Why Your Bookkeeper is the Real MVP at Tax Time

You know that moment at the end of the year when your tax preparer starts flooding your inbox with questions? They need this document, that statement, and all the details from the past twelve months. And suddenly, you’re scrambling to pull it all together. Because let’s be honest…your tax professional doesn’t want a spreadsheet & box of receipts (neither does your bookkeeper)…but you do need to have a process to store those!

But here’s the good news: when you work with a bookkeeper, all of that? It’s handled (in my best Olivia Pope voice).

What Your Bookkeeper is Doing All Year Long

Throughout the year, I’m asking you questions—lots of them. If I see that you bought an asset, I’m going to ask for the invoice or receipt. Why? Because I’m getting that documentation prepared for you ahead of time. I attach it to the transaction in QuickBooks, upload it to a dedicated Google Drive folder for year-end, and keep everything organized so when tax season rolls around, it’s all at your fingertips.

I also gather all your end of year bank & credit card statements, because your accountant is going to want to see that your bank statement balance matches what’s on your balance sheet. If they don’t, I pull reconciliation reports so they can see exactly why. If you take out loans for new machinery, vehicles, buildings, or rental properties, I’m making sure those are properly recorded, which means I need the settlement statements and bills of sale.

At the end of the year, I’ll ask for a final loan statement showing interest and principal balances so we can reconcile everything. If you want to break this down throughout the year, you can send me monthly statements, and we’ll move the interest monthly—though most clients handle it all at year-end.

All of these details? They’re the same things your CPA or EA is going to ask for when it’s time to file your taxes. The difference? When you work with me, you already have everything ready to go.

We also pull all your payroll reports (if we have access to your system), upload those 1099s we send, and ask you for any 1099s or other documents you receive so we can put the package together for you!

The Key to a Stress-Free Tax Season: Proactive Bookkeeping

Now, I take care of the business side of things. I’m not managing your personal tax documents…so you’ll have a few things to send to your tax preparer outside of these business documents. For your business, though…you get that dreaded email from your CPA, you can respond with, “Yep, got it right here.”

That’s my job. And I take a lot of pride in it.

But let’s be real—this only works if I get the information I need from you. If you’re not sending those documents when I ask, tax time is going to be a headache. I’m more persistent than your tax preparer because I’m asking for things all year long. When I see a big transaction hit your books, I’m going to check in:

• “Hey, I need a document for this.”
• “Hey, I noticed you bought this—can you upload the invoice?”
• “Hey, this expense is over $2,500—we can’t categorize it as a small expense, it has to be an asset.”

If you buy a vehicle, I’ll know because I’ll either see a big one-time payment, a down payment, or a new loan payment hitting your books. And when I do, I’m going to ask for that bill of sale or settlement statement. It’s not just busywork—it’s making sure your records are accurate and tax-ready.

Be Like My Dream Clients

Some of my clients? I’d clone them if I could. They’re proactive. If they don’t upload the documents right away, they’ll at least text me: “Hey, just bought two vehicles today—documents are on the way.” That’s how it should be.

I know a lot about your business just by watching your transactions, but I don’t know the whole story unless you communicate with me. That’s why I ask so many questions. Sometimes I even ask clarifying questions after you answer my first ones. It’s not because I’m trying to be a pain—it’s because I want to get your books right the first time.

Beyond Tax Prep: Helping You Understand Your Numbers

Bookkeeping isn’t just about getting ready for taxes. My goal is to help you actually use your financial data to make better business decisions. If your profit and loss says you made $50,000 last month but your bank account only has $10,000, I want you to understand why. Did you take a big owner’s draw? Pay off loans? Where’s that cash actually going?

And if you want to level up your financial strategy, we can go beyond bookkeeping. We’re using Clockwork.ai for cash flow projections. We can connect your QuickBooks data, input assumptions, and model different scenarios so you can see what’s ahead. Want to know if you’ll have enough cash flow to cover next quarter’s expenses? We can forecast it. Want to see when your business will run out of cash on its current trajectory? We can pinpoint that, too.

If you’re interested in more than just tax prep—if you want to really understand your finances—let’s talk. I’d love to walk you through how it works, and if you want to move forward, I’ll send over a proposal with the details on adding this service to your monthly package.

Tax time is coming. But with the right systems (and the right bookkeeper), you don’t have to stress. Let’s make sure you’re ready. Click this link to start the process of working with us!