Free calculator
Catch-up bookkeeping cost calculator
Four questions, an instant estimate, and the full method behind it. No email, no sign-up. The ranges come from our catch-up bookkeeping guide.
Catch-up bookkeeping for a US small business typically costs $300–$800 at 1–3 months behind, $700–$1,500 at 4–6 months, $1,200–$3,000 at 7–11 months, and $2,500–$6,000+ at 12–24 months. Transaction volume and the condition of your records decide where in each range you land. Multiple entities and backlogs over two years need a custom quote.
Estimated cost
$950–$1,250
Typical range for 4–6 months behind: $700–$1,500. Your transaction volume puts you in the middle third of it.
- Hands-on bookkeeping
- 12–24 hours
- Typical turnaround
- 1–2 weeks
A typical market range, not a quote. We fix a price after a free diagnostic, returned within 48 hours.
Method
How the estimate is worked out
Nothing here is hidden. If you want to check the number by hand, this is everything the calculator does.
- Months behind picks the rangeEach backlog length maps to the typical range published in our catch-up bookkeeping guide.
- The range is split into equal thirdsEach boundary is rounded to the nearest $50.
- Transaction volume picks the thirdUnder 100 transactions a month is the lower third, 100 to 300 the middle, more than 300 the upper. Volume drives the price more than months do: 12 months at 50 transactions a month costs far less than 12 months at 500.
- Record condition moves you up one thirdMissing statements, mixed personal spending, or books recorded wrongly each move the estimate up one third, never past the top of the range. They do not stack.
- Hours are months times 2 to 4That rate assumes clean statements. With messy records, the calculator shows it as a minimum.
- Some cases get no numberMore than one entity, or more than two years behind, returns “custom quote”. The typical ranges do not describe those cases, and a number would be a guess.
| Months behind | Typical range | Lower third | Middle third | Upper third | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 months | $300–$800 | $300–$450 | $450–$650 | $650–$800 | 3–7 business days |
| 4–6 months | $700–$1,500 | $700–$950 | $950–$1,250 | $1,250–$1,500 | 1–2 weeks |
| 7–11 months | $1,200–$3,000 | $1,200–$1,800 | $1,800–$2,400 | $2,400–$3,000 | 2–4 weeks |
| 12–24 months | $2,500–$6,000+ | $2,500–$3,650 | $3,650–$4,850 | $4,850–$6,000+ | 4–8 weeks or more |
Limits
What the estimate cannot see
A calculator knows four facts about your books. A diagnostic reads the file. These are the things that move a real quote and cannot be answered from a form.
- How wrong the existing entries are. Transactions coded confidently and wrongly, with reconciliations forced to balance, have to be taken apart before they can be fixed.
- Which statements still exist. Most banks keep statements online for 12 to 24 months. Older ones have to be requested, and some banks charge for them.
- What else sits in the backlog. Payroll, sales tax filings, loans, and foreign-currency accounts all add reconciliation work the ranges do not assume.
- Your deadline. A tax filing or loan closing date can require rush work, which usually costs more.
Not sure where to start? Read Behind on your bookkeeping? What to do first: which deadlines to check, which statements to gather, and the order to catch up in.
Want the real number? Give us read-only access and we return a written diagnostic and a fixed price within 48 hours. It is free, and the diagnostic is yours whether or not you hire us. Request a diagnostic.
Catch-up cost questions
How much does catch-up bookkeeping cost?
For a US small business, typically $300 to $800 at 1 to 3 months behind, $700 to $1,500 at 4 to 6 months, $1,200 to $3,000 at 7 to 11 months, and $2,500 to $6,000 or more at 12 to 24 months. Transaction volume and the condition of your records decide where in each range you land.
Is this estimate a quote?
No. It is a typical market range, not a Veris price. We quote cleanups as a fixed price after a free diagnostic: you give us read-only access, and within 48 hours you get a written diagnostic and a fixed price. The diagnostic is yours to keep whether or not you go ahead.
Why can books that were kept cost more than books that were not?
Because unwinding wrong entries takes longer than making correct ones. Twelve months with nothing recorded is often cheaper to fix than six months recorded confidently and wrongly, since every wrong entry has to be found and reversed first. That is why the calculator moves miscoded books up a third, and why a diagnostic tells you more than any estimate.
How long does catch-up bookkeeping take?
Roughly 2 to 4 hours of bookkeeping per month of records when statements are clean. Turnaround runs from 3 to 7 business days at 1 to 3 months behind to 4 to 8 weeks or more at 12 months and beyond, because it includes waiting for statements and for answers on unclear transactions.
Is catch-up bookkeeping tax-deductible?
Bookkeeping and accounting fees paid for your business are generally deductible as a business expense. Confirm with your tax professional for your own situation.
Get a fixed price for your backlog
Free 48-hour diagnostic, then a fixed price in writing. No hourly billing, no obligation.
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