01
Diagnose
A full account-by-account review of the file.
- Forensic review of the file, account by account, not a spot check
- HST and GST treatment tested against what was genuinely filed
- Written findings with the exposure quantified in plain language
How a cleanup
runs.
We diagnose before we touch the file, correct it once, then keep it that way.
DateDescriptionAmountReconciled
Mar 04Equipment Purchase — Office Setup$2,400.00$480.00
Mar 06Client Payment — Inv. 1042$3,150.00
Mar 11Bank Transfer — Operating Acct$1,850.00$1,895.40
Mar 14Vendor Payment — ACME Ltd$1,204.00
Mar 19A/R — Meridian Textiles$0.00$6,150.00
Findings
- Equipment Purchase — Expensed in full, not capitalisedEquipment Purchase — reclassified as capital asset, CCA claimed
- Bank Transfer — Bank not reconciledBank Transfer — reconciled, corrected
- Accounts Receivable — A/R not collectedAccounts Receivable — outstanding balance recorded
“My books are a mess. I don’t even know where to start.”
Thirty years of this work have shown the same pattern: correct a file without diagnosing it first, and the same fault resurfaces.
Our approach to a cleanup.
02
Correct
Every account rebuilt and reconciled.
- Missing periods reconstructed, every account reconciled to source
- HST corrected and unclaimed input tax credits recovered where available
- Intercompany and shareholder loan balances aligned across the group
03
Build
Systems and processes customized around how the business runs.
- Chart of accounts rebuilt for your industry and reporting needs
- Dext capturing documents at the moment of the transaction
- CRM and QuickBooks synchronised so nothing is keyed twice
04
Maintain
So year-end and CRA reviews are never a scramble.
- Monthly reconciliation and close on a fixed calendar
- Statements written to be read by the owner
- Controller and advisory support as the structure gets more complicated
Remove the headache
at year-end.
Once the structure is correct, the work we do each month keeps it that way. The books stay current and accurate, year end is prepared for rather than scrambled through, and when a lender, a buyer, or the CRA asks a question, the answer is already in the file.
Frequently asked questions.
How long does a cleanup take?
It depends on the number of years, entities and accounts involved. A single company two years behind is typically four to six weeks. A group structure with intercompany history runs longer. The diagnostic produces a defined scope and timeline before anything is authorised, so the engagement is never open ended.
What do you need to start?
Read only access to the QuickBooks file, the last filed corporate return, and recent HST and payroll filings. There is no need to organise anything beforehand. The current state of the file is the information the diagnostic is assessing.
What happens if you find a serious exposure?
You are told immediately, in writing, with the amount at issue and the available options set out beside it. Voluntary correction is generally treated more favourably than an error identified during a review. We will explain what disclosure involves before you decide, and the decision remains yours.
How is this priced?
We are not the lowest cost option in Toronto and do not present ourselves that way. Cleanup work is quoted as a fixed scope after the diagnostic, so the figure is known before the work begins. In many engagements a meaningful portion of the fee is offset by recovered credits and corrected tax, and we will say plainly where we do not expect that to be the case.
Start with stage one.
The initial conversation carries no fee and will tell you more about the condition of your file than the last twelve months of reporting has.