Reconcile every account
Complete bank, credit-card, loan, and payment-processor reconciliations for the period so missing or duplicated activity is identified.
Review the profit and loss
Look for unusually large categories, negative balances, duplicated expenses, personal charges, and items that were posted to a temporary or uncategorized account.
Review the balance sheet
Check cash, loans, credit cards, fixed assets, owner or equity accounts, and other balances for items that do not match supporting statements or records.
Organize supporting documents
Gather year-end statements, major purchase records, loan documents, payroll summaries, contractor information, and notices or correspondence relevant to the business.
Create an open-question list
Separate bookkeeping questions from tax-treatment questions. Document what happened, attach the supporting records, and let the qualified tax professional determine the tax treatment.
Confirm the handoff
Agree on the documents, due dates, contact person, and method for delivering requested information. Keep a copy of the final package for the business records.