What to Prepare Before Hiring a Remote Bookkeeper
You don’t need perfect books before hiring a bookkeeper. You need a clear picture of what’s behind, the records you already have, and what you want help with.
If you’re a US business owner preparing to work with a remote bookkeeper, start with five things: a short business overview, a list of accounts, available statements, known problems, and a plan for secure access. That gives the conversation a useful starting point without asking you to clean up everything yourself.
Start with the problem you want solved
“Help with QuickBooks” can mean several different jobs. Are transactions missing? Do you need monthly reports? Are you trying to hand records to your tax professional? Write down the main outcome and any deadline before the first call.
Be specific where you can: “Our checking account hasn’t been reconciled since March, and we need to understand what’s missing” is more useful than “The books are a mess.” If you don’t know the last reliable month, say so. Identifying that starting point can be part of the assessment.
Make a simple account and software list
List the systems through which money moves, including accounts you no longer use. A closed credit card may still contain transactions from the period being reviewed.
- Business bank accounts, credit cards and loans.
- Payment processors, online stores and sales platforms.
- Accounting software and who controls the subscription.
- Payroll software and the person responsible for payroll.
- Any separate entities, properties or locations needing separate reporting.
Use account nicknames and the last four digits where identification is needed. You don’t need to send full account numbers or sensitive records through an initial inquiry form.
Gather what you have—and list what you don’t
Prepare statements for the relevant periods, existing financial reports, and supporting invoices or receipts. The IRS explains that supporting documents substantiate entries in your books and on your tax return. A transaction description alone may not explain its business purpose.
Keep a short missing-records list rather than delaying the call. For example: “April credit-card statement unavailable; two equipment invoices still being requested.” Also flag personal spending through business accounts, owner contributions, loans and transfers that may need explanation.
Don’t delete old entries, create balancing adjustments or start a second accounting file just to make the records look cleaner before review. Those changes can make it harder to understand what happened.
Set up access without handing over your identity
Agree on the access needed for the work, then use named accounts and the software’s supported invitation process. QuickBooks Online provides an accountant invitation feature; review the role and access before sending it. Keep ownership and primary administrative control with your business.
As a practical control, avoid sharing your own password or one-time codes. Where bank access is necessary, discuss bank-supported read-only access or statement sharing. Authority to prepare records should be separated from authority to release payments unless a different arrangement is expressly agreed.
Agree on the first month before work starts
A useful onboarding plan says who provides documents, who answers questions, what the bookkeeper will deliver and what happens if information is missing. Confirm the overlap in working hours, the communication channel and a realistic response routine.
- Starting point: which accounts and periods will be reviewed?
- Deliverables: what reports and supporting schedules are included?
- Responsibilities: who approves unusual entries and answers questions?
- Timing: when is the first review, and what could delay it?
- Scope: is historical cleanup separate from ongoing monthly work?
Questions owners often ask
Should I organize every receipt first?
No. Gather what is available and explain how it is currently stored. Agree on a workable document routine as part of onboarding.
Can we begin if the previous bookkeeper has not handed everything over?
An initial review may still be possible. Identify missing access, reports and records, and agree on what can proceed without them. Avoid treating incomplete opening information as settled.
Do I need cleanup or monthly bookkeeping?
You may need one or both. Historical corrections and current-month work should have clear boundaries so the same work is neither omitted nor charged twice.
Bring the rough picture. We’ll discuss the next step.
Tell BA your software, approximate backlog, number of accounts and target deadline. We’ll discuss whether a separately scoped cleanup, monthly support or an initial records review fits your situation.
Explore our Cleanup & Catch-Up Services or Monthly Bookkeeping Services.
Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Ana Lee. Any bookkeeping work has a separately agreed scope and fee.
Book a discovery callGeneral bookkeeping information for US businesses. It does not replace advice from your US tax professional about your circumstances.
