merchant payout CSVs, POS daily reports, and inventory counts. Once supplied, we reconciled deposits to sales, corrected COGS, and identified duplicate processing fees — saving the owner several thousand dollars and giving accurate margins for pricing decisions. The owner later said the cleanup paid for itself within two months.
Prep checklist — what to gather before the cleanup
- Bank statements (all business accounts) — Full monthly statements for the period to be cleaned (recommend 12–24 months).
- Credit card statements (business cards) — Monthly statements and any receipts for disputed charges.
- Merchant processor reports (Stripe, Square, PayPal, Shopify) — Payout CSVs, fee reports, and settlement summaries.
- Sales invoices and receipts — All sales records, invoices, and POS reports.
- Vendor bills & paid receipts — PDFs of invoices and proof of payment.
- Payroll registers & payroll tax filings — Payroll reports, tax deposits, and W-2/W-3 or 1099s as applicable.
- Prior year tax returns — Federal and state returns to align classifications and deductions.
- Chart of Accounts export — CSV export from QuickBooks/Xero or a listing of accounts.
- Fixed asset invoices & depreciation schedules — Invoices for capital purchases and depreciation policy.
- Loan and lease agreements — Payment schedules and amortization if applicable.
Access & permissions
Provide bookkeeping access with appropriate permissions. Preferred setup:
- QuickBooks Online/Xero: Add your bookkeeper (or an admin invite) with ‘Accountant Access’ or ‘Standard’ permissions as needed.
- Banks & processors: Provide read-only bank feed access or share secure statement downloads.
- File storage: Share a single folder (Google Drive/Dropbox) with organized subfolders per year and month.
Priorities during cleanup
- Merchant deposits vs sales — Match aggregated deposits to payout reports to allocate gross sales, fees, refunds.
- Payroll & payroll liabilities — Reconcile payroll clearing accounts and ensure tax deposits are recorded.
- COGS & inventory — Correct cost of goods sold and inventory counts for food, retail, and manufacturing businesses.
- Duplicate transactions & uncleared items — Remove duplicates and resolve uncleared checks or deposits.
- Misclassified expenses — Move owner personal expenses, capital expenditures, and payroll correctly.
Timeline & expectations
Typical timeline depends on transaction volume and how organized your records are. Rough estimates:
- Small (<=500 transactions/month): 1–3 weeks
- Medium (500–2,500 transactions/month): 2–6 weeks
- High volume (>2,500 transactions/month): 4–12+ weeks
We’ll provide a scoped proposal after reviewing your documents and highlighting high-impact items to address first.
Worksheet — Cleanup intake table
Use this to track files and access. Copy into a spreadsheet or print it for your team.
| Document | File Location / Link | Date Range | Uploaded (Y/N) | Notes / Priority |
| Bank statements – Main checking | Drive/2025/Bank | Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | Include full PDFs | |
| Credit card statements | Drive/2025/CC | Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | ||
| Stripe/Square payout CSVs | Drive/2025/Merchant | Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | Include daily settlement reports | |
| Payroll registers & filings | Drive/2025/Payroll | Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | Include tax deposit proofs | |
| Chart of Accounts export | Drive/2025/CoA | CSV export from QBO/Xero |
CSV copy (paste into a sheet)
Document,File Location / Link,Date Range,Uploaded (Y/N),Notes
Bank statements – Main checking,Drive/2025/Bank,Jan 2025-Dec 2025,,Include full PDFs
Credit card statements,Drive/2025/CC,Jan 2025-Dec 2025,,
Stripe/Square payout CSVs,Drive/2025/Merchant,Jan 2025-Dec 2025,,Include daily settlement reports
Payroll registers & filings,Drive/2025/Payroll,Jan 2025-Dec 2025,,Include tax deposit proofs
Chart of Accounts export,Drive/2025/CoA,,,CSV export from QBO/Xero
Here’s a ready-to-use CSV you can open in Google Sheets or Excel.
Download the CSV — Controls checklist
Fees & scope notes
Cleanups are scoped based on transaction volume and the number of corrective journal entries. We provide fixed-fee proposals for predictable scopes and hourly estimates for discovery phases. Expect a discovery review before final pricing.
Why choose us (experience & expertise)
Giesler-Tran Bookkeeping specializes in cleanups, merchant reconciliations, and audit-ready restorations. Our Gold Star Network has handled cleanups for retail, e-commerce, restaurants, and service businesses — focusing on the highest-impact fixes first to preserve cash flow and ensure tax readiness.
Next steps / CTA
- Gather the checklist items above and upload them to a secure folder.
2. Schedule a free discovery call: https://calendly.com/mrbrian-gieslertranbookkeeping/30min
3. We’ll send a discovery checklist and a scoped proposal after reviewing your documents.
FAQs
Q: How long does a cleanup take?
A: Depends on volume and organization—see timeline estimates above. We’ll provide a scoped estimate after discovery.
Q: Will cleanup affect prior tax filings?
A: We make corrections and document adjustments. For significant prior-period changes, consult your CPA about amended returns if needed.
Q: Can you work with paper receipts?
A: Yes — but digital photos or scans are preferred. We can assist with bulk scanning options for high volumes.
Struggling with messy books? Download our Cleanup Checklist, upload a sample folder, and book a free 30-minute Cleanup Discovery Call. We’ll review your files before the call and send a scoped cleanup plan.
Giesler-Tran Bookkeeping • gieslertranbookkeeping.com • 971-200-5158