Bookkeeping services that fit your small business.
Small business bookkeeping services should give you reconciled accounts, understandable financial reports, and a clear handoff to tax preparation. Taxstra scopes the work around your business, from a single-entity service company to an owner managing payroll, multiple payment systems, or several entities.
CPA-led · Nationwide remote service · Approximately 1,500 clients
Choose the support your business needs now
Start with the problem you need solved. A business with current books and unanswered planning questions needs different help from one that has not reconciled its accounts for a year.
Our small-business service is for owners who want an accountable working relationship, not just software access. You remain responsible for supplying records and approving business decisions; we define the bookkeeping and review work we will perform.
| Your situation | Start here | What to establish |
|---|---|---|
| Books are several months behind | Catch-up bookkeeping | Reliable opening balances and a completed historical period |
| Books are current but take too much time | Monthly bookkeeping | Accounts, reporting package, and recurring responsibilities |
| Reports arrive but balances are unexplained | Controller support | A reviewed close and documented exceptions |
| You need hiring, cash, or financing scenarios | Fractional CFO support | A forecast built on reliable records |
Know what the bookkeeper will deliver
At a minimum, agree on the included accounts, how transactions will be supported and categorized, the reconciliation process, reports, and who will resolve exceptions. Tax-ready records depend on balance-sheet support as well as expense categories.
We primarily work in QuickBooks Online. Bank feeds help collect activity, but they do not determine whether a deposit is revenue, a transfer, a loan, or an owner contribution. The records and review process must make that distinction.
- A chart of accounts appropriate to your business and the detail you actually need.
- Reconciliations for the bank, credit card, and other accounts included in scope.
- A profit and loss statement and balance sheet on an agreed timetable.
- A list of open questions and missing documents with a responsible person.
- Supporting schedules and a year-end handoff for tax preparation.
Example: the bank deposit is not the sales total
Imagine a payment processor collects $20,000 from customers, withholds $600 in fees, and deposits $19,400. Recording only the deposit as sales hides both the gross revenue and the processor expense.
A proper reconciliation connects the processor report, bank deposit, refunds, fees, and timing differences. The reports can then show $20,000 gross revenue and $600 fees in this simplified example. Sales tax, chargebacks, reserves, and cross-month settlements require their own treatment.
The lesson is operational: match the source report to the deposit. Do not assume the bank feed contains every fact needed for the books. This is a hypothetical illustration, not a tax-savings claim.
How onboarding works
We review the accounting file, included entities, account inventory, recent reconciliations, payroll, payment processors, and the reports you need. Then we identify cleanup and setup work before recurring service begins.
Access should be appropriate to the task. Do not email bank passwords or sensitive records. We establish the document and accounting permissions needed for the engagement, including who may enter changes and who approves them.
The transition plan identifies the first period we own, what the prior preparer supplies, and how unresolved items will be handled. If historical support is missing, the quote should account for that work rather than hide it inside the monthly fee.
Connect the books to the tax return
Bookkeeping and income-tax preparation are connected but distinct. Your ledger should support the return, and your tax preparer may need adjustments that differ from management reporting. We assign responsibility for those adjustments and the supporting schedules.
Owner payments, loans, payroll, fixed assets, and entity activity should be identified throughout the year. That gives a planning conversation a usable starting point. It does not mean categorizing an expense automatically makes it deductible.
The proposal should state whether income-tax returns, estimated payments, payroll, information returns, and tax planning are included or separately scoped.
What determines the cost?
A useful quote starts with the account and reporting inventory. Transaction volume, number of bank and card accounts, payroll, inventory, payment processors, entities, and cleanup needs all affect the work.
Compare fees against the same scope. Ask who reviews the reports, how questions are handled, when records are due, and what triggers an additional project. A low monthly price may leave cleanup, reconciliations, or tax coordination outside the package.
If you can maintain accurate books yourself, a lighter review arrangement may fit. If bookkeeping continually falls behind or distracts you from operating the business, recurring service may be the more useful arrangement.
Five questions to ask any bookkeeping service
Taxstra is a nationwide CPA-led firm. The first conversation should establish whether your work fits our team and what a defined engagement would cover. You should leave knowing the next step, not feeling pressured into a package that does not match your records.
- Which accounts and entities are included, and what reports will I receive?
- Who reviews reconciliations and resolves unusual transactions?
- What must I provide before the reporting date?
- Are historical cleanup, payroll, tax returns, and tax planning included?
- How will I retain access to my records and move them if the relationship ends?
Questions before working together
What is the difference between bookkeeping and accounting?
Bookkeeping records, categorizes, and reconciles activity. Accounting can add adjustments, review, financial reporting, and interpretation. Firms use the labels differently, so compare the specific deliverables and responsibilities.
Can I use QuickBooks and still hire a bookkeeper?
Yes. QuickBooks is a system for the records; a bookkeeper performs the agreed work inside that system. You still need reliable supporting documents, reconciliation, and review.
Are tax returns included in bookkeeping services?
Only if the agreement says so. Ask separately about income-tax returns, payroll, information returns, sales-tax filings, estimates, and planning.
How do I know whether I need cleanup first?
Missing periods, unreconciled bank accounts, unexplained opening balances, and unsupported loan or owner balances are common signs. We review the records before setting the start of recurring service.
Do you work with small businesses nationwide?
Yes. We work remotely with businesses whose accounting needs fit the team and agreed systems. The proposal identifies entities, states, accounts, and responsibilities.
How often will I get financial reports?
Monthly reporting is common, but the timetable depends on scope and when records are available. The engagement should state the delivery date, information cutoff, and how open issues affect reporting.
Sources and further reading
Educational information, not individualized tax, legal, or investment advice. Examples are hypothetical. Your records, tax year, state rules, and engagement scope determine the work required.
Discuss your next decision with Taxstra
Book a free 30-minute initial consultation. We will discuss your situation, whether we are a fit, and the scope and fees for the next step. The initial call is not a completed tax plan or a review opinion.
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Need reliable books each month?
Start with the condition of the records and the reporting you need. Define cleanup and ongoing responsibilities together.
Explore recurring bookkeeping →