ARTHUR S. LAZARUS, CPA – Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood, FL
Bookkeeping Cleanup & Catch-Up Services That Get Your Books Current Again
Are customer payments sitting in the wrong account? Maybe vendor balances just don't add up anymore. If you're not sure where to even start looking, you're not the only business owner in that spot; messy books are usually what's left behind once a bookkeeper leaves. Whether you're six months behind or years overdue, falling behind creates friction for your business. Arthur S. Lazarus, CPA provides bookkeeping cleanup services in Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood, and gets your records reconciled. We're a licensed CPA firm, not a bookkeeping-only service.
Tell us about your Accounting needs.
Schedule a 15-minute call with a CPA.
Is This Bookkeeping Cleanup or Catch-Up Bookkeeping?
While often used interchangeably, bookkeeping cleanup and catch-up bookkeeping address two distinct aspects of overdue financial records:
Bookkeeping cleanup (records cleanup) applies when records are current but contain errors, such as miscategorized expenses, accounts that do not reconcile, duplicate entries, mixed personal funds, or an improper chart of accounts. Catch-up bookkeeping (back bookkeeping services) applies when records are simply unkept, requiring months or years of unrecorded transactions, bank statements, and vendor receipts to be logged from scratch.
Most backlogged businesses require both; logging missing historical data while correcting structural accounting mistakes. The goal is making sure your general ledger accurately reflects actual operations so the numbers can be trusted for taxes, loans, or strategic decisions.
DO YOU NEED IT?
Importance of Bookkeeping Cleanup and Catch-Up
Keeping your books up-to-date ensures accurate financial records and simplifies tax preparation. Cleaning up old transactions can prevent the overpayment of bills, invoices, and expenses. Finally catching up on bookkeeping will provide your CPA with accurate information for your tax document, & prevent costly IRS penalties, thus saving you time, money, and providing you with a better overview of your finances.
HOW IT WORKS
What's Included in Our Bookkeeping Cleanup Services
We clean up messy books and catch up overdue bookkeeping records.
Bank reconciliation across every account and every missed month, matched against actual statements
Chart of accounts cleanup, so transactions are categorized consistently instead of scattered across accounts that don't reflect how your business runs
Clearing backlogged transactions that were never entered or categorized
Correcting prior-year adjustments where something was recorded incorrectly in a period that's already closed
Sorting out disorganized records, such as duplicate entries, uncategorized expenses, and balances that don't match what the bank actually shows
Making the file look clean isn't really the point. What matters is whether QuickBooks, or whatever system you're using, actually reflects what happened in your business, because that's what the numbers need to hold up for taxes, financing, or an honest conversation about how things are going. This kind of work is sometimes called back bookkeeping services, especially when it involves reconstructing an entire prior year.
WHAT TO KNOW
How Much Do Bookkeeping Cleanup Services Cost
The cost of catch-up bookkeeping primarily comes down to two factors: how far behind your books are, and how many accounts need to be reconciled. A few months of backlogged transactions is a very different job than a year or more of untouched records, and pricing follows that difference.Depending on the scope, smaller backlogs can often be resolved in one to two weeks, while larger reconstructions covering a full year or more might take longer.
Exact cost still depends on your transaction volume, account count, and location, it typically falls into roughly the same three tiers. If you're one to three months behind and just need help reconciling recent activity and closing out the year, that's usually a smaller, more manageable project.
Somewhere between four and twelve months behind, with misclassified expenses or a disrupted bank feed thrown in, the work usually runs longer, more involved. Past a year, or when there's more than one year's worth of backlog to rebuild, a full reconstruction represents the most extensive tier, and is priced according to what's actually involved.
STEP-BY-STEP CATCH-UP
How the Process Works
Whether your books are behind, wrong, or both, getting them fully current follows the same clear, repeatable bookkeeping cleanup and catch-up process.
Records Review
We start by reviewing your QuickBooks file and bank statements to see whether the problem is backlogged transactions, existing errors, or a mix of both, before quoting anything.
Historical Data Gathering
If your books are behind, you send bank statements, merchant reports, and prior tax filings for every unrecorded period so we can bring that backlog current.
Chart of Accounts Cleanup
If your books are current but wrong, we sort miscategorized and duplicated transactions through a full chart of accounts cleanup so every entry actually makes sense.
Bank Reconciliation
Every account, caught up or not, gets matched against actual bank and credit card statements, month by month, until the file reflects what really happened.
Prior-Year Adjustments
Where something was recorded incorrectly in a period that's already closed, we make the necessary prior-year adjustments so your restored ledger holds up under review later.
CPA Review & Handoff
A licensed CPA reviews the finished file and delivers financial reports ready for tax filing, then sets up a plan to keep your books both current and accurate.
EXPERIENCE YOU CAN VERIFY
Who Prepares Your Books
Your account cleanup is led directly by an experienced accounting professional inside a licensed Florida practice.
Arthur S. Lazarus, CPA
Founder & Managing Partner — Licensed in Florida (AC61458) and Maryland (13054)
Arthur Lazarus is a CPA licensed in Florida and Maryland, with a Master's in Taxation, and a member of the FICPA, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.
Unlike third-party bookkeeping vendors or automated software services, Arthur S. Lazarus, CPA handles your records cleanup with a direct view into how your general ledger impacts your tax liability. We don't just categorize transactions; we ensure your restored books hold up to IRS scrutiny, audit standards, and lender requirements.
Find out more about Arthur: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthurlazaruscpa/
WHO THIS IS FOR
Serving Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood,FL & Broward County
We work with small and mid-sized business owners across Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood, and the rest of Broward County who need their books restored, not just tidied up. That includes businesses with months or years of incomplete bookkeeping, unreconciled bank and credit card accounts, or transactions that are duplicated, missing, or filed under the wrong category. It also covers books where personal and business spending has blended together, where accounts receivable or payable no longer reflects reality, or where the P&L or balance sheet just doesn't add up anymore.
We're available virtually too, so distance is never a reason to wait. Wherever your books stand, we sort it out locally.
BOOKKEEPING CLEANUP
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between bookkeeping cleanup and catch-up bookkeeping?
Cleanup fixes books that exist but have errors, miscategorized transactions, broken reconciliations, or a confusing chart of accounts. Catch-up brings books current when they haven't been kept up at all for a stretch of time. Many businesses need both at once.
How long does a cleanup take?
It depends on the scope. A few months of backlogged transactions can often be resolved in one to two weeks, while a full year or more of disorganized records takes longer.
Can I still file taxes if my books aren't caught up?
Yes, technically. But here's the catch: a return built on bad numbers is a return that's more likely to be wrong. Missing transactions, miscategorized expenses, records that don't match your bank statements: all of that can quietly turn into an IRS notice, a penalty, or an amended return you have to file later. Get your books current first, even just before your CPA locks in the return. Real numbers beat a guess every time.
Do you work with QuickBooks specifically?
Yes. As a QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor and Xero Partner, we work inside QuickBooks, Xero, or whatever system your business already uses.
Get Started Today
Get a Cleanup Quote
Tell us how far behind your records are and which accounting software you use. We'll evaluate your file and provide a clear quote to get you back on track.
Contact Us
Get in Touch
Office Info
Phone
Address
5184 SOUTHWEST 32ND AVENUE
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA 33312
Hours
Mon–Fri 8am – 6pm
Sat 9am – 2pm
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