What records does my bookkeeper need from me each month?
The records fall into a few categories: banking access, expense documentation, income records, and anything unusual that happened during the month.
Start with bank and credit card access. If your bookkeeper connects directly to your accounts through QuickBooks or similar software, transactions flow in automatically. If not, you need to provide monthly statements for every business bank account and credit card. This is the foundation of everything your bookkeeper does when providing full-service bookkeeping.
Receipts matter more than most business owners realize. Any expense over $75 needs a receipt for IRS documentation purposes, and your bookkeeper needs them to categorize transactions accurately. A $500 charge at a supply store could be materials, equipment, or office supplies. Without the receipt your bookkeeper is guessing, and guesses lead to inaccurate books.
Provide copies of all invoices you sent to customers during the month. Your bookkeeper needs these to record revenue correctly and track accounts receivable. If you use invoicing software, make sure your bookkeeper has access to it rather than sending screenshots or PDFs after the fact.
Share any bills you received from vendors, especially unpaid ones. This keeps accounts payable accurate and helps with cash flow planning. Utility bills, rent, insurance, supplier invoices, and any recurring subscriptions should all be included.
If you run payroll, your bookkeeper needs payroll reports or access to your payroll system. Wages, taxes, and deductions all need to be recorded correctly. If you paid any contractors during the month, share those details too since that information feeds into 1099 preparation at year end.
Loan statements and any new financing documents should go to your bookkeeper as well. Loan payments split between principal and interest, and recording them wrong throws off both your balance sheet and your profit and loss statement.
Don’t forget cash transactions. If your business handles cash, keep a log of what came in and what went out. Cash is the hardest thing to track and the easiest thing to lose sight of. Even a simple notebook works as long as you are consistent about it.
Finally, flag anything out of the ordinary. Did you buy a vehicle? Sign a new lease? Receive a refund from a vendor? Get a notice from a government agency? These one-off items affect your books and your bookkeeper cannot account for what they don’t know about.
The easiest way to handle all of this is to set up a shared folder where you drop documents throughout the month. Google Drive or Dropbox both work fine. Waiting until month-end to gather everything usually means things get missed. Building a habit of uploading receipts and documents as they come in makes the whole process smoother and your books more accurate. If you are looking for outsourced bookkeeping in Jacksonville, having this system in place before you start will save time on both sides from day one.
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More Questions
How long does it take to catch up on a year of messy books?
Most businesses can get a full year cleaned up in two to four weeks. The actual timeline depends on transaction volume, the number of accounts involved, and how much documentation you can provide upfront.
Read answerWhen should I write off an unpaid invoice as bad debt?
Write off an invoice when you've made reasonable collection efforts and determined the customer won't pay. Most businesses treat invoices as uncollectible somewhere between 120 and 180 days past due.
Read answerHow much does outsourced bookkeeping cost for a small business?
Most small businesses pay between $200 and $800 per month for outsourced bookkeeping. The actual cost depends on transaction volume, number of accounts, and how complex your industry's accounting needs are.
Read answerShould I let QuickBooks automatically categorize my transactions?
You can use it as a starting point, but never accept the suggestions blindly. QuickBooks guesses based on limited information and gets it wrong often enough to create real problems in your books.
Read answerCan a virtual bookkeeper handle payroll for my company?
Yes. Payroll is entirely cloud-based now, so a virtual bookkeeper can handle it just as effectively as someone sitting in your office. Everything from setup to tax filings happens through online platforms.
Read answerCan a bookkeeper fix books that were done wrong by someone else?
Yes. A qualified bookkeeper can review what went wrong, correct the errors, and bring your books back to an accurate state. This is one of the most common reasons business owners seek professional bookkeeping help.
Read answer