PricingInsightsAboutClient portal (TaxDome, opens in a new tab)
Appearance
Get Started

Last updated:

Free Bookkeeping Tool

Bookkeeping Self-Check

Twelve questions about how your business keeps its records. Your answers are sorted into areas that look current, need attention or are behind, with a practical next step for each. Five optional questions about tax filings follow. Your answers stay in this browser tab.

0 of 12 answered

  1. 1. Business accountsDo business income and expenses run through accounts used only for the business?
  2. 2. ReconciliationWhen were your bank and credit-card accounts last reconciled to their statements?
  3. 3. CategorizationHow current is the categorization of transactions in your books?
  4. 4. Unresolved balancesIs there a balance in an uncategorized, suspense or 'ask my accountant' account?
  5. 5. Receipts and invoicesIf you picked a business expense at random, could you find its receipt, invoice or statement?
  6. 6. RevenueDoes the revenue in your books match your deposits and your payment-processor or platform reports?
  7. 7. ContractorsIf you pay contractors, is a Form W-9 on file for each one?
  8. 8. PayrollIf you run payroll, do the payroll provider's reports agree with the payroll accounts in your books?
  9. 9. Sales taxIf you collect sales tax, is it recorded separately from sales in your books?
  10. 10. Loans and equipmentDo loan balances and major equipment or vehicle purchases in your books match the lender statements and purchase documents?
  11. 11. Owner moneyAre the owner's contributions and withdrawals recorded separately from business income and expenses?
  12. 12. Where the books are keptWhere are your books kept today?

Optional: five tax-filing questions

Answer the ones that apply. They don't change the bookkeeping result; they add next steps when filings, agency letters, sales in other states or payroll taxes need a look.

  1. A. Ownership changesHas the business added, bought out or lost an owner in the last three years?
  2. B. Business returnsHas the business filed its federal and New Jersey returns for every year it has operated?
  3. C. Agency lettersDoes the business have an IRS or New Jersey letter that is still open?
  4. D. Sales in other statesDoes the business sell to customers in other states, directly or through a marketplace?
  5. E. Payroll taxesIf you run payroll, are all payroll tax deposits and returns current?

Answer all 12 questions to see your results.

What this self-check is, and what it is not

The self-check sorts your own answers about twelve areas of a small business's records. It does not look at your books, and a result is not a finding about your records, your taxes or what any work would cost. Nothing you select is stored or sent.

The twelve areas are:

  • Business accounts
  • Reconciliation
  • Categorization
  • Unresolved balances
  • Receipts and invoices
  • Revenue
  • Contractors
  • Payroll
  • Sales tax
  • Loans and equipment
  • Owner money
  • Where the books are kept

Five optional questions then ask about ownership changes, business returns, agency letters, sales in other states and payroll taxes. They add next steps but don't change the bookkeeping result.

If your answers point to catch-up work, the bookkeeping cleanup page describes how a written cleanup scope is set. For records that are current, the bookkeeping page describes monthly work. Either way, the contact form is where to describe your situation; any work begins only after a written scope is accepted.

Bookkeeping guides

Bookkeeping

Catch-Up Bookkeeping vs. Cleanup Bookkeeping: What's the Difference?

A practical distinction between recording missing activity and reviewing activity that was already recorded.

Read Guide

Small Business

Separating Business and Personal Finances in NJ

Separate business and personal records can support bookkeeping and tax substantiation. Entity, bank, contract, and governance requirements differ, and counsel should address any legal significance of commingling.

Read Guide

Bookkeeping

Seven Bookkeeping Problems to Fix Before Tax Time

Seven bookkeeping risk patterns, from mixed transactions to skipped reconciliations. Education only; no savings, completeness, AP/AR, back-office, bank-setup, or examination outcome is promised.

Read Guide

Keep Exploring

Related tax tools

Compare another scenario or browse the complete library of free tax tools.

SE Tax Calculator

Estimate selected federal self-employment-tax components for one person.

Open tool

S-Corp Tax Comparison Calculator

Compare sole-proprietor SE tax with modeled S-Corp FICA and selected NJ filing amounts.

Open tool

1099-DA Basis-Gap Calculator

Compare a zero-basis scenario with the supported basis entered; no return result is predicted.

Open tool
See all tools →

Tax advice disclaimer: This material is for general educational information only and is not legal, tax, or accounting advice for your specific facts. A CPA-client relationship is formed only through a signed engagement letter.