Falling behind on the books is one of the most common situations in small business — and one of the most fixable. Catch-up (or clean-up) bookkeeping is the one-time project that rebuilds your ledger from the evidence: bank statements, invoices, receipts. Here's how it works.
Two models exist. Hourly rebuilds are open-ended — you find out the price when it's done. Flat quotes scope the backlog first (how many months, how many accounts, roughly how many documents) and commit to a number in writing. We do the latter: a one-time flat fee alongside your monthly plan, quoted at the free consultation. Timelines run days to a few weeks per year of backlog, driven mostly by volume and how quickly missing statements can be pulled.
Backlogs happen because data entry is a chore that loses to every other priority. The fix is structural, not motivational: make the intake fill itself (an app snap, a forwarded email, a feed), and make the entry someone else's job — at SortKai, Kai posts whatever arrives daily, so the backlog never re-forms.
Kai records your documents daily in QuickBooks, Xero or another platform — yours, or one we manage for you — and a person signs every monthly close. Flat monthly pricing, quoted in writing.
As far as your filings require. Most jurisdictions expect supporting records for roughly the last 3–7 years, so the gap since your last reliable, reconciled month is the usual scope. Your accountant can confirm the exact retention rule for your country.
Bank and card statements covering the whole gap are the backbone — they're the evidence the rebuild reconciles against. Add whatever invoices, receipts, payroll summaries and prior filings you have; missing documents get flagged and listed rather than guessed at.
Typically days to a few weeks per year of backlog, depending on transaction volume and how quickly statements can be gathered. It runs in parallel with your live books, so the current month doesn't fall behind while history is repaired.
