Year-End Bookkeeping Cumming, GA

Year-end bookkeeping is more than reconciling December. It is closing out the entire calendar year so the books match reality and the tax return can be built on top of them. That includes final bank, credit card, and loan reconciliations through December 31; depreciation entries for fixed assets purchased during the year; owner draw and contribution true-ups; accrued payroll, accrued expenses, and any other adjusting entries that move the books from cash to accrual or vice versa as needed.

For Cumming small businesses with inventory, year-end also means a physical count and an inventory adjustment to match. For service businesses with prepaid expenses (annual software subscriptions, prepaid insurance), it means amortizing those across the year so the P&L does not show a giant January expense that distorted the rest of the months.

By the time we are done, the trial balance is closed, the equity section ties out, and the year is locked. Anyone reading the financials, you, your CPA, your lender, an investor, sees the same numbers. There is one version of truth.

The best time to start year-end bookkeeping is November or early December. By then we can spot any cleanup issues, finish them in December, close the year cleanly in January, and get your CPA the package by mid-February when their workload is still manageable. Most CPAs in Cumming and the broader Atlanta north metro are slammed by mid-March. Earlier delivery means more attention on your return and a lower chance of going on extension.

Wait until February or March to start year-end and you are competing for everyone else's attention. CPAs raise their rates, bookkeepers triage what they can take on, and the deadline pressure adds errors that would not happen on a normal timeline. Going on extension is fine for some businesses (and required for some entities), but it should be a strategic choice, not the result of starting late.

Year-end bookkeeping is the handoff point between your books and your tax return. We coordinate directly with your CPA or EA so the package they receive matches their preferred format. Some preparers want a single PDF binder; some want QuickBooks accountant access; some want both. Some have a specific Excel template they ask every client to fill out. We handle whichever request comes back.

For monthly bookkeeping clients, year-end coordination is included in the monthly fee. There is no extra charge for the package, the CPA handoff call, or the follow-up questions during the actual return preparation.

For one-time year-end engagements, coordination is part of the fixed scope. After we deliver the package, we are still available for CPA questions through the filing deadline at no extra cost.

For monthly bookkeeping clients, the year-end close is included. Most monthly clients see no separate charge in December or January.

For one-time year-end engagements, pricing depends on how far the books are from ready. A clean DIY file that just needs a professional close runs $1,500 to $3,500. A file that needs significant cleanup before year-end can be done is quoted as bookkeeping catch up plus year-end as a single project, typically $3,500 to $9,000 depending on volume and complexity.