What to Expect From Monthly Bookkeeping Services
Monthly bookkeeping is the backbone of your business finances. It keeps your books clean, your reports accurate, and your CPA happy when tax season rolls around.
Download Our Free Brochure →But not all providers deliver the same level of service. Some offer minimal categorization with no communication. Others charge hourly and leave you wondering what you’re paying for.
Here’s what a proper monthly bookkeeping service should include, and how to evaluate whether you’re getting what you need.
Curious what’s included each month? Here’s what you can expect from monthly bookkeeping services.
1. Accurate Transaction Categorization
Every dollar that enters or leaves your business needs to be categorized – correctly.
Your bookkeeper should:
- Download or sync bank and credit card transactions
- Assign them to the correct expense/income category
- Flag anything unclear for your review
- Stay consistent with your chart of accounts
Misclassifications can cause incorrect P&Ls, overpaid taxes, and CPA frustration.
2. Monthly Account Reconciliation
Reconciling means checking that what’s in your software matches what’s in the bank.
Expect your monthly bookkeeping to include:
Download Our Free Brochure →- Reconciliation of all business bank accounts
- Reconciliation of credit cards and loan accounts
- Resolution of missing or duplicate transactions
If your accounts aren’t reconciled monthly, your numbers can’t be trusted.
Explore our monthly bookkeeping services to see how we keep your books clean and on schedule.
3. Timely Financial Reports
Every month, you should receive:
- Profit and Loss (Income Statement)
- Balance Sheet
- Cash Flow Report
- Custom reports if applicable (e.g., by department, location, or job)
Reports should be delivered by the 10th-15th of each month at the latest. If you’re not getting them on time, ask why.
4. CPA Coordination and Tax Prep Support
Monthly bookkeeping should include:
- Access to clean, categorized records
- Year-end reports (P&L, Balance Sheet, General Ledger)
- QuickBooks access for your CPA (if using QBO)
- Support during tax time (answering questions, providing backups)
We coordinate with your accountant to keep you hands-off. You can also add catch-up bookkeeping services if you’re behind.
5. Communication and Review
You should have a dedicated point of contact or team. Expect:
- Prompt replies to questions
- Flags when something unusual appears
- Optional monthly review call (for higher-volume clients)
Avoid services that take your money and go silent.
6. Flat Monthly Pricing (No Surprises)
Your quote should include:
- Bank and credit card reconciliation
- Reporting
- CPA coordination
- Email support
You may pay more if you have:
- High volume (1000+ transactions/month)
- Complex payroll or inventory
- Catch-up or historical cleanup needs
Compare with our outsourced bookkeeping services to see how flat monthly pricing beats hourly billing.
Test Case: Retail Business in Ohio
A family-owned retail store with 3 locations was paying $500/month to a local bookkeeper who never delivered reports on time and didn’t respond during tax season.
After switching to RemoteBooksOnline:
- They received monthly reports by the 10th
- CPA had full access to categorized books
- No more last-minute surprises or tax season panic
They’re now scaling confidently with real-time visibility.
FAQs
How often will my books be updated?
Monthly – typically by the 10th of the following month. Weekly options are available for high-volume businesses.
Will I still need a CPA?
Yes. We provide monthly bookkeeping and CPA-ready reports. Your CPA will use those to file taxes.
What if I miss sending a statement or receipt?
We’ll reach out with reminders and flag any missing info in your monthly reports.
Is monthly bookkeeping right for freelancers?
Yes – especially if you’re making $50K+/year or want clean books for deductions and estimated tax payments.
Can I upgrade to include invoicing or payroll?
Yes – optional add-ons are available if you want to fully offload your back office.
Monthly bookkeeping gives you financial clarity, tax-ready reports, and peace of mind – every single month. RemoteBooksOnline provides accurate, reliable, and affordable bookkeeping services for businesses of all sizes.
Start with a free quote and take control of your books today.
