Catch-up accounting

When bookkeeping falls behind, the real cost is not only compliance risk—it’s the loss of visibility over cash, profitability, VAT/tax exposure and obligations. Catch-up Accounting is a controlled clean-up project that restores trust in the numbers.

We rebuild missing periods, reconcile banks and balance sheet accounts, correct classification and cut-off errors, and deliver a clean handover pack so you can move forward with reliable reporting.

This is ideal before year-end, audits, tax submissions, financing discussions, or when switching providers and you need clean opening balances.

What’s included

✔️ Scope definition by period and risk accounts (months/quarters/entities)

✔️ Backlog reconstruction: capture and classify historical transactions for missing periods

✔️ Bank and payment platform reconciliations (matching inflows/outflows and identifying unknown items)

✔️ Balance sheet clean-up: reconcile key accounts (AR/AP, taxes, payroll, loans, accruals, prepayments)

✔️ Error correction: mispostings, duplicates, missing documents, and inconsistent VAT/tax logic where applicable

✔️ Cut-off and periodization support: ensure revenue/expenses land in the correct period

✔️ Supporting schedules that explain movements and ending balances (auditor-friendly)

✔️ Tax-ready and audit-ready package: structured documentation with traceability to source data

✔️ Optional: management snapshot after clean-up (cash position, profitability overview, key risks)

What we need from you

✔️ Access to your accounting system (or exports) and chart of accounts

✔️ Bank statements/bank feeds and payment platform reports

✔️ Sales invoices and revenue source reports (e-commerce, subscriptions, marketplaces, etc.)

✔️ Supplier invoices and contracts for recurring costs

✔️ Payroll summaries and benefits/deductions details (if applicable)

✔️ Any prior reports or filings (VAT returns, annual statements, prior accountant exports)

✔️ A point of contact for rapid clarifications and approvals

How it works

1. Scope & deadlines: confirm periods to catch up, reporting needs, and hard deadlines (tax/audit).

2. Data intake: collect bank/platform data, invoices, payroll exports; set document structure.

3. Gap analysis: identify missing data, inconsistencies, and highest-risk accounts.

4. Rebuild & reconcile: post transactions, reconcile banks, then reconcile balance sheet accounts.

5. Corrections & controls: fix classification, apply cut-offs, validate VAT/tax logic where relevant.

6. Reporting pack: deliver clean trial balance, reconciliations, schedules and evidence trail.

7. Handover: document the state of the books and next steps for ongoing accounting.

Typical timeline

Typical catch-up project: 1–4 weeks depending on periods, transaction volume and data readiness.

If data is well-organized and access is granted quickly: timelines shorten significantly.

If multiple tools are involved (banks, platforms, invoicing tools): allow extra time for consolidation.

Common pitfalls we prevent

✔️ Posting backlog without reconciliations—balance sheet errors remain hidden

✔️ Unmatched bank items that later become tax/audit issues

✔️ Cash confusion caused by missing cut-offs and incorrect periodization

✔️ Inconsistent VAT/tax treatment across periods due to rushed posting

✔️ Clean-up that looks finished but cannot be traced back to source documents

✔️ Switching providers without clean opening balances, creating long-term reporting errors

FAQs

Find answers to common questions!

How far back can you catch up?

As far as needed. We scope by periods and complexity and execute in a controlled way.

Can you do this if our bookkeeping is in multiple tools?

Yes. We consolidate data from banks, payment platforms, invoicing tools and accounting exports.

What happens after catch-up is done?

We can transition into ongoing bookkeeping, monthly reporting and year-end preparation with clean opening balances...

Will this make us audit-ready?