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Catch-Up Bookkeeping
for Canadian Businesses

Behind on your books? Whether it's 3 months or 3 years, ATS will get your financials back on track quickly, accurately, and affordably — with CRA-ready results and a fixed price you know upfront.

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Quick Answer

What is catch-up bookkeeping? Catch-up bookkeeping is the process of recording and reconciling all backlogged financial transactions for a business that has fallen behind on its books. It brings your financial records fully up to date — enabling accurate tax filing, CRA compliance, and a clean transition to ongoing monthly bookkeeping. Most catch-up projects are completed within 2–4 weeks.

Signs You Need Catch-Up Bookkeeping

Falling behind on bookkeeping is more common than you think. Life gets busy, transactions pile up, and suddenly it's been months since your books were last touched. The problem compounds when tax season arrives and you're scrambling to reconstruct months of financial activity. Common signs you need catch-up bookkeeping: your bank statements don't match your accounting software, you're overdue on GST/HST or QST filings, your accountant can't file your taxes because the books aren't ready, or you simply can't answer basic questions like "how profitable was last quarter?"

What's Included in Our Catch-Up Bookkeeping Service

A comprehensive cleanup and reconciliation — from first transaction to last — delivered at a fixed price with no surprises.

Historical Transaction Categorization Every transaction — income, expense, and transfers — properly categorized for the entire catch-up period.
Bank & Credit Card Reconciliation All accounts reconciled so your books match your actual bank statements for every month of the catch-up period.
GST/HST & QST Reconstruction Sales tax amounts calculated accurately for each period so you can file late remittances with confidence.
Multi-Year Catch-Up Capability We handle catch-ups ranging from 3 months to 3+ years — no project is too large or too messy.
Corrected Financial Statements Monthly P&L statements and balance sheets for each period of the catch-up — essential for filing past tax returns.
CRA-Ready Year-End Packages Clean, organized files delivered for each catch-up year — ready for your accountant to file past returns.
Dedicated Project Bookkeeper One consistent team member manages your entire catch-up — you always know who to call with questions.
Transition to Monthly Bookkeeping Seamless handoff to our ongoing monthly bookkeeping service — so you never fall behind again.

How Our Catch-Up Bookkeeping Process Works

From first contact to clean books — our proven process gets you back on track fast.

Step 01

Free Assessment

We review your current state of books, identify all accounts, and estimate the catch-up scope. You receive a fixed-price quote with no surprises — before any work begins.

Step 02

Document Collection

We securely connect to your bank feeds and accounting software, and collect any statements or receipts needed. Most clients don't have to do much — we find what we need.

Step 03

Cleanup & Reconciliation

Our team categorizes every transaction, reconciles every account, and reconstructs accurate financial statements for each period of your catch-up — month by month.

Step 04

Delivery & Handoff

You receive clean, CRA-ready financials and a complete year-end package for each catch-up year. We then transition you to ongoing monthly bookkeeping so this never happens again.

Who Needs Catch-Up Bookkeeping?

Any business that has fallen behind on its financial records — for any reason. There's no judgment here, only solutions.

Businesses overdue on CRA tax filings
Owners who manage their own books
Businesses changing bookkeepers
Startups that never set up proper books
Businesses applying for financing
Companies with messy or incorrect books

Fixed-Price Catch-Up Quotes

We assess your books first, then give you a fixed project price — no hourly billing, no scope creep surprises. Most catch-up projects for 1–2 years of backlog start from $800.

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Projects from
$800
fixed price
Catch-Up Bookkeeping FAQs

Your Questions About Catch-Up Bookkeeping Answered

What is catch-up bookkeeping?
Catch-up bookkeeping is the process of recording, categorizing, and reconciling all financial transactions that haven't been entered into your books — whether you're 3 months or 3 years behind. The result is fully current, accurate financial records that are CRA-ready and can support past tax filings.
How much does catch-up bookkeeping cost in Canada?
ATS provides a fixed-price quote after a free assessment. Most 1–2 year catch-ups start from $800. The total depends on transaction volume, the number of accounts, and how organized your existing records are. We'll always show you the full price before starting — no hourly billing.
How long does catch-up bookkeeping take?
A 3-month catch-up typically takes 1–2 weeks. A full-year catch-up takes 2–4 weeks. Multi-year projects can take 4–8 weeks. We prioritize speed because we know you often have a CRA deadline driving the urgency — just let us know your timeline and we'll work to meet it.
Can the CRA penalize me for having late books?
The CRA penalizes late tax filing and late GST/HST remittances — both of which stem from having late books. Late filing penalties start at 5% of the balance owing plus 1% per month. In Quebec, Revenu Québec applies similar penalties on QST. Catching up your books quickly minimizes your exposure to these penalties.
What do I need to provide for the catch-up?
Bank statements, credit card statements, and any invoices or receipts for the catch-up period. If you use QuickBooks or Xero, we'll connect directly. If you have paper records, we'll guide you through digitizing them. Don't worry if things are disorganized — that's exactly what we handle.
What happens after the catch-up is complete?
You receive clean, CRA-ready financials for every catch-up year. We then recommend transitioning to our monthly bookkeeping service to ensure you never fall behind again. Catch-up clients receive a discounted first month of ongoing bookkeeping.

Let's get your books back on track — fast.

Don't let overdue books hold your business back. Book a free assessment today and we'll give you a fixed price and a clear timeline before any work starts.

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