Sending a Client File to an Offshore Bookkeeping Team#
The hard part of outsourcing is rarely the bookkeeping. It is the handoff. A firm owner has a client file that is months behind, a team with no spare hours, and no clear picture of what an offshore team would need to start. This article walks through what happens between "we have a messy file" and "the reviewed file is back with us".
Start with one file#
We do not ask a firm to move its whole client list. We start with one client file, chosen by you. A good first file is one where the problem is clear and the stakes are contained, for example:
- A client whose books are several months behind and whose return cannot be prepared until they are current.
- A file inherited from a previous bookkeeper that needs checking.
- A file with a known problem, such as a bank account that has not been reconciled for a long time.
Avoid starting with your most sensitive client or a file that is changing daily. You want to see how the work comes back before deciding what else to send.
The scoping review#
You send us the file and we review it. Within 48 hours we send an estimate with a capped number of hours. The review looks at the things that decide how much work is involved:
| What we look at | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Months behind | Sets the number of periods to work through |
| Number of bank, credit card and loan accounts | Each account needs its own reconciliation for each period |
| Unreconciled items | Shows how far the file is from a clean opening position |
| Undeposited funds | A balance that does not clear usually means receipts were never matched to deposits |
| Uncategorized and "Ask My Accountant" balances | These need a decision on each item, and some need a question back to you |
| Duplicate entries | Often a sign of bank feeds and manual entry overlapping |
The estimate is a capped number of hours. If the work is larger than the review suggested, we tell you before going past the cap. We do not add anything beyond this: the estimate and the cap are the commitment.
Access and NDA#
We sign an NDA before access if your firm wants one. Access is limited to the files needed for the work. In practice that means:
- You tell us which QuickBooks Online company file or files are in scope.
- You invite us to that file as an accountant user.
- We do not ask for access to other client files, or to your firm's wider systems.
Work is done inside the client's QuickBooks Online file. We do not export the data into a separate system and send back a copy. Everything we change is in the file you already own.
How questions come back to you#
Some items cannot be resolved from the books alone. A deposit with no description, a payment to a vendor nobody recognises, a transfer that has no matching entry on the other side. We handle these by batching them into a single list rather than sending questions one at a time.
A batched question list usually contains:
- The date, amount and payee or description of the item.
- What we think it might be, if we have a view.
- The options for how it could be recorded.
Your team, or your client, answers the list in one go. This keeps the work moving and keeps your staff out of a stream of small interruptions. It also means that anything which needs a judgment stays with you. We record the answer you give; we do not decide a contested treatment on your behalf.
Chartered Accountant review before return#
When the work is done, a Chartered Accountant reviews it before it comes back to you. The review looks at whether the reconciliations tie to statements, whether the adjustments make sense, and whether anything unusual has been left unexplained. The file is then returned with a written summary of adjustments.
Illustrative example#
Suppose a firm sends a file with these characteristics (illustrative figures only):
| Item | Count or amount |
|---|---|
| Months behind | 6 |
| Bank and credit card accounts | 3 |
| Unreconciled bank items | 140 |
| Undeposited funds balance | 4,200 |
| "Ask My Accountant" balance | 2,800 across 18 items |
The scoping review turns this into an estimate: three accounts across six months is 18 reconciliations, plus the recategorization of the "Ask My Accountant" items and the clearing of undeposited funds. The estimate states a capped number of hours. After work, the summary of adjustments might show the undeposited funds cleared against 11 deposits, 18 items recategorized (4 after your answers to our question list), and 3 duplicate entries removed.
What to send#
- The client's QuickBooks Online company name and the periods in scope.
- Confirmation of which accounts should be reconciled.
- Bank and credit card statements for the periods, where the feeds are incomplete.
- Any known issues, for example a closed account or a change of bookkeeper.
- The name of the person who will answer batched questions.
What comes back#
- The reconciled QuickBooks Online file, worked inside the client's own company file.
- A written summary of every adjustment.
- A batched list of any items still waiting on an answer from you.
- The file after review by a Chartered Accountant.
What stays with your firm#
- The client relationship and all communication with the client.
- Review and sign-off of the file before it goes to a tax preparer.
- Tax return preparation and filing. We do not prepare or sign returns.
- Judgments on treatments where more than one answer is possible.
What your reviewer should check on receipt#
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Reconciliations | Ending balance on each reconciliation matches the statement |
| Summary of adjustments | Every material change is listed and has a reason |
| Undeposited funds | Balance is zero or each remaining item is explained |
| "Ask My Accountant" | Balance is zero or each remaining item is listed as an open question |
| Opening balances | Opening balances agree with the prior period's closing position |
| Open questions | Each is answered, or you have decided how to carry it |
If something does not tie, send it back. A reviewed file should survive your own review.
Frequently asked questions#
Can we send more than one file at the start? You can, but we suggest one. A single file shows you how the process works before you commit more work.
Who is in the file while you work? Only the people working on your file, and only in the files in scope. Access is limited to the files needed for the work.
What if the work needs more hours than estimated? The estimate has a capped number of hours. If the file turns out to need more, we tell you before going beyond the cap.
Do you contact our client directly? Questions come to your firm in a batched list. Whether and how your client is involved is your decision.
For more on cleanup scope, see our cleanup and catch-up bookkeeping service and the page for accounting and CPA firms.
