What counts as an emergency
- Your CPA needs year-end books and the filing date is weeks away
- A bank or SBA lender wants a current profit and loss and balance sheet
- A buyer or investor asked for financials as part of diligence
- A notice arrived from the IRS, the Franchise Tax Board or the CDTFA
- A partner is leaving and the books must show what each person is owed
- Your bookkeeper quit and nobody knows the state of the file
Triage: the first steps
- Read the request The bookkeeper reads the exact request, whether it is a CPA list, lender checklist or notice, and lists what it asks for.
- Find the gap The file is checked against the request. Which months are missing, which accounts are not reconciled, which balances are wrong.
- Build what is due first The numbers the request needs are done first. A lender may need only the current year. A CPA may need the full year plus fixed assets.
- Flag what cannot be finished If a statement is missing or a question has no answer yet, it is written down, so you and your CPA can decide what to do.
- Finish the rest After the deadline, the remaining months are caught up and reconciled so the next request is easy.
An extension buys time for the return
For a federal return, an extension of time to file is generally available, and your CPA can file it. An extension gives more time to file, not more time to pay. Any tax owed is still due on the original date, so your CPA may still need a rough estimate quickly.
That estimate is a good first target. Reconciled cash, a rough profit figure and payroll totals are often enough for your CPA to set an extension payment. Then the full books follow.
This is general information, not tax advice. Your CPA decides whether an extension fits your situation.
San Diego examples
A Carlsbad medical device startup gets a term sheet, and the investor's accountant wants twelve months of accrual statements within the diligence window. A Chula Vista trucking company applies for an equipment loan and the lender wants year-to-date financials. A La Mesa restaurant owner receives a CDTFA letter about reported sales and needs the sales records tied to each return.
Each case starts by reading the request closely. Not every emergency needs a full year of perfect books by Friday. Most need specific numbers, built correctly, with the rest following right after.
What you need to send right away
| Send | Use |
|---|---|
| The request itself: CPA list, lender checklist or notice | Sets the scope and order of work |
| Software login, or a note that there is none | Shows where the work starts |
| Bank and card statements for the period | Base for reconciliation |
| Payroll and processor reports | Wages, sales, fees and refunds |
| Last filed return | Confirms starting balances |
After the emergency
Most emergencies come from months that went unrecorded. Once the deadline passes, catch-up bookkeeping closes the remaining gap, and monthly bookkeeping stops the next emergency from starting.
Where we work
We keep books for businesses across the City of San Diego, North County, the South Bay and East County.
- Carlsbad
- Chula Vista
- Downtown San Diego
- El Cajon
- Encinitas
- Escondido
- La Mesa
- Oceanside
- San Diego
- San Marcos
- Vista
Questions
Can you guarantee my books are done by a date?
No honest bookkeeper can promise a date before seeing the file. On the call, you will hear what is realistic and what to ask your CPA for.
I got a tax notice. Should I call a bookkeeper or my CPA?
Call your CPA or tax advisor about the notice itself. The bookkeeper builds the records they need to respond.
What if I have no software at all?
An accounting file is set up (QuickBooks, Xero or what you prefer) and the period is built from statements.
Does emergency work cost more?
Pricing is set by the partner team after it sees the scope. Ask on the call.