How To Prep Your Books for Your Tax Preparer (Without the Overwhelm)
- Maria Fitz
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
I’ll let you in on something business owners rarely admit out loud: Most people walk into tax season feeling a little bit embarrassed about their books.
And you know what, it’s totally normal. Between client work, marketing, sales, and actually running a business, keeping your books perfect year-round is not always realistic.
The good news is your tax preparer isn’t expecting perfection, they just need clarity. And with a few simple steps, you can hand them exactly what they need (without the panic).
Let’s break it down into something easy.
1. Reconcile your accounts (your CPA’s #1 wish)
If tax professionals could give you one gift, it would be this: reconcile your accounts.
When your bank accounts and credit cards match what’s in your bookkeeping system, everything else becomes straightforward. When they don’t match, tax season turns into detective work which slows everything down and usually costs more.
This step alone makes a massive difference.
2. Clear out uncategorized transactions
Your tax preparer doesn’t need a dissertation, they just need each expense to live in the right category. If you have transactions sitting in “uncategorized,” “ask accountant,” or “miscellaneous,” now is the perfect time to sort them out. Think of it like cleaning out your inbox before vacation: It feels so much better once you do it.
3. Make sure your income numbers make sense
This one surprises people, but income mistakes are extremely common. Things like:
A Stripe payout being counted twice
A Square sale not syncing
A client payment hitting the bank but never being recorded
Fees being handled incorrectly
A 5-minute review can save you from a snowball of issues later.
4. Double-check payroll + contractors
If you have employees or pay yourself through payroll, make sure year-to-date totals match your payroll reports. If you paid any contractors $600+ this year, your CPA will need accurate totals for 1099s. It’s easier to gather this now than scramble in January.
5. Gather important documents (the simple list)
Your tax preparer may need:
Loan statements
Equipment purchase receipts
Mileage logs
Major expense documentation
They don’t need every $10 Chick-fil-A receipt, just the key info.
6. Take a quick look at your reports
Run your Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet for the year. You don’t need to analyze them, just look for anything that feels “off.”
It’s like proofreading a text before sending it. Just enough to make sure it makes sense.
If all of this feels like “I’ll get to it later,” you’re not alone. But your future self will be SO thankful you handled it in December instead of waiting until the last second.
And if you’d rather pass this whole checklist off, that’s exactly what WRC is here for.
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