Is it normal to have to check every part of my bookkeeper’s work?

Is It Normal to Double-Check Your Bookkeeper’s Work?

I work for a small digital media business, and we hire a relatively pricey Bookkeeping team from a larger firm. They handle our taxes well, but I often find myself meticulously reviewing their Bookkeeping work. Issues like deposits being miscategorized can disrupt revenue allocations across our various business branches.

Is it typical for bookkeepers to rely on QuickBooks’ default categorizations with minimal adjustments, expecting clients to review and correct them? Or should a skilled bookkeeper proactively address these misclassifications? The errors are quite apparent—anyone who is attentive would notice them; it’s not specialized knowledge exclusive to me.

Ensuring that the Bookkeeping for your business is accurate and correctly categorized is crucial for maintaining a clear financial picture. Let’s delve into your situation:

Understanding the Role of a Bookkeeper

Primary Responsibilities:
A bookkeeper is generally responsible for recording all financial transactions accurately and in a timely manner.
They should ensure that transactions are categorized correctly according to the chart of accounts and your business’s specific needs.
Industry Standards:
While it’s not uncommon for categorizations to sometimes need adjustments due to unique business operations or unforeseen transactions, repeated miscategorization is a red flag.
Good bookkeepers should proactively seek to understand the unique aspects of your business and ensure that Accounting Software like QuickBooks is set up to reflect those nuances.

Evaluating Your Bookkeeping Service

Communication:
Have you clearly communicated your specific needs and expectations to the Bookkeeping team? Sometimes, issues arise from simple misunderstandings.
Schedule a meeting with your bookkeeper to discuss these errors and express the importance of correct categorizations to your business operations.
Quality of Service:
If the bookkeeping team is from a reputed firm, expected standards of accuracy must be high given the cost involved.
Ask them to explain their process for reviewing their work and ensuring accuracy. This transparency can provide insights into how errors might occur.
Training and Specialization:
Ensure that the personnel working on your account have the proper training and understanding specific to your industry. Bookkeeping for a digital media business might require knowledge that differs from other industries.

Taking Action

Seek Feedback:
Provide feedback to the firm about the specific issues you’re encountering. Constructive feedback can lead to improvements.
Consider Alternatives:
If issues persist, it might be worth exploring other bookkeeping services. A specialized or smaller firm might provide more personalized service.
Internal Checks:
Even with a perfect external team, having an internal process for periodically checking your books can be beneficial. This is especially true if you have unique transactions or revenue splits.

Conclusion

It’s not typical for a bookkeeper to leave all categorization adjustments to the client. They should be doing most of the heavy lifting. However, the occasional oversight is possible. The key is to ensure clear communication and, if necessary, find a partner who understands not only bookkeeping but the

One response

APAdmin

26 February 2025 at 2:02 PM
Ensuring that the Bookkeeping for your business is accurate and correctly categorized is crucial for maintaining a clear financial picture. Let’s delve into your situation:

Understanding the Role of a Bookkeeper
1. Primary Responsibilities:
2. A bookkeeper is generally responsible for recording all financial transactions accurately and in a timely manner.
3. They should ensure that transactions are categorized correctly according to the chart of accounts and your business’s specific needs.
4. Industry Standards:
5. While it’s not uncommon for categorizations to sometimes need adjustments due to unique business operations or unforeseen transactions, repeated miscategorization is a red flag.
6. Good bookkeepers should proactively seek to understand the unique aspects of your business and ensure that Accounting Software like QuickBooks is set up to reflect those nuances.
Evaluating Your Bookkeeping Service
1. Communication:
2. Have you clearly communicated your specific needs and expectations to the Bookkeeping team? Sometimes, issues arise from simple misunderstandings.
3. Schedule a meeting with your bookkeeper to discuss these errors and express the importance of correct categorizations to your business operations.
4. Quality of Service:
5. If the bookkeeping team is from a reputed firm, expected standards of accuracy must be high given the cost involved.
6. Ask them to explain their process for reviewing their work and ensuring accuracy. This transparency can provide insights into how errors might occur.
7. Training and Specialization:
8. Ensure that the personnel working on your account have the proper training and understanding specific to your industry. Bookkeeping for a digital media business might require knowledge that differs from other industries.
Taking Action
1. Seek Feedback:
2. Provide feedback to the firm about the specific issues you’re encountering. Constructive feedback can lead to improvements.
3. Consider Alternatives:
4. If issues persist, it might be worth exploring other bookkeeping services. A specialized or smaller firm might provide more personalized service.
5. Internal Checks:
6. Even with a perfect external team, having an internal process for periodically checking your books can be beneficial. This is especially true if you have unique transactions or revenue splits.
Conclusion

It’s not typical for a bookkeeper to leave all categorization adjustments to the client. They should be doing most of the heavy lifting. However, the occasional oversight is possible. The key is to ensure clear communication and, if necessary, find a partner who understands not only bookkeeping but the
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