If you’re a high-producing photographer, it’s easy for bookkeeping to fall behind — especially during busy season. But before your accountant can file your taxes (or give you real advice), your books need to be clean.
A bookkeeping clean-up gets your financials caught up, organized, and accurate so you can stop guessing and start running your business with clarity.
What is a bookkeeping clean-up?
A bookkeeping clean-up means we take messy or behind bookkeeping and turn it into clean, accurate, tax-ready financials. It helps you confidently answer:
Am I actually profitable?
How much should I be saving for taxes?
What am I spending too much on?
What can I safely pay myself?
What’s included in a clean-up for photographers?
Every clean-up is different, but here’s what we typically do:
1) Review and organize your system (QuickBooks setup + customization) We review your current QuickBooks setup (or set it up if needed) and customize it specifically for your photography business. This includes organizing categories, connecting accounts properly, and making sure everything is clean and structured.
2) Catch-up bookkeeping We bring past months up to date so you’re no longer behind.
3) Reconciliation We match your bookkeeping to your bank and credit card statements to ensure your numbers are accurate and nothing is missing or duplicated.
4) Correct categorization We categorize income and expenses properly (built for photographers) so your books are tax-ready and your reports make sense.
5) Separate personal + business spending We clean up mixed transactions and help you move toward a cleaner system going forward.
6) Income organization We make sure deposits and payments are recorded correctly so your revenue reports are accurate.
7) Clean monthly reports You get clear reports (like Profit & Loss) so you can actually understand what’s happening in your business.
Why it matters before tax season
When your books aren’t clean, you’re guessing — and that leads to:
last-minute scrambling
missed deductions
inaccurate tax estimates
stress you don’t need
Clean books mean stress-free tax time and reliable numbers you can use year-round.
Who this is for
This is ideal for high-producing photographers who are booked, growing, and ready for clean financial systems that support scaling.
FAQ: Bookkeeping Clean-Up for Photographers
How long does a bookkeeping clean-up take? It depends on how far behind you are, how many accounts you use, and how motivated you are to get it done! Most clean-ups take a few weeks from start to finish once we have access to everything.
What do you need from me to get started?
Typically:
QuickBooks access (or we help you set it up)
bank + credit card statements
access to payment processors (Stripe, PayPal, Square)
any current bookkeeping files you have
Can you do a clean-up if I’m not using QuickBooks? Yes. We can help you get set up properly, then clean everything up in the correct system.
What if my personal and business transactions are mixed? That’s extremely common — and part of the clean-up process is separating and correcting those transactions.
Do I need this if I’m “kind of keeping up”? If your reports aren’t accurate or your accounts aren’t reconciled monthly, you’re likely still guessing. A clean-up is the fastest way to get fully reliable numbers.
Do you offer monthly bookkeeping after the clean-up? Yes — most clients continue with ongoing monthly bookkeeping so the books stay clean and you never fall behind again.
