Catch-Up Bookkeeping Services: What to Expect and How Long It Takes
If your books are behind, you’re not alone. Many small business owners put bookkeeping on the back burner until tax time rolls around-or worse, until an audit notice arrives. That’s where catch-up bookkeeping services come in.
Download Our Free Brochure →In this guide, we’ll walk you through what catch-up bookkeeping really means, how long it takes, and why RemoteBooksOnline is the fastest way to get current and CPA-ready.
What Is Catch-Up Bookkeeping?
Catch-up bookkeeping is the process of organizing and recording past financial data for previous months-or even years-where your books were incomplete or non-existent.
This includes:
- Importing past bank and credit card statements
- Categorizing income and expenses
- Reconciling accounts month by month
- Generating backdated reports for taxes or compliance
Whether you’re a year behind or more, our team can help you catch up without the stress.
How Long Does Catch-Up Bookkeeping Take?
The timeline depends on how far behind you are and how many accounts need reconciling. Here’s a general breakdown:
| Months Behind | Typical Turnaround |
|---|---|
| 1-3 months | 1-2 business days |
| 4-6 months | 2-4 business days |
| 6-12 months | 3-7 business days |
| 12+ months | Custom timeline |
At RemoteBooksOnline, most catch-up projects are completed within a week.
What to Expect When You Start
Here’s what the process looks like when you start catch-up bookkeeping with us:
- Kickoff Call
We identify how far behind you are and what accounts are involved. - Document Collection
You upload past statements and login info to our secure portal. - Processing
Our team begins entering, coding, and reconciling the data. - Review and Delivery
We send you completed financials-profit & loss, balance sheet, and more.
Looking for the right balance of cost and quality? Our Affordable Monthly Bookkeeping Services blog explains how flat-rate pricing helps small businesses scale without compromising on accuracy.
Download Our Free Brochure →Test Case: Real Business, Real Results
Client: Online Retailer, 18 months behind
Problem: Missed tax deadlines, disorganized PayPal + Stripe accounts
Solution: RemoteBooksOnline processed 18 months of catch-up data in 6 days
Outcome:
- CPA-ready reports delivered
- Avoided IRS penalties
- Owner now on monthly bookkeeping plan
FAQs
Can you handle messy or incomplete data?
Yes. We work with what you have-bank statements, receipts, and downloads-and help fill in any gaps.
Do I need to use QuickBooks?
No. We deliver reports in multiple formats and use our own tools to manage cleanup. If you have QuickBooks, we can work with that too.
Is catch-up bookkeeping secure?
Yes. Your data is stored in a secure, encrypted environment with strict access controls.
Will this include payroll or inventory?
Catch-up bookkeeping typically covers standard transactions. Let us know if you need additional modules like payroll or inventory cleanup.
Don’t Wait. Catch Up Now.
Behind on your books? Let RemoteBooksOnline bring you up to date-fast.
Get your free quote now and start the path to clean, CPA-ready financials.
Stay organized and tax-ready year-round with our flat-rate monthly bookkeeping services.
Need smoother tax season prep? Our guide on bookkeeping for tax season explains how organized financials simplify filing, reduce errors, and save you time and stress.
CPA and bookkeeping firms can scale faster with our white-label bookkeeping services fully branded for your clients.
