Standard QuickBooks cleanup: multi-issue, brought to CPA-ready.
The mid tier of QuickBooks cleanup — for when more than one thing is wrong and the books are several months, up to about a year, behind. A few months unreconciled plus miscategorizations plus a messy chart of accounts; a bank-feed mess plus duplicates plus an off reconciliation; or post-migration cleanup of a year. We reconcile every account, fix the categorization, catch up the backlog, and hand off CPA-ready — typically a $3,000 to under $7,500 fixed fee.
What you can check before you sign
- Fixed fee, written first
- Your own QuickBooks file
- No hourly billing
If your file needs our paid diagnostic first, its fee is credited in full against the cleanup. Either way, you get a fixed fee in writing before any work starts.
A standard QuickBooks cleanup is the mid tier of the cleanup ladder: a fixed-fee project that fixes several related issues at once and/or catches up books that are several months — up to about a year — behind, then brings the file to CPA-ready condition.
It covers reconciling all accounts, fixing miscategorized and duplicate transactions, rationalizing a messy chart of accounts, and bringing the backlog current. It sits between the focused tier ($1,200 to under $3,000, one contained issue) and the complex tier ($7,500–$15,000+, multi-year, structural, or multi-entity), and is typically a $3,000 to under $7,500 fixed fee.
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What a standard cleanup covers.
The standard tier addresses these together — a cluster of related issues, ranked by how often they drive a standard-tier engagement.
Covers 01 · Several months unreconciled across accounts
The core of a standard cleanup. Several months — up to roughly a year — where bank, credit-card, and loan accounts haven’t been reconciled, so the balances in QuickBooks no longer match real statements. We reconcile every account month by month until each ties to the statement.
Covers 02 · Miscategorized and uncategorized transactions
Months of transactions posted to the wrong accounts, dumped in Uncategorized, or split inconsistently — the kind of mess that throws off the P&L and the balance sheet. We re-categorize against a clean structure so reports actually mean something.
Covers 03 · A messy or bloated chart of accounts
Duplicate accounts, vague catch-all categories, and accounts created on the fly that never should have existed. We rationalize the chart of accounts to a clean, CPA-friendly structure and re-map the history to it.
Covers 04 · Duplicate and missing transactions
Entries downloaded twice, manually keyed and then re-imported, or dropped entirely after a bank-feed mess. We remove genuine duplicates carefully — without deleting real transactions — and recover the gaps so the register reflects reality.
Covers 05 · A bank-feed mess that broke the books
A common standard-tier trigger: a feed that disconnected or doubled up, leaving duplicates, miscategorized downloads, and a reconciliation that won’t tie. We fix the downstream damage in the books, not just the connection.
Also covers · Post-migration cleanup of about a year
After a move between QuickBooks versions or platforms, a year of history can land with balances off, categories scrambled, or reconciliations broken. Cleaning up roughly a year of post-migration damage sits squarely in the standard tier.
How a standard cleanup runs.
Seven steps, in order — from a free file review to a CPA-ready handoff, with a written fixed fee agreed before any work starts.
- 1
Free file review
We look at your QuickBooks file first — how many months and accounts are behind, how tangled the categorization and chart of accounts are, and whether you’re truly in the standard tier and not focused or complex. No charge, and no work begins until you’ve seen the scope.
- 2
Written fixed-fee scope
You get a written scope with a fixed fee — typically $3,000 to under $7,500 for a standard cleanup — spelling out exactly what we’ll fix, the accounts and months covered, and what CPA-ready means for your file. No hourly meter, no surprises.
- 3
Reconcile all accounts
We reconcile every bank, credit-card, and loan account, month by month, until each balance ties to the actual statement. Reconciliation is the foundation — nothing downstream is trustworthy until the accounts tie.
- 4
Fix categorization and the chart of accounts
We rationalize the chart of accounts to a clean structure, then re-categorize the history against it — clearing Uncategorized, correcting misposted entries, and removing duplicates — so the P&L and balance sheet finally read true.
