Cleanup and Remediation
Books you can't trust cost more than a cleanup.
Missed reconciliations, a balance sheet nobody looks at, payroll that doesn't tie out. I find out exactly what's wrong first, then fix it for a fixed fee you know before any work starts.
Signs you need a cleanup.
- Your bank balance and your books don't match
- Your tax preparer keeps sending questions you can't answer
- A lender, investor or buyer asked for financials and you hesitated
- You changed entity type, added a state or added payroll, and the books didn't follow
- Nobody has looked at the balance sheet in a year or more
How it works
Diagnose first. Then fix it once.
Diagnostic, 2 to 3 weeks
I review your accounting records, bank activity, payroll and prior returns, then deliver a written findings report: what's wrong, how far back it goes, what it will take to fix, and a fixed-fee quote.
Fixed-fee cleanup, 4 to 12 weeks
I reconcile every account, correct misclassifications, fix the balance sheet and resolve payroll and multi-state issues. The diagnostic fee is credited in full if you sign within 60 days.
Handoff
You receive clean books, reconciled through the most recent month end, plus a summary of every adjusting entry for your tax preparer.
Monthly, if you want it
Most clients move straight into a monthly package, with no onboarding fee.
Diagnostic pricing
A fixed number, before any work starts.
Cleanups start at $5,000. Your exact fixed fee comes from the diagnostic. Payment is split: half at signing, a quarter at the midpoint, a quarter at delivery.
- StandardSingle entity, under $2M in revenue$1,500
- ComplexPayroll, multiple states, or $2M+ in revenue$2,500
- Multi-entityTwo or more entities, or intercompany activityfrom $3,500
What you receive.
- Reconciled bank, card, loan and payroll accounts
- A corrected balance sheet, tied to support
- Adjusting entry summary and workpapers for your tax preparer
- A cleanup memo explaining what was wrong and what changed
- A chart of accounts set up to stay clean
Questions
Why not just quote the cleanup up front?
Because nobody can price a cleanup honestly without looking first. The diagnostic replaces guesswork with a fixed number, and it costs you nothing extra if you go ahead.
How far back can you go?
As far back as the records exist. If part of the history isn't in accounting software, we can rebuild it from tax returns and bank records as a separate, smaller scope.
Will this change my tax returns?
Sometimes cleanup finds errors that affect prior returns. I document them clearly and work with your tax preparer, who decides whether amendments are needed.
Start with a 20 minute call.
No pitch. We look at where your books are, and I tell you honestly whether I'm the right fit.