What is catch-up bookkeeping?
Catch-up bookkeeping rebuilds the months, or years, that were never properly recorded: statements gathered, accounts reconciled, transactions coded, and filings brought up to date. Clean-up is the related job of fixing books that were kept but kept badly, such as duplicated entries, personal spending mixed in, or balances that have never matched the bank.
Neither needs a lecture. Most owners who fall behind were busy doing the work that pays for the books.
What does Abbotsford Bookkeeping include in catch-up and clean-up?
- A first look at what exists and what is missing, with a written estimate before work starts
- Collection of bank, card and loan statements, going to the institutions directly where we can
- Reconciliation of every account, month by month, in order
- Late GST, PST and payroll filings put first, because late returns can draw penalties
- A hand-off into monthly bookkeeping, so the same backlog does not build up again
Which software do you use for catch-up work?
The ledger you already have, if it can be saved: QuickBooks Online or Xero. If the old file is beyond repair, or there is no file at all, we start a clean one, bring in opening balances that agree with the bank, and keep the old records for reference. Dext handles the shoebox of receipts.
How is catch-up different from monthly bookkeeping?
Catch-up is a project with an end date; monthly bookkeeping is the routine that follows it. They are priced differently because catch-up depends on how far behind the books are and how much paper is missing.
| Situation | Usual approach | How long it tends to take |
|---|---|---|
| One to three months behind | Folded into the first monthly closes | Within the first month |
| Most of a year behind | Catch-up project, then monthly bookkeeping | Several weeks |
| More than a year, or filings missing | Filings first, then the rest in order | Agreed in writing after the first look |
| Books kept, but they do not reconcile | Clean-up of balances, then monthly | Depends on what we find |
What is not included in catch-up bookkeeping?
Filing back tax returns, negotiating with the Canada Revenue Agency, or representing you in a dispute. Those sit with your CPA or a tax lawyer. We give them reconciled numbers to work from, which is usually what they need most.
What does catch-up bookkeeping cost?
Catch-up is quoted as a fixed project fee after we have seen what is there, because six months of a quiet shop and six months of a busy fleet are very different jobs. Once the books are current, monthly bookkeeping starts at $500 a month CAD and runs $500 to $750, $800 to $1,200 or $1,250 to $2,000 depending on the tier.
Behind after harvest or a busy hauling season?
That is the most common way Abbotsford businesses fall behind. Through berry picking, the fall harvest or the peak months on the highway, every hour goes to the work, and receipts pile up in the truck or the farm office. By the time things quiet down, a sales tax return is overdue and the year-end is close.
What usually helps:
- Start with whatever is overdue to the government, so penalties stop growing
- Rebuild from the bank and card statements first, then match receipts to them
- Separate personal and business spending once, with your help, rather than guessing
- Before next season, set up receipt capture on your phone and a ten-minute weekly check, so the busy months stay recorded
A good fit if
- Your books are anywhere from a few months to a few years behind
- You want a fixed price and a schedule before work starts
- You plan to stay current afterwards with monthly bookkeeping
Probably not the right fit if
- You need a tax return filed this week and nothing else
- You are in an active dispute or audit with the Canada Revenue Agency and need representation
- You want the backlog done but no routine afterwards