Bookkeeping proposal template

What's in the template.

Every section below exists to answer a question your client is silently asking. Use the example copy as a starting point and replace the specifics.

1. 1

   Where your books are today

   Summarise what you found in the review. Specifics justify the cleanup fee that follows and demonstrate you actually looked.

   “Your QuickBooks file is reconciled through March. Since then there are 214 uncategorised transactions across two bank accounts and one credit card, the owner's draws are mixed with operating expenses, and there's a $4,180 variance in the March reconciliation that appears to be a duplicated deposit. Payroll is running correctly through Gusto and doesn't need touching.”

2. 2

   Cleanup — scoped and priced separately

   The most important section for your margin. Name the catch-up as its own project so the monthly fee isn't quietly funding nine months of backlog.

   “One-time cleanup: categorise April–December transactions, reconcile all three accounts, separate owner's draws into an equity account, resolve the March variance, and deliver corrected financials for the year to date. Estimated 14–18 hours at $85/hour, capped at $1,530 — if it runs beyond the cap because of something we couldn't see in the review, we'll stop and talk before continuing.”

3. 3

   Monthly scope and closing timetable

   List monthly deliverables with dates. A named close date is what turns a vague retainer into a service the client can rely on.

   “Each month: categorise all transactions, reconcile bank and credit card accounts, record payroll journal entries, maintain the chart of accounts, and deliver P&L, balance sheet, and cash-flow statement. Books close by the 10th business day of the following month, every month. A 20-minute review call is included quarterly, or monthly on the higher tier.”

4. 4

   What we need from you, and by when

   The responsibilities split. Bookkeeping deadlines slip because of missing client documents, and the proposal is where that gets pre-empted.

   “From you by the 5th of each month: receipts for anything over $75 (photographed into the shared folder is fine), notes on any unusual transaction, and any new bank or card accounts opened. If documents arrive after the 5th, the close moves to the following month's cycle — we'd rather adjust the timetable than file guesses.”

5. 5

   Software, access, and data security

   Name the tools and the access level. Financial access is a trust question, so address it before it's asked.

   “We work in your QuickBooks Online file — your subscription, your data, accountant-level access rather than the owner login. Bank feeds are read-only; we never hold payment authority and will never initiate a transfer. Documents live in your own cloud folder. If we part ways, we remove our access within two business days and nothing needs migrating, because nothing was ever ours.”

6. 6

   What this engagement is not

   Set the boundary between bookkeeping, tax filing, and advisory. Ambiguity here creates expectations you'll be judged against.

   “This covers bookkeeping: recording, reconciling, and reporting. It does not include tax return preparation or filing, sales-tax registration, audit representation, or CFO-style advisory. We work alongside your CPA and will hand over clean year-end books plus a summary of anything they should look at. If you'd like tax filing quoted, we can refer or price it separately.”

7. 7

   Investment

   Tier the monthly fee by transaction volume so the price scales with the work, and state the review trigger.

   “Cleanup: $1,530 one-time (capped estimate), due on signature. Monthly: $650/month for up to 200 transactions, $850/month up to 400, $1,100/month up to 700 with monthly review calls. Billed on the 1st. If volume moves you into a higher band for two consecutive months, we'll discuss the tier before changing anything.”

8. 8

   Next step + signature

   Make the first step access, and give the client a date they'll see clean books.

   “Sign below and we'll send the access checklist today — cleanup starts this week and corrected year-to-date financials are with you within three weeks. Your first monthly close follows the normal timetable after that.”