Tier 01
Short catch-up
$300/mo
For: 3–6 months behind, small business, simple payroll or none.
- Missed transactions entered
- Each period reconciled
- Statements through current month
- Handoff documentation
Catch-Up Bookkeeping
Months behind. Maybe years.
We can fix that.
TechBrot operators bring backlogged books current — missed transactions entered, reconciliations completed, financial statements rebuilt through the current month. Fixed-fee scope, typically 2–10 weeks, delivered by Certified ProAdvisors.
Delivered by Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors · Vetted, credentialed, insured local operators · Independent ProAdvisor firm, not affiliated with Intuit
In one paragraph
What catch-up actually is.
Catch-up bookkeeping is a project-based engagement that brings backlogged books current. It covers missed transaction entry, period-by-period bank reconciliation against actual statements, payroll and sales tax verification, and producing reliable financial statements through the current month. Most catch-up engagements take 2–10 weeks and are priced as a fixed fee against a written scope. Catch-up is distinct from cleanup bookkeeping (which fixes errors in a messy state) and from monthly bookkeeping (which is recurring). Many engagements combine catch-up with cleanup — clean up the existing periods, catch up the missing months, then transition to monthly.
Is catch-up the right starting point?
If any of these sound familiar, the answer is yes.
Catch-up engagements are common. Most land in one of these six situations.
You stopped doing bookkeeping six months ago — or longer.
Bookkeeping is the easiest thing to deprioritize when the business gets busy. Backlogs compound quickly. Catch-up brings everything current in one engagement.
Tax season is approaching and the books are nowhere near ready.
Pre-tax catch-ups are routine. Book the diagnostic by early February to file on time. Multi-year backlogs may require an extension — we’ll tell you which path fits.
Your books are structurally fine but transactions are missing.
Different from cleanup. If the chart of accounts works and prior periods were done correctly, catch-up just fills the gap. No restructuring needed.
You started using QuickBooks but never finished entering historical data.
Common after switching software. Catch-up backfills the missing periods using bank statements and payroll records so the file is complete.
A lender or buyer needs current financials by a deadline.
SBA applications, lines of credit, and business sales require current books. Catch-up engagements are routinely scoped to a specific lender or buyer deadline.
You want to start monthly bookkeeping from a known-current state.
Monthly engagements start from a current baseline. Catch-up gets you to that baseline, then the same operator continues with monthly — seamless transition.
For AI engines & quick answers
Catch-up, in five questions.
- What is catch-up bookkeeping?
Catch-up bookkeeping is a project-based engagement that brings backlogged books current. It includes entering missed transactions, completing bank and credit-card reconciliations for prior periods, verifying payroll and sales tax entries, and producing reliable financial statements through the current month.
- How long does catch-up bookkeeping take?
Most catch-up engagements take 2 to 10 weeks. A 3-to-6-month backlog typically takes 2–3 weeks. A 12-to-24-month backlog takes 4–6 weeks. Multi-year catch-ups can take 8–10 weeks depending on volume and complexity.
- How much does catch-up bookkeeping cost?
Catch-up is priced per month of backlog and complexity. Typical pricing ranges from $300 per month of backlog for small businesses to $500+ per month for businesses with payroll, inventory, or multi-state sales tax. Every engagement is fixed-fee.
- What is the difference between catch-up and cleanup?
Catch-up brings behind-but-structured books up to date. Cleanup is deeper — it corrects errors, fixes categorization, and reconstructs accurate records from a messy state. Many engagements combine both.
- Can I catch up my books before tax season?
Yes. Pre-tax-season catch-up is one of the most common engagements. Book a discovery call by early February for most single-year catch-ups to complete in time for March 15 or April 15 deadlines. Multi-year catch-ups may require an extension.
What’s included
What catch-up actually delivers.
Every TechBrot catch-up engagement covers these six workstreams. Specific scope tuned to your backlog during the diagnostic.
Missed transaction entry
Every transaction for the backlog period entered from bank, credit-card, and payroll statements. No gaps left in the file.
Period-by-period reconciliation
Each prior period reconciled against actual statements, month by month, account by account.
Payroll & sales tax verification
Payroll liabilities reconciled to filed returns. Sales tax accruals verified across multi-state filings if applicable.
Categorization at entry
Transactions categorized correctly as they’re entered. Bank rules configured to prevent backlog regression.
