ALDRO ACCOUNTING — BOOKKEEPING HANDOVER CHECKLIST
https://aldro.ai/resources/bookkeeping-handover-checklist
Published October 19, 2026

An organizational aid for a first bookkeeping conversation. This is not a complete list of tax records or filing requirements.

[ ] Describe your business
Note your country, business structure and how you earn revenue. You can describe the setup without sharing identification numbers.

[ ] Find the last completed month
Write down the last month that was reconciled, then list any missing months. If you are unsure, mark it as a question for the call.

[ ] Choose what you want help with
Separate ongoing bookkeeping, historical catch-up and tax filing. Ask which of these are covered by the proposed work.

[ ] Make an account list
Count the business bank, credit card and payment-processing accounts involved. A list of account types is enough for the introductory conversation.

[ ] Locate sales and payment records
Find your invoices, sales summaries and payment-processor reports. Note where sales, fees and deposits are recorded.

[ ] Locate purchase and expense records
Find statements, supplier invoices, receipts and payment records. Group available files by period and note any gaps.

[ ] Find your existing books
Note the software or spreadsheet you use and whether a recent income statement, balance sheet or transaction export is available.

[ ] Flag additional moving parts
Mention payroll, inventory, loans, sales-tax reporting or multiple business entities. Ask how each affects the agreed service.

[ ] List unresolved questions
Note unfamiliar transactions, missing records and any dates you need to discuss. Avoid including passwords or account numbers in that list.

[ ] Choose the point of contact
Decide who can answer questions about transactions and approve the work. Agree how questions will be collected and answered.

[ ] Confirm the quote
Check the periods, accounts, deliverables, currency, timing and payment schedule. Ask what happens if the records reveal additional work.

[ ] Agree a document-sharing method
Ask the team how to provide files and any necessary access after the scope is agreed. Keep financial documents out of public enquiry forms.

Keep financial documents, passwords, identification and account numbers out of public enquiry forms. Ask the team how to share records after scope is agreed.

US recordkeeping reference: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/what-kind-of-records-should-i-keep