Before paying to repair a QuickBooks file, an owner should understand which periods need attention, which records are available, and what the proposed work will deliver. This example shows how a limited Books Health Check can organize those questions.
Everything below is fictional. It illustrates the structure of a written assessment, not a completed client engagement, an audit, or a promise that your file will have the same issues or price.
Example scope: one consulting business, three months
The example business uses QuickBooks Online with one operating bank account and one credit card. The owner wants to establish a reliable starting point for monthly bookkeeping. The proposed review covers April through June; earlier periods and tax returns are outside this example.
- Purpose: identify the starting condition and the work needed for a written scope.
- Access: read-only review of the agreed file and available records.
- Assessment boundary: no transactions are changed during the health check.
Records available and records still needed
The assessment records the evidence limits alongside each finding. A bank feed, an owner explanation, and a complete monthly statement answer different questions.
- Available in this example: April–June bank statements and April–May credit-card statements.
- Missing: the June credit-card statement and support for several entries labeled owner transfer.
- Consequence: the credit-card balance and owner activity remain unresolved; the review cannot conclude that those balances are correct.
Sample finding: a possible duplicate deposit
Observation: two June entries appear to describe the same customer receipt. The bank statement shows one deposit. This is a question to investigate, not a direction to delete an entry.
Next evidence: compare the customer invoice, receipt record, bank match, and transaction history. The cleanup scope should identify who resolves the duplicate question and records the supported correction if one is needed.
A useful finding separates what was observed, what is still uncertain, and the next action needed to resolve it.
Sample recommendation and open-item list
For this fictional file, the next step is to obtain the missing statement and transfer support, confirm the starting balances, and scope the three affected months before recurring service begins. No cleanup completion or tax readiness is asserted.
- Owner: supply the missing June statement and explain the owner transfers with supporting records.
- Proposed cleanup work: review the deposit question, categorize supported activity, and reconcile the agreed accounts and periods.
- Expected handoff: reports for the agreed scope, a summary of work, and a list of items that remain unresolved.
- Monthly service: begin only after the starting condition and recurring responsibilities are agreed.
How the paid health check differs from cleanup
Our published 72-hour Books Health Check is $295. The 72-hour period starts after complete access and requested records arrive. It provides a limited review and a written starting point with a recommendation for cleanup, monthly service, or a different provider.
Cleanup is a separate project, currently starting at $350 per open month with a $1,050 minimum. The fictional three-month example is not a quote. The condition of the file, available records, accounts, and exclusions determine the actual engagement. The health-check fee should not be assumed to include corrections or to be credited against later work.
Use these questions when comparing any proposal
You can use this checklist whether you work with us or another provider. A useful assessment should help you decide what to do next without hiding uncertainty.
- Which accounts and periods were reviewed?
- Which records were missing?
- Which statements are observations, and which are still questions?
- Does the fee cover assessment, corrections, or both?
- What will I receive, what must I supply, and what is excluded?
- What needs to happen before the next month can be closed?
Frequently asked questions
Is this a real client report?
No. It is a fictional example created to explain the assessment structure. It contains no client records and makes no claim about a client result.
Does the health check fix my books?
No. It is a limited read-only review. Cleanup and corrections require a separate agreed scope.
Should I send statements through the fit-check form?
No. The initial form asks about fit and scope. Financial records and access are exchanged through the process agreed for the engagement.