Getting ready for your accountant doesn’t have to be stressful. In this episode of QuickBooks Mastery for Small Business Success, father-daughter team Erica Northrup and Lee Davis share the simple steps to prepare your books before tax season (or a quarterly review) so you can save time, money, and frustration.

They explain why being prepared helps your accountant work faster (and helps you avoid missed deductions), then walk through a practical checklist you can use to get everything ready: reconciling accounts, clearing uncategorized transactions, organizing receipts, prepping payroll and loan documents, pulling key reports, updating invoices and bills, tracking major purchases and mileage, and making sure your personal tax documents are in order.

They also cover how to communicate with your accountant—what to ask for, what deadlines to confirm, and what not to send—so you can have a smoother process and fewer surprises.

1. Preparation reduces stress, prevents missed deductions, and saves money on cleanup work.
2. Reconcile bank and credit card accounts and keep personal and business transactions separate.
3. Clear uncategorized transactions and organize receipts/documents (ideally attached inside QuickBooks).
4. Pull key year-end/quarterly reports and review A/R and A/P—especially old balances that may become bad debt.
5. Communicate early: confirm deadlines, ask what format they prefer, and summarize major changes in writing.

1. If my accountant received my file today, what would they flag as “missing” or “messy”?
2. Do I consistently keep personal and business transactions separate—and what needs to change if not?
3. What are 3 business changes this year that my accountant should know in advance?

Free QuickBooks Prep Checklist (PDF): Download Check list here

Free 3-Part Quick Start Guide to Getting Started with QuickBooks: www.leedavisandcompany.com

Send Us Your Questions: support@leedavisandcompany.com

1. Schedule C- Click here to check it out

00:02.080 - Episode 11: Preparing for Your Accountant

03:20.110 – Why preparation matters (save stress, time, money, deductions)

07:42.000 – The checklist: what you should have ready

09:38.315 – Reconcile bank + credit cards (and keep personal/business separate)

10:25.143 – Categorize everything (clear “uncategorized” + clean coding)

12:52.724 – Organize receipts, documents, payroll + loan statements

15:06.329 – Pull/export key reports + update invoices/bills (A/R + A/P)

17:29.313 – Major purchases + mileage/home office/personal business expenses

21:14.000 –...