Bookkeeping Services

Bookkeeping: Why It Matters

Accurate, up‐to‐date bookkeeping is the foundation for every financial decision. When you know exactly where your money is coming from and where it’s going, you gain clarity, reduce costly errors, and free up time to focus on growth. At Larkspur CPA, we believe that organized books not only keep you compliant with regulations but also empower you to spot trends, manage cash flow, and proactively plan for taxes. In short, strong bookkeeping transforms raw data into actionable insight - so you can spend less time crunching numbers and more time building your business.

Our Bookkeeping Process

1. Consultation and Onboarding

We begin by learning about your business model, transaction flow, and unique reporting needs.

During this discovery phase, we gather existing financial records, online credentials (banks, credit cards, payroll), and any prior QuickBooks (or other software) files. This information is then used to determine the scope of the engagement, your business needs, and overall next steps.

2. Books Review and Cleanup

If you’ve been maintaining records in-house, we perform a thorough review of your previous financials - as well as reconcile prior-period bank statements, and flag any missing or misclassified transactions.

We correct historical errors so your books start each month on a solid, reconciled footing.

3. Chart of Accounts Alignment

Your chart of accounts is the foundation of your entire financial system - and we treat it that way. We tailor your chart of accounts directly to your industry standards, tax‐reporting requirements, and the exact insights you need to run your business.

By aligning your chart of accounts with your needs - and standardizing account names and subaccounts - we ensure consistency and clarity for your financials.

4. Consistent Bookkeeping and Financial Oversight

We connect your bank and credit card accounts directly to the accounting software of your choice, monitoring your cash flow. We categorize each transaction according to your chart of accounts and perform month‐end reconciliations - banking, credit cards, and payroll - to guarantee accuracy.

Our continuous bookkeeping delivers real‐time financial visibility so you can forecast cash needs, catch discrepancies early, and make timely decisions.

5. Annual Financials and Tax Prep Readiness

At the fiscal year-end, we produce your financial statements - Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, and any other reports you request - ready for tax filings or lender review.

By having clean year‐end books, you eliminate last-minute scrambling for documents and reduce the risk of late or inaccurate tax filings, audits, and missed strategic insights.

Pricing & Scope

Monthly Bookkeeping

Starting at $350/month

Our #1 recommended service. Monthly bookkeeping services ensure your financials are always up to date, accessible, and accurate. We walk through each step of our accounting process with you - consultation and onboarding, books cleanup and review, chart of accounts alignment, consistent bookkeeping and oversight, and annual financial review - and are on-call for any questions, requests, or needs that arise during the year.

Key Features:

  • Transaction Management. Transactions are recorded, monitored, and categorized in accordance with the Chart of Accounts.

  • Monthly Reconciliations. The accounting software is reconciled against the bank, validating that the final account values are properly matched.

  • Financial Reporting. The Profit and Loss Statement and Balance Sheet are generated and provided to the client on a monthly or quarterly basis.

  • Year-End Preparation. Annual financial records are completed timely and associated documentation is provided to the tax preparer upon year end.

Pricing is adjusted based on the number of accounts your business has (i.e., Savings, Checking, Credit Cards), transaction volume, basis of accounting, and complexity.

Annual Bookkeeping

Starting at $2,200

Our annual bookkeeping service delivers a complete, year-end financial reset - perfect for businesses that need a clean start or have fallen behind on their records. We conduct a thorough review of all twelve months in your fiscal year, clean up and correct any discrepancies, and prepare accurate year-end financial statements. With this service, you’ll enter the new year with fully reconciled books, clear insights, and all documentation ready for tax preparation.

Key Features:

  • Full Year Cleanup & Review. Your data is reviewed for completeness an accuracy, ensuring that every transaction made throughout the year is appropriately correctly classified for your business.

  • Year-End Financial Statement Preparation. Based on the validated data, your transactions are categorized, banks reconciled, and Financials Generated in time for tax season.

Pricing is adjusted based on the number of accounts your business has (i.e., Savings, Checking, Credit Cards), transaction volume, basis of accounting, and complexity.

All bookkeeping services include the following features:

New Client Consultation

Initial Analysis of Financials

Chart of Accounts Design

Bank Account Connections

Credit Card Connections

3rd Party App Integrations

Transaction Categorization

Bank Reconciliations

Payroll Reconciliations

Income Statement Review

Balance Sheet Appraisal

….And more!

Want to know what is best for your business? Book a free 30-minute consultation here:

FAQs

  • Absolutely - if you have the time to invest in learning how to be an accountant, this is without a doubt a task you can take on. However, we have found that generally business owners have enough on their plate without also learning how to be a bookkeeper. Without a proper understanding of correct accounting methods and procedures, managing your own books comes with risks that can create bigger headaches down the road, such as:

    • Misclassifying Transactions

    • Lagging Reconciliations

    • Late or Inaccurate Tax Filings

    • Poor Cash‐Flow Forecasting

    • Missed Strategic Insights

    • IRS Audits

    A dedicated bookkeeper ensures accuracy, consistency, and proactive advice so you can make decisions with confidence.

  • We primarily work in QuickBooks Online—it’s robust, constantly updated, and integrates seamlessly with most modern payment processors, payroll platforms, and invoicing tools. If you’re using Zoho Books, Stessa, or another cloud-based solution, we can adapt to your platform by exporting data and integrating workflows. If you’d like recommendations on software that fits your business model, we’re happy to help you choose and implement the right solution.

  • Certainly. We understand that small businesses experience ebbs and flows. You can:

    • Upgrade from Annual Cleanup to Monthly Bookkeeping at any time—just let us know before your next billing cycle.

    • Downgrade from Monthly Bookkeeping to Annual Cleanup if you need to reduce recurring costs; we’ll negotiate a pro-rated fee based on your transaction volume and the extent of catch-up work required.

    • Pause services for a short period (e.g., if you’re temporarily shutting down operations); we’ll put your account on hold and resume once you’re ready.

  • While we don’t directly process payroll checks for you, we:

    • Record payroll expenses, including gross wages, employer taxes, and associated liabilities.

    • Reconcile payroll vendor reports (e.g., Gusto, ADP, Paychex) to ensure your books match the amounts remitted.

    • Provide information on various payroll options and services that we would recommend.