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Free Bookkeeping Tool

Bookkeeping Self-Check

Twelve questions about how your business keeps its records. Your answers are sorted into areas that look current, need attention or are behind, with a practical next step for each. Five optional questions about tax filings follow. Your answers stay in this browser tab.

0 of 12 answered

  1. 1. Business accountsDo business income and expenses run through accounts used only for the business?
  2. 2. ReconciliationWhen were your bank and credit-card accounts last reconciled to their statements?
  3. 3. CategorizationHow current is the categorization of transactions in your books?
  4. 4. Unresolved balancesIs there a balance in an uncategorized, suspense or 'ask my accountant' account?
  5. 5. Receipts and invoicesIf you picked a business expense at random, could you find its receipt, invoice or statement?
  6. 6. RevenueDoes the revenue in your books match your deposits and your payment-processor or platform reports?
  7. 7. ContractorsIf you pay contractors, is the applicable tax form on file for each one: Form W-9 for a U.S. person, or the appropriate Form W-8 or Form 8233 for a foreign person?
  8. 8. PayrollIf you run payroll, do the payroll provider's reports agree with the payroll accounts in your books?
  9. 9. Sales taxIf you collect sales tax, is it recorded separately from sales in your books?
  10. 10. Loans and equipmentDo loan balances and major equipment or vehicle purchases in your books match the lender statements and purchase documents?
  11. 11. Owner moneyAre the owner's contributions and withdrawals recorded separately from business income and expenses?
  12. 12. Where the books are keptWhere are your books kept today?

Optional: five tax-filing questions

Answer the ones that apply. They don't change the bookkeeping result; they add next steps when filings, agency letters, sales in other states or payroll taxes need a look.

  1. A. Ownership changesHas the business added, bought out or lost an owner in the last three years?
  2. B. Business returnsHas the business filed its federal and New Jersey returns for every year it has operated?
  3. C. Agency lettersDoes the business have an IRS or New Jersey letter that is still open?
  4. D. Sales in other statesDoes the business sell to customers in other states, directly or through a marketplace?
  5. E. Payroll taxesIf you run payroll, are all payroll tax deposits and returns current?

Answer all 12 questions to see your results.

Bookkeeping Cleanup Prep Kit

I use this checklist to help you gather records before we discuss a cleanup. It is a checklist, not a review of the records.

Nothing you choose is stored, sent or uploaded. Reloading the page clears the list. Keep any printed copy in a safe place.

Which periods are behind?

Choose a first and last month, or leave both blank if you are unsure.

Use numbered accounts here, not names or account numbers. If you have more accounts than the choices show, print another list for the rest.

Which payment processors were used?
Which of these apply?

Records to gather

Choose the accounts and records that apply to make your list.

Statement coverage

Mark each monthly statement as available, requested or missing. The list shows what you marked; it does not check the statements.

Choose a bank, card or loan account to list its monthly statements.

Ask about a cleanup · Bookkeeping cleanup · When the bookkeeper leaves

QuickBooks Online export guides for a cleanup

Export your QuickBooks Online general ledger and reconciliation reports

I use these reports to understand the entries in your books and the reconciliations already completed. Before exporting, confirm the company and requested cleanup dates.

Intuit's plan list includes both reports in Simple Start, Essentials, Plus and Advanced, but not in QuickBooks Solopreneur, Free or Lite.

General ledger

  1. Open Reports, then Standard reports.
  2. Search for General Ledger and open it.
  3. Set the report dates to the requested cleanup period. Confirm the accounting method and any filters. Select Run report or Refresh report if your view shows either.
  4. Select Export/Print, then Export to Excel.
  5. Save the file with the company, report name, dates and accounting method in its filename.

If the report or a control is unavailable, tell me which QuickBooks plan you use and what you see. Do not substitute another company's report.

Sources: Intuit's General Ledger instructions, updated August 3, 2026; run reports, updated August 5, 2026; customize reports, updated September 15, 2026; export reports, updated August 4, 2026; reports by plan, updated August 10, 2026. Read October 26, 2026.

Reconciliation reports

  1. Open Reports, then Standard reports.
  2. Search for Reconciliation Report and select Reconciliation Reports.
  3. Choose the account and reconciliation period.
  4. Select View Report.
  5. Use the report's Print icon. If your print dialog offers Save as PDF, save the report with its account and period.

Repeat for each requested bank or credit-card account and completed reconciliation period.

QuickBooks Online does not directly export this report to Excel. If a spreadsheet is requested, Intuit describes copying the report into Excel. Check that every row and column came across.

A reconciliation report records the reconciliation when it was completed. Later edits can change current account reports without updating that saved reconciliation report.

Source: Intuit's view, print or export a reconciliation report, updated August 5, 2026; read October 26, 2026. The PDF destination is supplied by the device's print dialog, not a promised QuickBooks control.

Before sharing

Open each export and check its company, account, dates and accounting method. If an Excel file looks incomplete, select Enable Editing in Excel first. If a reconciliation is missing, say so; do not reconcile or adjust entries just to produce a report.

