Bookkeeping Support for CPA Firms and Their Clients
Helping CPAs Spend More Time on Tax, Planning, and Advisory Work
CPA firms provide some of the most important financial guidance a business owner receives.
But when a client's bookkeeping is incomplete, months behind, or poorly organized, valuable time can be spent fixing the books before tax preparation or advisory work can even begin.
Bank accounts may not be reconciled. Transactions may be sitting in the wrong categories. Financial reports may be incomplete. Sometimes, several months of bookkeeping still need to be entered.
For CPA firms that would rather focus their time on tax preparation, tax planning, and advisory services, working with a dedicated bookkeeping provider can help fill that gap.
At ReedBooksPlus, we provide QuickBooks Online bookkeeping support for small businesses and can work alongside CPAs to help keep their clients' financial records organized throughout the year.
When Bookkeeping Becomes a Bottleneck
A CPA can only work with the financial information available.
When a client's books are current and organized, reviewing their financial position and preparing for tax season can be much more straightforward.
When the books aren't ready, the process can look very different.
Instead of beginning with tax preparation or higher-value advisory work, time may first need to be spent identifying missing transactions, reviewing unclear expenses, reconciling accounts, and asking the client for additional information.
That's work that could have been addressed before the file reached the CPA.
Not Every CPA Firm Wants to Handle Monthly Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping and accounting are closely connected, but that doesn't mean every CPA firm wants to provide ongoing bookkeeping services.
Some firms deliberately concentrate on tax compliance, planning, consulting, and advisory work.
Others simply don't have the capacity to take on additional monthly bookkeeping clients—especially during busy season.
That doesn't mean those clients have to be turned away entirely.
A bookkeeping partner can handle the ongoing financial recordkeeping while the CPA continues providing the tax and advisory services the client needs.
Ongoing Bookkeeping Support for Your Clients
Rather than waiting until year-end to discover that a client's books need attention, ongoing bookkeeping can help keep their financial records current throughout the year.
ReedBooksPlus works with small businesses using QuickBooks Online and can provide support with regular bookkeeping, bank and credit card reconciliations, financial reporting, and transaction organization.
When it's time for the CPA to step in, the goal is simple:
Provide cleaner, better-organized books to work with.
Catch-Up and Cleanup Bookkeeping
Not every client needs ongoing support immediately.
Sometimes the problem is that their bookkeeping is already behind.
A business owner may have several months of transactions waiting to be categorized. Accounts may not have been reconciled recently. Their QuickBooks file may contain inconsistencies that need to be reviewed.
Catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping can help bring those records back into order before they create an even larger year-end project.
This can be especially useful when a CPA receives a new client whose books aren't yet ready for tax preparation.
A Better Experience for the Client
Many small business owners know they need bookkeeping, but they don't necessarily want to do it themselves.
They may also be unsure whom to trust with their financial records.
When their CPA can point them toward bookkeeping support, the client has a clearer path forward.
They can get help maintaining their books while continuing to rely on their CPA for tax preparation, planning, and professional advice.
The result can be a smoother working relationship for everyone involved.
Bookkeeping Support Without Competing With Your CPA Services
The purpose of the relationship is not to replace the CPA.
It's to support the work the CPA is already doing.
ReedBooksPlus focuses on bookkeeping and QuickBooks Online support, helping businesses maintain the financial records their CPA needs.
The CPA can remain focused on the services where their expertise provides the greatest value.
Better Books Before Tax Season
Tax season becomes considerably more difficult when bookkeeping problems have been building for an entire year.
By keeping records organized throughout the year—or addressing catch-up work before tax deadlines approach—business owners can provide their CPA with better information from the beginning.
That can mean fewer bookkeeping questions, less back-and-forth with the client, and more time available for the work the CPA actually wants to perform.
Have a Client Who Needs Bookkeeping Help?
If you're a CPA with clients who need ongoing bookkeeping, QuickBooks cleanup, catch-up bookkeeping, or help getting their financial records organized before tax season, we'd be happy to support them.
ReedBooksPlus can handle the bookkeeping while you continue focusing on tax preparation, planning, and advisory services.
Let's Connect
If you'd like to discuss how ReedBooksPlus could support your firm and your clients, schedule a convenient time with us:
Schedule a meeting:
https://calendly.com/martyreed1020/new-meeting
Learn more about ReedBooksPlus:
Final Thoughts
A strong CPA-client relationship works better when everyone has accurate financial information to work with.
Bookkeepers and CPAs don't have to compete for the same role.
A bookkeeper can help maintain the records. The CPA can focus on tax, planning, and advisory work. And the business owner gets the support they need throughout the year.
Better books for the client. Better information for the CPA. More time for the work that matters.