Send your CPA reconciled bank and credit card statements, a year-end profit and loss and balance sheet, payroll and contractor records, loan and asset documents, and any tax notices. Organized records usually mean fewer questions, less time and fewer surprises.
1Why this matters
Your CPA can only work as accurately as the records you provide. When the books are clean and the documents are ready, the preparer spends time on tax planning. When they are not, that time goes to chasing missing items, and you pay for it.
Send everything together in one organized package, not in pieces over several weeks.
2Financial reports from your books
- Profit and loss for the full year
- Balance sheet as of the last day of the year
- General ledger or transaction detail, if your CPA asks
- A list of what is still unreconciled or unclear, if anything
These reports are only useful if every bank and credit card account was reconciled through December 31. Reconcile first, then run the reports.
3Bank, credit card and loan records
- December statements for every business bank and credit card account
- Year-end loan statements showing interest paid and the remaining balance
- Payment processor summaries for Stripe, PayPal, Square or similar
- Records for any account opened or closed during the year
4Payroll and contractor records
- Payroll summaries and year-end reports
- Employee and contractor lists
- Signed W-9 forms for contractors you paid
- A list of payments that may need 1099 reporting
Missing W-9s are one of the most common year-end problems. It is much easier to collect them during the year than in January.
5Assets, loans and special items
- Purchase documents for equipment, vehicles or property bought this year
- Documents for assets sold or disposed of
- Owner contributions and draws, shown separately
- Records for home office or vehicle use, if you claim them
- Any IRS or state notices you received
6How to deliver it
A shared folder with clear names works well. Group files by type, name them with the year, and add a short note listing anything unusual that happened during the year, such as a new location, a big purchase or a change in how you pay yourself.
If keeping records ready all year is a struggle, year-end bookkeeping can do the review for you so your CPA receives a clean, reconciled set.
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