Catch Up Bookkeeping Services: Get Tax-Ready Before Year-End
No matter how far behind you are.
Behind on bookkeeping? Months of unreconciled accounts, a bookkeeper who quit, or an online service that fell behind? Luminara LLC cleans up and catches up your books, so you walk into tax season with clean numbers, every deduction you’re owed, and no surprises. Serving the San Francisco Bay Area and clients nationwide.
Book your free consultation by November 15 to be caught up before December 31.
Year-end tax deadlines are closer than they look
- Dec 31, 2026Last day for equipment purchases, retirement and payroll moves to count for 2026
- Jan 15, 2027Q4 estimated tax payment due
- Feb 1, 20271099-NEC and W-2 forms due (new $2,000 1099 threshold)
- Mar 15, 2027S corporation and partnership returns due
- Apr 15, 2027Individual and C corporation returns due
None of these work without accurate books. The sooner we start, the more planning options you keep.
Where catch-up clients usually start
“I’m months behind.”
Receipts in a shoebox, bank feeds that stopped syncing, and a pile of uncategorized transactions in QuickBooks.
“My bookkeeper quit.”
Accounts left unreconciled mid-year, and you’re not sure what was done or what’s still missing.
“My online service fell behind.”
Rotating bookkeepers, slow replies and miscategorized expenses. Switching feels risky right before tax time.
“I tried to DIY it.”
Spreadsheets, app rules, maybe some ChatGPT answers, and now you don’t trust the numbers.
From messy to tax-ready
Bookkeeping cleanup services, done right the first time
Our catch up bookkeeping services bring every account current and correct, not just “close enough for the tax return.”
Catch-up bookkeeping
- Every bank and credit card account reconciled, month by month
- Transactions categorized correctly
- Missing receipts and documents requested in one simple list
QuickBooks cleanup services
- Duplicates, uncategorized and “Ask My Accountant” items fixed
- Chart of accounts simplified
- Bank rules and feeds repaired so it stays clean
- Xero cleanup too
Year-end close
- Profit & loss, balance sheet and cash flow statement
- Owner draws, loans and personal expenses separated
- Clean package for your CPA or tax preparer
Year-End Tax Readiness
Year-end tax planning for small business owners. 2026 brought some of the biggest small-business tax changes in years. They only help you if your books are current before December 31. With the Tax Readiness add-on, we review:
- Equipment timing: whether a purchase before Dec 31 makes sense under Section 179 and 100% bonus depreciation
- The 20% QBI deduction (now permanent) for pass-through owners
- Retirement and HSA contributions sized to your actual 2026 profit
- 1099 prep under the new $2,000 threshold, with W-9s collected early
- Your Q4 estimated payment, so you don’t overpay or get hit with penalties
We coordinate with your CPA or tax preparer, or can refer you to one.
How our catch up bookkeeping services work
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Step 01
Free consultation
A 20-minute call and read-only access to your accounts. We see how far behind you are.
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Step 02
Clear estimate
You get an estimate based on how far behind you are and a target finish date. If the scope changes, we check with you first.
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Step 03
We catch you up
Your named bookkeeper reconciles, categorizes and cleans up, and sends you one list of questions instead of fifty emails.
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Step 04
Tax-ready books
You get year-end financial statements and a clean file for your tax preparer, plus the option to stay current monthly.
Year-end bookkeeping checklist
Doing it yourself? Use this year-end bookkeeping checklist. If you can’t tick every box, that’s what we’re here for.
- All bank and credit card accounts reconciled through Dec 31
- No uncategorized transactions left
- Receipts saved for expenses over $75
- Personal and business expenses separated
- Loan balances match lender statements
- Unpaid invoices reviewed and bad debts written off
- Fixed asset purchases recorded
- Payroll totals match W-2s and payroll tax filings
- W-9 on file for every contractor paid $2,000+
- Profit & loss and balance sheet reviewed for anything odd
Stay organized, stay successful
Old or messy records don’t have to hold you back. Luminara LLC brings order to outdated books, so your records are accurate, organized and ready for decisions. From categorizing transactions to final reconciliations, we turn your books into a foundation you can trust. We help you:
- Understand your financial story with accurate, categorized books
- Get compliant fast, whether you’re preparing for taxes, applying for a loan, or onboarding a new accountant
- Save hours by handing the bookkeeping backlog to professionals who know what to do
Why small businesses choose Luminara LLC
A real person, every time
One named bookkeeper who knows your business, not a different person every month.
AI-powered, human-checked
We use automation to work faster, and a person reviews every number before it reaches you.
Upfront estimates
You see an estimate before we start, and we ask before doing any extra work.
Built for small teams
Startups, small businesses and freelancers. We speak plain English.
Catch-up bookkeeping FAQ
What is catch up bookkeeping?
Catch-up bookkeeping means bringing your books current when you’ve fallen behind: reconciling every account, categorizing every transaction and producing accurate financial statements for the months or years you missed.
How much does catch up bookkeeping cost?
It depends on how many months you’re behind, how many accounts you have and your transaction volume. We give you an estimate after a free consultation.
How long does catch-up bookkeeping take?
It depends on how far behind you are and how quickly we get access and documents. You get a target finish date with your estimate. Longer gaps take more time, which is why starting before year-end matters.
I’m more than a year behind on bookkeeping. Can you still help?
Yes. We regularly catch up a year or more of books, including prior years you still need to file, and we’ll put together a plan for any late filings. The IRS generally expects you to keep records that support your returns for at least three years, and longer in some cases (IRS: How long should I keep records?).
Do you offer QuickBooks cleanup services?
Yes. We clean up QuickBooks Online and Xero files: duplicates, uncategorized transactions, broken bank feeds and messy charts of accounts.
Will my books be ready for my tax preparer?
Yes. You’ll get year-end financial statements and a clean file your CPA or tax preparer can use right away. We can also coordinate with them directly.
Get caught up before December 31
Start with a free 20-minute consultation. You’ll know how far behind you are and what it should take to fix.
- Phone
- 510-306-4016
- inquiries@luminarallc.com
- Hours
- Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm PT
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area · Serving clients nationwide
- How many months need catching up
- Which accounts and software you use
- What your tax preparer needs, and by when
- An estimate and a target finish date