Bookkeeping & Client Accounting
Well-kept books.
A clearer view
of your business.
Your accounting should connect the transactions you record with financial information you can use. CTAS maintains records, reconciles agreed accounts and prepares reporting within a defined engagement.
Discuss your accounting needsThe accounts. The reporting. The responsibilities.
Agreed before work begins.
- The underlying activityRecord.
Transactions and
supporting documents. - The connection to the recordsReconcile.
Agreed accounts checked against records.
- The financial pictureReport.
Financial information
to review and use.
01 / The work
More than entries.
A usable set of books.
When records fall behind or balances are difficult to explain, everyday questions become harder to answer. Outsourced bookkeeping and accounting support gives that work a defined place in your business. CTAS works virtually with Philadelphia business owners and professional service firms, and serves clients across the United States where legally authorized.
An established business may need recurring record maintenance, or it may first need older periods brought into usable condition. These have different starting points and scopes. Accounts, reporting, frequency and any historical work are agreed before work begins.
Bookkeeping & reconciliations
Record and categorize business activity using transaction records and supporting documents. Reconcile agreed bank, credit card and other accounts against statements, and investigate differences rather than treating a bank balance as a complete set of books.
Period-end accounting
Review the agreed accounts and periods, identify missing support and address outstanding items within scope. A recurring relationship establishes the records, client access and responses needed each period; it does not promise a universal closing date.
Financial reporting
Prepare the financial reports agreed for the engagement, such as a profit and loss statement and balance sheet. Reporting depends on the underlying records, the periods covered and the questions to address. Additional reports or analysis require agreement.
Historical cleanup & reconstruction
Historical work starts by assessing the existing file, available statements and supporting records. Cleanup addresses problems in existing books; reconstruction may need to rebuild missing activity from available evidence. Identify the periods, accounts and missing information before CTAS confirms whether it can accept the project and what work is feasible. This is a separate assessment, not an unlimited extension of recurring bookkeeping.
02 / Working together
Good accounting needs
both sides of the story.
The records show what happened. You provide the business context. A clear division of responsibilities keeps the engagement grounded in both.
Accounting within an agreed scope.
We carry out the bookkeeping, accounting and reporting work set out in the engagement. The agreement establishes which accounts and periods are covered, the reporting to be provided and the responsibilities on each side.
For an ongoing relationship, agree which accounts are maintained, the periods covered and how often reports are prepared. Identify incomplete records and any cleanup work before setting expectations for the continuing work.
The records. The context. The answers.
- Provide statements, transaction records and relevant supporting documents.
- Explain unfamiliar transactions and changes in the business.
- Respond to questions and identify missing or incomplete information.
- Agree the accounting access and document-transfer method; retain supporting records and explain their business purpose.
Recurring support maintains agreed periods as activity continues. A historical project has defined periods and gaps to investigate; completion does not automatically start an ongoing engagement. Missing source records can limit what can be reconstructed. Timing depends on scope and complete information.
03 / The wider picture
Accounting and tax.
Connected by agreement.
Accounting records provide information used in tax preparation and planning. CTAS can coordinate related services when they are specifically included in your engagement.
Bookkeeping does not automatically include tax returns, tax planning or representation. Each must be separately agreed.
Accounting questions
Before your
accounting consultation.
Discuss your records, the support you need and whether an ongoing engagement is a fit.
Can CTAS support my business remotely?
Yes. CTAS works virtually with Philadelphia business owners and clients across the United States where legally authorized. Consultations and services are remote; a Philadelphia office visit is not required or offered.
What can ongoing accounting support include?
An engagement can include bookkeeping, reconciliations, period-end accounting and agreed financial reports. Start with the accounts and periods involved, the condition of your records and the reporting you need. Frequency and responsibilities are agreed before work begins.
Do I need cleanup before recurring bookkeeping?
Incomplete or unreconciled records may need a separate historical assessment. CTAS reviews the available records and periods before agreeing what cleanup is feasible and how it relates to ongoing work.
Specific engagement questions
An outsourced accounting relationship, with defined responsibilities.
An owner-operated business may need recurring bookkeeping, reconciliations, period-end review and agreed financial reporting without hiring an internal department for each task. Start by identifying the accounts, transaction flow and reporting questions. CTAS can discuss the accounting work it will maintain; this does not promise bill payment, collections, payroll processing or a fractional-CFO service.
A useful close process names the records due from the client, unresolved items to investigate and who approves adjustments. Agree the report frequency and the assumptions behind any owner decision-support schedule. Tax planning and preparation can be coordinated where included, but they are not automatic bookkeeping deliverables.
Catch-up work starts with evidence, not a completion promise.
For historical cleanup, identify the last reliable period, available statements, transaction exports, prior returns and opening balances. Reconcile bank and credit-card activity, investigate unsupported entries and identify transfers or owner transactions that need explanation. Categorization should reflect the business purpose and available support.
Reconstruction may be limited by missing documents. Record gaps and assumptions instead of inventing entries to force a balance. Agree how corrected balances relate to prior filings before assuming a cleanup changes a filed return. A separate tax review or amendment may be required.
The transition to ongoing accounting needs its own handoff: accepted opening balances, retained supporting records, system access and a repeatable client-information process. CTAS assesses the periods and feasibility before promising work or timing.
Official background: IRS recordkeeping
Explore industry accounting concerns or tax and accounting insights before discussing the work.
Start a conversation
Let’s talk about
your books.
Tell us how your accounting is handled today, where you need support and whether there is work to bring up to date.
Discuss your accounting needs- 01
Your current position
Your business, accounting system and any gaps in the records.
- 02
The support you need
Recurring accounting, agreed reports or a separate assessment of incomplete historical records.
- 03
Whether there is a fit
The services to consider and the scope to agree before starting.
Keep the first inquiry general. Please do not send tax returns, account numbers or other sensitive financial records.