Accounting and Bookkeeping Questions
Need ongoing bookkeeping, a records cleanup or help defining business reports? Bring your current software, outstanding periods and reporting needs to a free 15-minute introductory call. Confirm the tasks, responsibilities and fees before paid work starts.
Define Your Accounting Scope
Use the topics below to describe the work you need. Confirm which tasks are available for your business, the records required, the reporting schedule and what is excluded from the engagement.
- Bookkeeping periods and records
- Financial statement preparation and analysis
- Payroll processing and management
- Accounts payable and receivable
- Cash flow forecasting and management
- QuickBooks and accounting software setup and support
Discuss Your Service Requirements
Basic Bookkeeping
Request a quoteDiscuss transaction volume, outstanding periods and required reports
- Monthly transaction categorization
- Bank reconciliation
- Basic financial statements
Business Accounting
Request a quoteDiscuss payables, receivables and reporting responsibilities
- Confirm bookkeeping tasks included
- Accounts payable/receivable
- Monthly financial review
Financial Advisory
Request a quoteDiscuss cash-flow questions and the reports you need
- Confirm reporting tasks included
- Cash flow forecasting
- Financial planning & strategy
Bookkeeping Services
Describe how transactions are currently recorded, which accounts need reconciliation and whether any reporting periods are incomplete. Agree the bookkeeping tasks and the records needed before work begins.
- Transaction categorization and reconciliation
- Accounts payable and receivable management
- Bank and credit card reconciliations
- General ledger maintenance
- Expense tracking and categorization
Keep source documents alongside bookkeeping entries so income and expense items can be supported when preparing tax returns.
Payroll Services
Before outsourcing payroll, agree who prepares returns, authorizes payments and checks deposits. Using a payroll service provider generally does not relieve the employer of responsibility for federal employment tax returns and payments.
- Regular payroll processing
- Direct deposit management
- Tax withholding and payments
- W-2 and 1099 preparation
- Payroll tax filing
Pro Tip: Keep access to your federal tax-payment history and check that deposits are made. The IRS recommends that employers monitor deposits through EFTPS when a payroll provider pays on their behalf.
Financial Reporting
Agree which reports are needed, the period each report covers and who will review unresolved items. Ask whether the work is management reporting, tax preparation support or a separately defined engagement.
- Balance sheets and income statements
- Cash flow statements
- Budget vs. actual comparisons
- Financial ratio analysis
- Custom reports for specific business needs
Set a review schedule and list the decisions each report should support. Identify who checks missing records, assumptions and unexplained differences.
Comprehensive Bookkeeping and Accounting Services
Keep supporting records for purchases, sales, payroll and other business transactions. The IRS explains that these records support bookkeeping entries and items reported on tax returns. Agree how missing documents and reconciliation differences will be resolved before treating a reporting period as complete.
Discuss the balance sheet, income statement and cash-flow information you need, along with the reporting period and intended users. Confirm the reporting basis and whether any lender or other recipient requires a separate professional engagement.
Clarify who enters supplier bills, approves payments, issues invoices and follows up outstanding balances. If software setup is needed, identify the product and subscription, account connections, access permissions and any migration work before agreeing the scope.
Financial Reporting for Small Businesses
For a budget comparison, bring the approved budget and the records for the same reporting period. Agree which categories, assumptions and explanations should appear in the report.
Before requesting a dashboard, define the measures, data sources and update frequency you need. Ask how incomplete transactions or revised records will be reflected, rather than assuming every figure updates in real time.
For year-end preparation, discuss account reconciliations, missing records and proposed adjustments. Confirm what will be handed to your tax preparer and which questions remain unresolved. If an auditor or lender needs specific work, agree those requirements separately.
Accounting for Cross-Border Businesses
For US–Canada operations, list the entities, accounts, transaction currencies and reporting obligations involved. Agree the treatment of foreign-currency transactions and the reporting basis before requesting consolidated or management reports.
Confirm whether GST/HST recordkeeping and return preparation are included in your engagement. Input tax credits depend on registration, eligible commercial use, supporting records and claim deadlines; special calculation methods and expense restrictions can limit what you claim.
For tax-return preparation involving both countries, review our US–Canada cross-border tax services and confirm which work is separate from bookkeeping.
Related-party transactions need more than a bookkeeping entry. IRS transfer-pricing guidance applies an arm’s-length standard to covered intercompany transactions. Identify the agreements, parties and jurisdictions involved, and confirm any specialist review or documentation work separately.
QuickBooks Setup
Describe your software version, existing records and setup questions before agreeing any configuration or training work.
Discuss software setupFinancial Analysis
Bring the reports and business questions you want to discuss, then define the analysis scope.
Discuss reporting needsExpense Management
Discuss how expenses are documented, categorized and reconciled, and what records are missing.
Discuss expense recordsPrepared by Zenith Financial Advisors. General information; confirm your engagement scope and obtain advice for your circumstances.
Ready to Get Your Finances in Order?
Use the introductory call to explain your records, software and reporting needs. Confirm the tasks, exclusions, responsibilities and fees in a written engagement before paid work begins.