5 Year-End Tasks Your Remote Bookkeeper Can Handle
As the holidays roll in and things get a little more hectic, many small businesses find themselves juggling celebrations and last-minute deadlines. December always seems to move faster than expected, especially when year-end details start piling up. This is one of those times when working with a remote bookkeeper can really make life easier.
Rather than letting your to-do list grow out of control, you can hand off important tasks and stay focused on what matters. A remote bookkeeper keeps things steady, even when schedules shift or office hours get shortened. With a little help, those final weeks of the year don’t have to be stressful. Everything still gets done, and you start the new year in a better place.
Double-Check All Income and Expenses
Before the calendar turns, it helps to make sure everything from the past year is in order. That means giving income and expenses one last check. If anything looks off or if something got missed, now’s the time to catch it.
• Review all invoices and payments collected to confirm that totals match
• Scan expense records for any missing items, even the small stuff like monthly software charges
• Check for any cash purchases or travel costs that need to be logged
Getting eyes on everything now helps avoid confusion later, especially when tax prep starts. Catching small mistakes can save time and effort when you're up against January deadlines. These little cleanups go a long way in helping your records stay solid.
Totally Booked helps businesses using QuickBooks Online to maintain accurate records with ongoing bookkeeping and monthly reconciliation, so every transaction is easy to review before year-end.
Reconcile Bank and Credit Card Accounts
It sounds simple, but comparing what’s in your books with what’s in your bank and credit card statements takes time. This step matters because it clears out any errors, like duplicate payments or transactions that went unlogged. When left undone, these mismatches start to snowball.
• Match account balances in your bookkeeping software to actual bank statements
• Flag any odd charges or repeat entries that don’t belong
• Clean up gaps or mismatched totals before the books are closed for the year
This is one of those tasks that sits quietly in the background but makes a big difference. A remote bookkeeper can take the back-and-forth off your plate so you’re not stuck cross-referencing numbers at the end of the month. And when everything lines up, you head into tax time with the right numbers in place.
We help clients in NY, USA catch up on reconciliations in QuickBooks Online and resolve errors that could affect next year’s tax filings.
Prepare Payroll and Contractor Records
End-of-year payroll checks and contractor payments aren’t just about getting people paid. These records need to be right because they help create W-2s and 1099s for tax filing. That means reviewing everything one more time before the cutoff.
• Look over total wages, bonuses, and withholding so nothing gets missed
• Make sure contractor details are fully updated and ready to report
• Note any adjustments that haven’t been caught yet, like voided checks or missed payments
Fixing payroll issues too late can create delays down the line. With support from a remote bookkeeper, these checks can be built into your year-end process, and you can skip the scramble in January.
Totally Booked offers payroll report review and vendor management, ensuring payments and tax information are accurate for both employees and independent contractors.
Organize Receipts and Supporting Documents
If your receipts and bills feel scattered by December, you’re not alone. It’s easy to let things pile up as the year flies by. But having clean notes to back up your income and expenses helps everything feel more in control, and it keeps you ready in case anything needs to be reviewed.
• Gather receipts, bills, and digital copies into one secure folder or account
• Match these documents to the right transactions so your totals make sense
• Fill in any missed uploads or hard-to-read slips from earlier in the year
A remote bookkeeper can help tie loose ends together, sort files, and make sure nothing is missing. With everything lined up, audits feel less scary and tax prep moves faster.
We help our small business clients build easy digital filing systems so all documents are ready when needed for taxes or review.
Create a Basic Year-End Report
As things wind down, it helps to take one last look at how your business did this year. A simple report with your income, expenses, and account balances gives you a clean summary of where things stand. It also helps you notice anything unusual that needs another glance.
• List total income and expenses to get a clear picture of profits
• Highlight key account balances, including savings and business credit cards
• Check for any gaps or unexpected dips that might need to be looked into
This kind of report doesn’t have to be fancy. Just getting the basics together helps you go into tax time with fewer questions. Your remote bookkeeper can generate these reports and give you a solid place to start planning ahead.
Start the New Year with a Clean Slate
Handling these tasks in December gives your business a real chance to start January fresh. You won’t be buried in last-minute cleanups or searching for old paperwork. Everything will already be sorted, checked, and ready to go.
When we have extra support from a remote bookkeeper, year-end doesn’t feel like a scramble. It becomes part of the usual rhythm, and that makes a big difference as we head into a busy season. You can start the new year focused on your plans instead of catching up on the past.
Year-end tasks can quickly become overwhelming, but we’re here to lighten the load. Partnering with a remote bookkeeper helps keep your records accurate and organized, so you can stay focused on what matters most, growing your business. At Totally Booked, we make sure your financial information is ready when you need it. Connect with us today and let’s get your books in order for the new year.