Short answer: To start, an Inland Empire bookkeeper needs monthly statements for every bank, card, fuel card, credit line and merchant account, plus loan papers and payroll reports. Add a list of contractors with their W-9s, accountant access to QuickBooks Online or Xero, and last year's tax return. Missing pieces are normal, so send what you have.
Start with statements
Statements are the backbone. A bank feed can miss lines or bring them in twice. A statement cannot. For every account below, send the monthly statements as PDFs for the whole period we are working on.
- Every business checking and savings account
- Every business credit card, including cards held by managers
- Fuel cards and fleet cards
- Lines of credit
- Merchant accounts: card machines, Square, Stripe, online payments
- Any personal account that was used for business, even once
Loans and big purchases
- Loan agreements and current statements for trucks, trailers, equipment and property
- SBA or other business loans, with the payment schedule
- Invoices or purchase papers for equipment and vehicles bought this year
- Lease agreements for vehicles, equipment or your building
Payroll and people
- Payroll reports from your provider: registers and quarterly summaries
- A list of contractors and subs you pay, and the W-9s you have
- Owner-operator agreements if you run trucks with leased drivers
Access
- Accountant or user access to QuickBooks Online or Xero
- View-only access to bank accounts if you are comfortable, or statements by email
- Login or exports for your point of sale, job management or invoicing software
For specific industries
A few industries in the region have extra records worth sending up front:
- Trucking: settlement statements, fuel card reports, IFTA records, load or rate confirmations
- Contractors: job list with contract amounts, change orders, retention held, sub agreements
- Restaurants: point of sale sales summaries, delivery app payout reports, tip reports
- Auto repair: shop management system sales reports, parts vendor statements
- Rental property owners: leases, property management statements, mortgage statements
Context only you have
Some things never show up on a statement. Write them down in a few lines. It saves days.
- Money you put in or took out personally
- Assets you sold or traded in
- Customers who never paid and won't
- Anything unusual: an insurance payout, a lawsuit, a partner leaving
- Last year's tax return and your CPA's contact information
How to send it
- Make one folder A shared folder with one sub-folder per account works best.
- Name by month Name files by account and month, such as Checking 2025-03.
- Send what you have Missing pieces are normal. Send what you have and we will list the gaps.
What not to send
Skip the boxes of every receipt from the last three years, unless we ask. Skip screenshots of bank screens when a statement PDF exists. And never send passwords in a plain email. Use your bank's user invite tools, your software's accountant invite, or a password manager share.
Questions
Do I need paper receipts?
Not for most lines. Statements cover the bulk. Receipts matter for large purchases, meals and anything a statement does not explain.
Is it safe to share bank access?
You decide. View-only access is common, but statements sent by email or a shared folder work fine too.
What if I can't find old statements?
Banks can usually provide them. Your online banking portal often keeps several years of statements as PDFs.
How far back should statements go?
From the last month your books were right, or the start of the period we agree on. If you are not sure, send the last two years and we will tell you what we need.
Should I send everything at once?
Yes, if you can. One complete batch moves faster than pieces sent over weeks.