Everything people ask before hiring a bookkeeper
Including the questions that are awkward to ask out loud. If something isn't here, just ask — and I'll add it.
Getting started
What happens on the free consultation?
About thirty minutes, by phone or video. We talk through what your business does, how many transactions you handle in a typical month, how many bank and card accounts are involved, and what your books look like right now. You get an honest read on what you need, and I follow up with a written quote within two business days. There is no charge and no obligation.
How quickly can you start?
Usually within a week of a signed engagement letter. If your books need cleanup first, that project runs one to four weeks depending on how far back the gaps go, and the monthly service begins once the foundation is clean.
What do you need from me to get going?
Accountant-level access to your QuickBooks Online file (or permission to create one), read-only access to your bank and credit card feeds, and a short conversation about anything unusual in how your business operates. That is genuinely most of it.
Do I have to be in Rhode Island?
No. The work is done remotely and securely, so a business anywhere in the United States can be served. Rhode Island is where I am based, where I know the local landscape, and where I can meet in person if that matters to you.
The work itself
What exactly is reconciliation, and why does it matter so much?
Reconciliation means comparing your accounting records to your actual bank and credit card statements, line by line, until the two agree exactly. It is the control that catches duplicate charges, missing deposits, bank errors, and unauthorized transactions. Books that have never been reconciled are not verified books, no matter how tidy they look.
What is a chart of accounts?
It is the list of categories your money gets sorted into: revenue accounts, expense accounts, assets, liabilities, and equity. Built for your industry, it makes your profit and loss statement answer real questions. Built badly, everything ends up in a Miscellaneous bucket that tells you nothing.
Cash basis or accrual basis?
Cash basis records income when money arrives and expenses when money leaves. Accrual records them when they are earned or incurred, regardless of when cash moves. Most small service businesses use cash basis; businesses with inventory, significant receivables, or over roughly $30 million in receipts may be required to use accrual. We decide together at the start, document it, and stay consistent.
Will you find things I have been doing wrong?
Probably, and that is the point. Personal expenses in the business account, the same vendor coded three different ways, deposits recorded twice, equipment expensed that should have been capitalized. None of it is a judgment on you. It is a normal starting point and it gets fixed once.
Do you use QuickBooks or Xero?
QuickBooks Online. It is what most CPAs, lenders, and tax preparers in the United States expect to receive, which makes your year-end simpler and your loan applications faster. If you are already on Xero and happy, say so on the call and we will talk about whether moving is worth it.
Scope and limits
Do you prepare or file tax returns?
No. Paid preparation of federal tax returns requires an IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number, which I do not currently hold, and I will not do it until I do. What I provide is a clean, reconciled file that makes your tax preparer's job faster and usually cheaper.
Are you a CPA?
No, and I will not imply otherwise. A bookkeeper maintains your day-to-day financial records. A Certified Public Accountant is state-licensed and can perform audits, issue attest opinions, and represent you before the IRS. Those are different jobs. Most businesses need a bookkeeper monthly and a CPA once a year.
Can you represent me if the IRS contacts me?
No. Representation before the IRS requires an Enrolled Agent, a CPA, or an attorney. I can provide your representative with organized records and supporting documentation, which is often the most useful thing anyone can do for that situation.
Do you run payroll?
Not in-house. Payroll carries tax deposit deadlines and filing obligations with real penalties attached, and it belongs with a dedicated provider. I will help you choose one and I will record the payroll correctly in your books once it runs.
Can you give me tax or investment advice?
No. Tax planning advice belongs with a CPA or Enrolled Agent, and investment advice generally requires registration as an investment adviser. I can explain what your own numbers say, which is a different thing and often the thing you actually wanted.
Money and terms
How does billing work?
One flat monthly rate, charged by ACH bank transfer on autopay on the same day each month. No hourly billing, no per-transaction fees, and no invoice for you to chase down.
Is there a contract or lock-in?
There is a written engagement letter that defines scope, price, and terms for both of us, which protects you as much as me. There is no minimum term. Thirty days' written notice ends the engagement.
What happens to my books if I leave?
They are yours. Your QuickBooks Online subscription is in your name, not mine, and I simply remove my access. You get a reconciled file and a written summary of where things stand. No bookkeeper should ever hold your records as leverage.
Do you offer a discount for a full year up front?
Ask on the call. I would rather discuss it openly than advertise a headline discount that quietly assumes a longer commitment.
Language and location
Can we work entirely in Spanish?
Yes. Calls, emails, explanations, and your monthly summary can all be in Spanish. One thing to be clear about: the QuickBooks Online interface itself is in English in the United States, and no bookkeeper can change that. What is bilingual is every conversation you have with me and every explanation you receive.
Do you work with businesses connected to the Dominican Republic?
Yes, and that is a deliberate focus. Multi-currency records, documentation arriving in Spanish, and property or income on both sides. Note that the tax filing itself for a cross-border situation belongs with a cross-border CPA or Enrolled Agent, and I will say so directly rather than take work I should not.
Will you still be in Rhode Island in a few years?
The practice is built to be location-independent, and I may relocate within the United States in the coming years. Your service would not change, and you would be told well in advance rather than discovering it.
Still have a question?
Ask it on a free 30-minute call. There's no pitch and no obligation — and if the answer is that you don't need me yet, that's what you'll hear.