What Happens If You Fall Behind on Bookkeeping? Risks and Fixes
For many small business owners, bookkeeping is the task that always gets pushed to “next week.”
Download Our Free Brochure →But when next week turns into next month – or worse, next quarter – your books can spiral into disorganization, stress, and even compliance risk.
In this blog, we’ll explore exactly what happens when you fall behind on bookkeeping, the dangers of letting it slide, and how to fix it fast with professional help.
Common Reasons Business Owners Fall Behind
- You’re too busy running day-to-day operations
- You don’t have a dedicated bookkeeper
- QuickBooks is too confusing or time-consuming
- You think you’ll catch up later – but “later” never comes
Sound familiar? You’re not alone.
That’s why we offer catch-up bookkeeping services tailored to small businesses that need to get current – fast.
What’s At Risk When You’re Behind on Your Books
1. You’re Blind to Your Business’s True Financial Health
Without up-to-date reports, you can’t confidently answer questions like:
- What are my actual profits?
- What expenses are out of control?
- Do I have enough cash to cover payroll?
2. You Can’t File Taxes Accurately
Outdated books mean missed write-offs, IRS penalties, or overpaying taxes. If your CPA doesn’t have accurate records, they can’t do their job – and they may charge you extra to fix things.
3. You Can’t Apply for Loans or Financing
Need to apply for a loan, grant, or credit line? They’ll ask for current P&Ls, balance sheets, and cash flow statements – which you won’t have.
4. You Risk Compliance Issues
If you’re in a regulated industry or run payroll, out-of-date books can trigger audits or late filing penalties.
Real Use Case: Recovered in 30 Days
A landscaping company in North Carolina hadn’t touched their books in over 7 months. Their CPA refused to file taxes without organized records.
They called Remote Books Online. Within 30 days:
- We completed 7 months of backdated transaction categorization
- Delivered clean QuickBooks files and financial statements
- Got them ready for tax filing and future reporting
They’ve now transitioned to monthly flat-rate bookkeeping with us and haven’t missed a month since.
How to Fix It: The Catch-Up Process
Here’s how our catch-up bookkeeping service works:
- We Assess Your Situation
Tell us how many months (or years) you’re behind. - We Access Your Bank Feeds + Receipts
You securely send us access to your accounts and any docs. - We Categorize, Reconcile, and Clean Up
We use tools + human review to accurately rebuild your records. - You Get CPA-Ready Reports
No mess, no stress – just accurate, up-to-date financials.
Need to clean up errors in QuickBooks too? We offer QuickBooks cleanup services for that as well.
FAQs
How far back can you go?
We can go back as far as you need – one month or several years. We’ll give you a flat-rate quote for the whole backlog.
What if I don’t have all the records?
We’ll work with your bank feeds, credit card statements, and whatever documents you have. If anything’s missing, we’ll help track it down.
Do you include QuickBooks software?
Yes, it’s included in our service – no need to buy a separate license.
Can you also handle monthly bookkeeping after catch-up?
Absolutely. Most clients transition to ongoing monthly bookkeeping after we catch them up.
Final Thoughts
Falling behind on bookkeeping doesn’t make you a bad business owner – it just means you’ve got too much on your plate.
But waiting longer only makes things worse.
With Remote Books Online, you can clean up your financials fast, avoid IRS penalties, and get back to growing your business – not fighting your books.
Request a free quote and let us catch up your books – first month free included.
