What to do if your books are behind
Months behind on your bookkeeping? Here's what catch-up and cleanup actually involve, how to think about it calmly, and how to stop it happening again.
Service
Bookkeeping Cleanup & Catch-Up
Behind on your books or unsure they're right? We bring months of backlog current, fix what's wrong, and reconcile every account — then keep you current going forward.
Falling behind on your books rarely means anything went wrong with the business — usually it just means the business got busy, and bookkeeping (the task with no daily deadline) kept losing to the tasks that did. By the time GST/HST or year-end forces the issue, there’s a backlog. It’s one of the most common situations we see, and one of the most fixable.
Cleanup and catch-up are two sides of the same job. Catch-up means recording the months you’ve missed. Cleanup means fixing what’s wrong in the records you already have — duplicates, miscategorised transactions, accounts that were never reconciled. Most files need some of both.
We start by looking at the file so we can size the work honestly — how many months, how many accounts, and what condition things are in. Then we bring it current in an orderly way: record and categorise the backlog, reconcile every account to its statements, fix the errors, sort out GST/HST and payroll for the period, and hand you clean reports you can trust.
Two things we’ll always be straight about: we won’t quote a firm price or turnaround before seeing the file, because the backlog’s size drives the effort — and some issues (missing records, tangled prior-year entries) need a review before anyone can say how they’ll be handled. That’s not evasiveness; it’s honesty.
The goal isn’t just to get current once — it’s to stay current. Once you’re caught up, a simple monthly rhythm keeps the books reliable, so you never face the same scramble again. Most owners find that keeping up is the easy part once someone’s cleared the backlog.
Not sure how far behind you are? Start with the free Bookkeeping Health Check, or read what to do if your books are behind.
Who needs it
Owners whose books are months behind, whose QuickBooks or Xero file has drifted out of sync, or who simply aren't confident the numbers are right — and anyone facing a tax deadline with records that aren't ready.
What Avora handles
- Recording and categorising months of backlogged transactions
- Reconciling bank, credit-card and loan accounts to the statements
- Finding and removing duplicates, and fixing miscategorised transactions
- Sorting out GST/HST and payroll for the catch-up period
- Tidying the chart of accounts and correcting opening balances
- Producing clean, trustworthy reports at the end
What you receive
- Books brought current and reconciled
- A clear record of what was found and fixed
- A file that's ready for your accountant or the CRA
- A simple plan to stay current going forward
Common problems we help with
- Months of uncategorised transactions in the bank feed
- Accounts that have never been properly reconciled
- Duplicate or missing transactions distorting the numbers
- GST/HST or payroll that was never tracked correctly
- A QuickBooks or Xero file you no longer trust
How it works
01
Assess the backlog
How many months, how many accounts, and what condition the file is in — so we can size the work honestly.
02
Gather the records
Statements, loan and payroll documents, and available receipts for the period.
03
Record & reconcile
The backlog recorded and every account reconciled to its statements.
04
Fix the errors
Duplicates removed, miscategorisations corrected, GST/HST and payroll sorted.
05
Hand over clean books
Trustworthy reports and a simple plan to stay current.
Common questions
Can you tell me the price up front?
Not before seeing the file — the backlog's size and condition drive the effort, and a blind quote helps no one. We'll look first, then quote. See what to do if your books are behind.
How far behind is too far?
There's no such thing. Whether you're two months or two years out, it's a bounded, fixable problem once someone sizes it.
What happens after cleanup?
We move you onto a simple monthly rhythm so you stay current and never face the same scramble again.
Not sure if this is what your books need? Take the Health Check →
Related insights
Reading that goes with this
QuickBooks cleanup: how to tell if your file needs help
QuickBooks isn't the problem — how the file is set up and maintained usually is. Here are the signs your QuickBooks Online file needs a cleanup, and what that involves.
Talk to Avora about bookkeeping cleanup & catch-up
Tell us where your books stand and we'll suggest a sensible next step — no pressure, no obligation.