- 5
Catch up the months behind
We bring the several months — up to about a year — of backlog current: entering, matching, and reconciling everything missing so the books are complete through the present period, not just patched.
- 6
CPA-ready handoff
We hand off clean, reconciled files with a summary of what was fixed and any open items — ready for your CPA or tax preparer to work from.
- 7
Optional monthly upkeep
If you’d rather the books never drift behind again, we can continue with monthly bookkeeping on a separate engagement. Optional — the cleanup stands on its own, and there’s no obligation to continue.
Three signs you’re in the standard tier.
Several months behind — up to about a year
The books stopped being kept current some months ago, and you’re looking at most of a year of catch-up — but not multiple years. That window is the heart of the standard tier; multi-year backlog pushes you into complex.
More than one thing is wrong
It’s not a single contained issue — it’s a cluster: unreconciled months and miscategorizations and a messy chart of accounts, or a bank-feed mess plus duplicates plus an off reconciliation. Multiple related problems together is what makes it standard rather than focused.
It’s not multi-year or structural
The file itself is sound — one entity, no corruption, no restructuring needed. If you had years of backlog, multiple entities, or a broken file, you’d be in the complex tier instead. A free file review confirms which side of the line you’re on.
A QuickBooks ProAdvisor reconciles, fixes, and hands off CPA-ready.
A standard cleanup is methodical work, not guesswork. A QuickBooks ProAdvisor holding the Intuit QuickBooks Certification Level 2 reconciles every account to its statements, rationalizes the chart of accounts and re-categorizes the history against it, removes duplicates without deleting real transactions, recovers the gaps, and brings the backlog current — all against a written fixed-fee scope, with a summary of what was fixed at handoff. The file goes to your CPA or tax preparer CPA-ready; they file the return.
What people ask about a standard cleanup.
What counts as a standard cleanup?
Multiple related issues and/or several months — up to about a year — behind: for example, a few months unreconciled plus miscategorizations plus a messy chart of accounts, a bank-feed mess plus duplicates plus an off reconciliation, or post-migration cleanup of roughly a year. It’s more than a single fix but not a multi-year or structural rebuild.
How much does a standard cleanup cost?
Typically $3,000 to under $7,500 as a fixed fee, scoped in writing after a free file review. The exact number depends on how many accounts and months are involved and how tangled the categorization and chart of accounts are — you see it before any work begins, with no hourly meter. To talk through your file first, speak with an advisor at (877) 751-5575.
How is standard different from focused or complex cleanup?
Focused ($1,200 to under $3,000) is one contained issue. Standard ($3,000 to under $7,500) is several related issues and/or several months to about a year behind. Complex ($7,500–$15,000+) is multi-year backlog, a corrupted or restructured file, or multiple entities. A free file review confirms which tier fits your file.
How long does a standard cleanup take?
It varies with how many accounts and months are involved, but a standard multi-issue cleanup is typically a matter of weeks, not months. The written scope you receive after the file review includes the timeline along with the fixed fee, so you know what to expect before work starts.
Do you file my taxes after the cleanup?
No. We bring the books to CPA-ready condition — clean, reconciled, and documented — and hand them off to your CPA or tax preparer, who files the return. We’re a bookkeeping and advisory firm that does the cleanup; we don’t file taxes.
What does “CPA-ready” mean?
It means every account is reconciled to its statements, the categorization and chart of accounts are clean, duplicates and gaps are resolved, and the file comes with a summary of what was fixed and any open items — so your CPA can prepare the return from accurate books without redoing the bookkeeping.
Do I have to sign up for monthly bookkeeping?
No. The cleanup is a standalone fixed-fee project and stands on its own. If you’d like the books kept current afterward, monthly bookkeeping is available on a separate engagement — but it’s entirely optional, with no obligation to continue.
Start with a free file review — then a written fixed-fee scope.
Tell us what’s wrong with the books. We’ll tell you whether cleanup, catch-up or monthly bookkeeping fits.
Or send the details instead