The books stopped at a prior month
Bank activity continued, but bookkeeping entries and reconciliations did not keep pace.
Catch-Up Bookkeeping
Catch-up bookkeeping for months or years of missing work.
A finite reconstruction project for business periods that were never fully entered, categorized, reconciled, or completed in QuickBooks from the records that remain available.
ClearPath diagnostic note
Primary distinction
The primary problem is absent work—transactions, reconciliations, or entire periods are missing.
If most transactions are already present but wrong, duplicated, or structurally unreliable, QuickBooks Cleanup may be the better primary service.Problem recognition
This service may fit when…
The Books Assessment separates visible symptoms from the underlying work. It is possible for one file to require more than one service category.
Multiple periods were never completed
Years or quarters contain partial work, inconsistent coverage, or no usable bookkeeping record.
Source records exist in different places
Statements, sales data, loans, payroll summaries, and expense records must be organized into a period-by-period reconstruction.
A usable backlog handoff is needed
The business needs defined period coverage, reconciliation status, assumptions, and missing-records visibility before the books move forward.
Scope, in plain language
Catch-up work reconstructs missing periods from available evidence.
ClearPath establishes the period to be covered, inventories available sources, and reconstructs missing activity in a controlled sequence. Accounts are reconciled where the records support it, while gaps and assumptions remain visible.
No service can responsibly recreate evidence that does not exist. When a material record is missing, ClearPath identifies the gap, considers appropriate alternative evidence, and explains the effect on scope or completion.
Usually aligned
- Months, quarters, or years of activity are absent or partial
- Source statements and business records remain available
- The desired outcome is a finite backlog handoff
- The client can respond to record and classification questions
Not this service
- Inventing transactions where no evidence exists
- Tax return preparation or amended filing
- Assurance that incomplete records are complete
- Automatic ongoing monthly bookkeeping after the backlog
Evidence and access
What the assessment considers.
Catch-up projects depend on source coverage. The assessment maps what exists, where it lives, and which gaps could prevent a supported reconstruction.
How records are handledAssessment inputs
- Coverage dates and the last reliably completed period
- Bank and credit-card statements for the requested period
- Sales, deposit, expense, loan, and processor records as applicable
- Payroll summaries and prior filings as reference where relevant
- Existing QuickBooks file and available prior reports
- Information about account openings, closures, ownership changes, and major events
Only the records relevant to the agreed scope should be transferred. Do not send credentials or financial documents through the public form or ordinary email.
A controlled project method
From evidence review to documented handoff.
Map the backlog
Define the period, accounts, available sources, known gaps, dependencies, and intended handoff.
Build period by period
Organize and enter supported activity in a sequence that preserves coverage and reduces compounding errors.
Reconcile and investigate
Reconcile covered accounts where evidence permits and track questions, missing records, and assumptions.
Close the backlog
Document completed periods, reconciliation status, exceptions, and what the next bookkeeper or professional needs to know.
Project outputs
A usable handoff, with unresolved items visible.
01
Updated QuickBooks coverage for the periods included in scope
02
Reconciliation status for the accounts and periods supported by evidence
03
Missing-record and open-question list
04
Assumptions log and finite backlog handoff package
Reconciliation and limitations
Incomplete evidence is handled openly—not hidden behind a plug.
ClearPath records missing-source questions and uses alternative evidence only when it is appropriate and understood. Material gaps can change the scope, limit reconciliation, or remain disclosed in the final handoff.
Explicit boundaries
- No invented records or unsupported assurance
- No tax return preparation or amended filing
- No promise that every period can be completed from partial evidence
- No ongoing bookkeeping unless separately defined and contracted
Pricing and timing
A planning range first. A fixed quote after assessment.
Backlog length alone does not determine effort. Source completeness, transaction volume, account count, and reconciliation complexity can make similar date ranges very different projects.
Provisional planning estimate
Starting at$1,500
Typical range$1,750–$3,500 for 7–12 months
These amounts are planning guidance—not a quote or promise of final price. ClearPath provides a written fixed fee after reviewing the Books Assessment and confirming the included periods, accounts, records, and deliverables.
What the starting point assumes
- One legal entity
- Up to 6 missing or partial months
- Up to 3 bank, credit-card, loan, or processor accounts
- Up to about 150 transactions per month
- Source statements and business records are substantially available
More periods, transactions, financial accounts, entities, payroll activity, missing records, or structural complexity may move the project above the typical range. Any change is discussed and approved before out-of-scope work begins.
Combined rescue projects: A full-year project involving cleanup, catch-up bookkeeping, and payroll reconstruction generally starts around $3,000 and typically falls between $3,000 and $5,500.
What shapes the fixed quote
01
Number of missing or partial periods
02
Accounts, entities, and transaction volume
03
Completeness and organization of source records
04
Sales, payroll, loan, and payment-system complexity
05
Reconciliation history and opening-balance condition
06
Client response time, deadline, and handoff needs
Record handling starts after fit and scope are discussed.
List record types in the public form; do not upload or email the records themselves until an approved transfer process is confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
What to know before the assessment.
How far behind can the books be?
The assessment can consider multi-period and multi-year backlogs, but acceptance depends on evidence availability, complexity, current capacity, and the proposed scope. No period is automatically accepted.
What if some statements or records are missing?
ClearPath identifies the gap and may consider other appropriate evidence. If a material item cannot be supported, the limitation is documented and may prevent full reconciliation or change the project scope.
Is catch-up the same as cleanup?
No. Catch-up work reconstructs missing activity. Cleanup corrects work that already exists but is unreliable. A file can require both, and one assessment can identify the right sequence.
Will ClearPath prepare tax returns after the backlog?
No tax-preparation service is promised here. The project can produce bookkeeping handoff information for a separate tax professional, subject to the documented limitations of the records.
What happens after the backlog is completed?
The handoff identifies covered periods, reconciliations, unresolved items, and assumptions. Ongoing bookkeeping is not included unless a separate service and agreement are explicitly established.
A defined first step