Catch-up bookkeeping is what happens when a business has fallen behind on its books and needs to get current. It's a distinct service from ongoing bookkeeping because the work is retrospective rather than real-time.
What it involves
A catch-up engagement typically covers: downloading and reconciling bank and credit card statements for all past periods, categorizing every transaction, producing monthly profit and loss statements, and preparing a balance sheet as of the catch-up end date. The deliverable is a complete, CPA-ready set of financial records for the period covered.
How long it takes
Most catch-up projects take two to four weeks once the bookkeeper has access to all statements. The timeline depends on how many months need to be covered and how many accounts are involved.
How it's priced
Catch-up bookkeeping is most transparently priced on a per-month-of-backlog basis. Ketchup Bookkeeping charges $300 per month of backlog — a flat, fixed number you know before the work begins.
No judgment
The most common reason business owners delay catch-up bookkeeping is embarrassment. Bookkeepers who specialize in catch-up work have seen every variety of neglected records. It's fixable. It's always fixable.
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