After an engagement is accepted, use the document-sharing instructions I provide. Do not upload financial records through the contact form or send passwords.

Export your QuickBooks Online profit and loss and balance sheet for a cleanup

Both reports must show the same company, cleanup period and accounting method. Confirm those details before exporting.

Intuit's plan list includes Profit and Loss in every plan, and Balance Sheet in every plan except QuickBooks Solopreneur.

Profit and loss

  1. Open Reports, then Standard reports.
  2. Find and open Profit and Loss.
  3. Set the report period to the cleanup's start and end dates.
  4. Check the accounting method on the report itself (Cash or Accrual). Use the basis requested for the cleanup; do not change your company's default settings just to export. Select Run report or Refresh report if your view shows either.
  5. Review the resulting report. Select Export/Print, then Export to Excel, and save it.

The profit and loss covers activity during a period. For example, a January-through-September cleanup needs that date range, not a year-to-date range.

Sources: Intuit's run reports, updated August 5, 2026; customize reports, updated September 15, 2026; cash or accrual on a report, updated August 5, 2026; export reports, updated August 4, 2026. Read October 26, 2026.

Balance sheet

  1. Open Reports, then Standard reports.
  2. Select Balance Sheet.
  3. Set the report's ending date to the cleanup cutoff and confirm the accounting method.
  4. Select Run report or Refresh report if your view shows either.
  5. Select Export/Print, then Export to Excel, and save it.

The balance sheet shows balances as of a date. It carries prior balances forward; it does not show only transactions during the cleanup period.

If I also request an opening balance sheet, export a separate report as of the day before the cleanup starts.

Sources: Intuit's Balance Sheet instructions, updated August 5, 2026; export reports, updated August 4, 2026; reports by plan, updated August 10, 2026. Read October 26, 2026.

Check both files

Keep the company name, report name, dates and accounting method visible. Use filenames that distinguish the two reports.

For a PDF copy, Intuit's general report instructions use Export/Print → Print/Save as PDF. Intuit has moved standard reports to its Modern View, which places some controls differently.

If a report is empty or a control differs, tell me what you see. If an Excel file looks incomplete, select Enable Editing in Excel first. Do not delete entries or change your accounting method to make totals match.

After an engagement is accepted, share the files through the document-sharing method I provide. The contact form is not for financial records.

Source: Intuit's run reports instructions, updated August 5, 2026, and move to Modern View, updated August 5, 2026; read October 26, 2026.

What this self-check is, and what it is not

The self-check sorts your own answers about twelve areas of a small business's records. It does not look at your books, and a result is not a finding about your records, your taxes or what any work would cost. Nothing you select is stored or sent.

The twelve areas are:

  • Business accounts
  • Reconciliation
  • Categorization
  • Unresolved balances
  • Receipts and invoices
  • Revenue
  • Contractors
  • Payroll
  • Sales tax
  • Loans and equipment
  • Owner money
  • Where the books are kept

Five optional questions then ask about ownership changes, business returns, agency letters, sales in other states and payroll taxes. They add next steps but don't change the bookkeeping result.

If your answers point to catch-up work, the bookkeeping cleanup page describes how a written cleanup scope is set. For records that are current, the bookkeeping page describes monthly work. Either way, the contact form is where to describe your situation; any work begins only after a written scope is accepted.

Bookkeeping guides

Bookkeeping

Catch-Up Bookkeeping vs. Cleanup Bookkeeping: What's the Difference?

A practical distinction between recording missing activity and reviewing activity that was already recorded.

Read Guide

Small Business

Separating Business and Personal Finances in NJ

Separate business and personal records can support bookkeeping and tax substantiation. Entity, bank, contract, and governance requirements differ, and counsel should address any legal significance of commingling.

Read Guide

Bookkeeping

Seven Bookkeeping Problems to Fix Before Tax Time

Seven bookkeeping risk patterns, from mixed transactions to skipped reconciliations.

Read Guide

Tax Planning

NJ Estimated Tax Payments 2026: Due Dates, Calculations, and Penalty Rules

A self-employed NJ taxpayer may have federal and New Jersey estimated-payment obligations when the respective required-annual-payment, expected-balance, withholding, credit, safe-harbor, annualization, installment, and exception rules apply. This guide covers selected 2026 dates and worked mechanics; the complete return determines any required installment or underpayment addition.

Read Guide

Small Business

Accountable Plans for S-Corps: How to Deduct Home Office and Business Expenses

Educational overview of accountable-plan substantiation and reimbursement rules for S-Corps. Eligibility and return effects depend on the arrangement's actual operation, expenses, substantiation, return of excess and reimbursements.

Read Guide

Entity Structure

Owner Draws vs. Distributions vs. Payroll: How to Pay Yourself in NJ

Federal and New Jersey overview of owner draws, entity distributions, partnership payments, and W-2 wages; actual treatment depends on tax classification, owner capacity, services, and payment facts.

Read Guide

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Tax advice disclaimer: This material is for general educational information only and is not legal, tax, or accounting advice for your specific facts. A CPA-client relationship is formed only through a signed engagement letter.