Cleanup guide
What Does a Bookkeeping Cleanup Cost?
There is no flat figure, because the work varies too much. There is a clear list of what a quote is based on, and you get the figure for your situation before any work begins.
What a quote is based on
- The number of months to be rebuilt or corrected
- The number of bank, card and loan accounts
- The volume of transactions
- Whether a file exists, and whether it helps or has to be undone
- How much is tangled: personal spending, transfers, several entities, cash
- Payroll, sales tax and inventory, where they apply
- Which returns and filings are outstanding
- How complete the records are
We look at those and give you a figure for your situation before work starts. If something changes the scope partway through, such as an account nobody knew about, you hear about it before the extra work is done.
Why cleanup costs more per month than current bookkeeping
A transaction recorded in the month it happened takes moments, because the context is fresh. The same transaction two years later has to be investigated: what the vendor is, what the payment was for, whether the transfer was a loan. Questions that could once have been answered from memory now have to be asked.
So the same month costs more to rebuild than it would have cost to keep, and the gap widens with age. That is the practical case for not waiting.
What waiting costs
- Late-filing and late-payment penalties and interest on returns that cannot be prepared
- Deductions lost because nobody can now support them
- Refunds that expire because the return was filed too late to claim them
- Loans delayed or declined for want of statements
- A lower price, or no sale, when a buyer cannot verify the profit
- Records that get harder to obtain every year
For many owners these outweigh the cleanup itself.
How to keep the figure down
- Send complete statements for every account at the start
- Tell us about every account, loan and entity up front
- Give direct access where you can, so reports do not have to be requested
- Answer questions in batches, promptly
- Start the current year’s monthly bookkeeping now, so it does not join the backlog
For what ongoing bookkeeping involves once the cleanup is done, see bookkeeping and monthly vs quarterly bookkeeping.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to clean up messy books?
It depends on how many months are involved, how many accounts there are, the volume of transactions and how tangled things are, so there is no flat figure. You get a figure for your situation before any work begins. See catch-up bookkeeping.
Is it cheaper to clean up the books myself first?
Usually not. Partly corrected books can take longer to check than untouched ones, because every change has to be verified. Gathering complete statements and answering questions quickly saves far more. See do it yourself or hire it out.
Do I get a quote before the work starts?
Yes. We review the accounts, the period and any existing file, and give you a figure for your situation first. If the scope changes, you are told before additional work is done.
Not the question you had? The full tax FAQ covers more ground, and our client reviews say what the work is actually like.
Related situations and guides
How long a cleanup takes
The six things that decide the timeline, and the two you control.
Learn moreDo it yourself or hire it out
Which cleanups an owner can do, which cost more to attempt, and what to ask anyone you hire.
Learn moreCleanup Planner
Eight questions, then a plan: what comes first, what to gather, and which guides apply.
Learn moreStaying caught up afterwards
The setup and monthly routine that stop the gap reopening, and five early warning signs.
Learn moreCleanup Planner
Eight questions, then a plan: what comes first, what to gather, and which guides apply.
Part of Messy Books Help, alongside our catch-up bookkeeping service.
Tell us what you need
Send a short note about your situation and we’ll come back to you with a straight answer — whether that’s a quote, a next step, or a referral if it isn’t something we handle.
Prefer to talk it through first? Book a consultation and we’ll find a time, in the Easley office or virtually.
Send us the mess. We will send back a plan.
Call (864) 781-4035 or book a consultation, in the Easley office or virtually.