I offer remote bookkeeping services that include:
- Payroll. Some clients hand-write their employee cheques, some print onto laser cheques, some pay by direct deposit (EFT – Electronic Funds Transfer) and some by e-transfer. What works for one may not work for you, so let’s see what will work best.
- GST, PST, MRDT (Hotel tax), WorksafeBC and Payroll tax remittances. I keep track of clients individual remittance and reporting requirements to ensure that no returns or payments are late. Some clients like to ‘hand the reins’ over to me and let me make payments from their banking on their behalf. Others like to keep control and just have me file the returns, making the payments themselves. Whatever works best or you feel more comfortable with.
- Tracking expenses – called “Accounts Payable”. For some clients I just keep track after they’ve paid for things, to ensure that their taxes are reported correctly and that the books balance. For other clients I write cheques, send payments etc. It really depends on the nature of the business and the client.
- Tracking revenue – called “Accounts Receivable”. Most of my clients send out their own client invoices and have me track the sales, taxes and payments, then provide an up-to-date list of who still owes money. After all, it’s the money that’s important – right? For more complicated businesses, like construction, where sales invoices are on a cost-plus basis, I prepare detailed customer invoices pulled from the bookkeeping data.
- Guidance. In almost all cases I help clients with procedures, requirements etc. And if I don’t know the answer then I have a couple of trusted accountants who I work with who usually can come up with the answer.
- Financial tracking & reporting. One of the things I like to do is to make the financial statements comprehensible to my clients: Not everyone has a business or financial degree! You might be able to run a shop, restaurant or tourist attraction, or to build a house from scratch but that doesn’t mean that you know the top from the bottom of a balance sheet or income statement. By using clients own terminology in the bookkeeping data and by grouping expenses and revenue in a way that makes sense to the client, I can help them understand their financial statements and see value in their bookkeeping.
- Year end review and preparation for tax accountant. I do not prepare personal or commercial tax returns but I do know what your tax accountant will need in order for them to prepare your taxes according to CRA rules and regulations. Having your bookkeeping done right can minimize your accountant’s year end fees – one of the accountants who I work with has specifically told me that she charges less for my commercial clients than for those with sloppy bookkeepers!
With a wealth of experience of a variety of business types (and owner types, if I’m honest!), I can help just about any business owner come up with a bookkeeping plan that works for them.