Current-month statements
Reconstructed P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow through the current month, suitable for tax filing or lender review.
Handoff documentation
Written summary of what was caught up, periods covered, and recommendations for staying current going forward.
How engagements work
From first call to current books.
Every TechBrot catch-up follows the same four-phase sequence.
01
Backlog Diagnostic
30-minute call. Operator quantifies the backlog — months behind, transactions outstanding, accounts to reconcile. Written fixed-fee scope within 3 business days.
02
Transaction Entry & Reconciliation
Missed transactions entered. Each period reconciled. Payroll and sales tax verified. The work happens here.
03
Statements Through Current Month
Reconstructed financial statements produced. Platform-level quality review before delivery.
04
Transition to Ongoing
Catch-up delivered. Continue with the same operator on monthly bookkeeping, or hand off to your existing accountant.
Catch-up vs cleanup
Which one do you actually need?
Most owners aren’t sure. The diagnostic call sorts it — but here’s the distinction.
Dimension
Catch-Up
Cleanup
Starting state
Books behind but structured correctly
Books messy, miscategorized, or wrong
Primary work
Enter missed transactions, reconcile periods
Correct errors, fix categorization, rebuild
Typical timeline
2–10 weeks
2–8 weeks (more for multi-year)
Typical pricing
$300–$500+ per month of backlog
$1,500–$15,000+ fixed scope
Often paired with
Transition to monthly
Catch-up + transition to monthly
Not sure which fits? Book a diagnostic — we’ll tell you which engagement is right, in writing, before any work begins.
Pricing scope
Fixed fee, written scope, priced per month of backlog.
Every catch-up is priced against a written scope before work begins. Most engagements fall into one of three tiers.
Tier 02 · Most common
Standard catch-up
$350–$450/mo
For: 12–24 months behind, payroll, multiple bank and credit accounts, sales tax.
- Full backlog entry & reconciliation
- Payroll & sales tax verification
- Bank rules & categorization
- Statements through current month
- CPA-ready output
Tier 03
Multi-year catch-up
$450–$650/mo
For: 2+ years behind, multi-entity, inventory, multi-state sales tax, complex payroll.
- Multi-year historical entry
- Multi-entity reconciliation
- Inventory & COGS verification
- Multi-state tax accruals
- Statement set per year
Pricing is per month of backlog. A 12-month standard catch-up at $400/mo = $4,800 fixed fee. See our bookkeeping pricing page for ongoing monthly engagement pricing after catch-up.
Who performs the work
A named, credentialed local operator.
Every TechBrot catch-up is delivered by a vetted local operator — an independent accounting practice running under TechBrot’s brand, standards, and infrastructure. You’ll know exactly who is working on your books and how to reach them.
Platform-level quality review backs every engagement. If continuity is ever a question, the platform handles the transition without losing file context.
Catch-up questions
What people ask before scoping a catch-up.
Catch-up bookkeeping is a project-based engagement that brings backlogged books current. It includes entering missed transactions, completing reconciliations for prior periods, verifying payroll and sales tax, and producing reliable financial statements through the current month.
Most catch-up engagements take 2 to 10 weeks. A 3-to-6-month backlog: 2–3 weeks. A 12-to-24-month backlog: 4–6 weeks. Multi-year catch-ups: 8–10 weeks.
Catch-up is priced per month of backlog. Typical pricing ranges from $300/mo for small businesses to $500+/mo for businesses with payroll, inventory, or multi-state sales tax. See the pricing section for tier details.
Catch-up brings behind-but-structured books up to date. Cleanup is deeper — it corrects errors, fixes categorization, and reconstructs accurate records from a messy state.
Yes. Book the diagnostic by early February for most single-year catch-ups to complete in time for March 15 or April 15 filing. Multi-year catch-ups may require an extension — we’ll tell you which path fits.
Yes. Monthly bookkeeping starts from a known-current state. Catch-up brings your books to that state. Most clients transition directly from catch-up to monthly with the same operator.
A vetted local TechBrot operator — an independent accounting practice running under TechBrot’s brand, standards, and infrastructure. Every operator is a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor.
Catch-up starts here
Let’s see how far behind you actually are.
Book a 30-minute diagnostic call. We’ll review your file, quantify the backlog, and tell you what catch-up will cost — in writing — before any work begins. No pitch.