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Problems

How do I catch up on six months of bookkeeping?

Short answer

Collect bank and card statements, sales invoices, bills and receipts for the period, then reconcile month by month starting with the oldest. A specialist catch-up service can typically complete six months in one to three weeks.

  • Confirm opening balances first
  • Reconcile oldest month first
  • Review the balance sheet before closing each month

Detailed answer

Start with complete records

Collect statements for every bank, card, loan and payment platform, plus sales invoices, supplier bills, payroll reports and prior closing balances. Check whether tax returns were already filed for the affected periods. Missing documents, inventory and unresolved opening balances can extend the project beyond the indicative timeline in the short answer.

Work in a controlled sequence

Reconcile the earliest month first, resolve transfers and duplicates, then review unpaid invoices, bills and tax balances. Keep a query list instead of guessing unclear items. Ask the provider for a backlog plan, dependencies and milestone reports. Any corrections affecting filed taxes should be reviewed by the relevant tax adviser.

Country differences: rules, thresholds and terminology differ between the US, UK, Australia and Canada. Check the official source for your country below.

Official sources

Published by Expert Bookkeeping Services · Last updated 2026-11-01. General information only — confirm specifics for your situation with a qualified adviser.

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