The Work a Bookkeeper Handles for a Business
A bookkeeper maintains the transaction records that help a business understand its finances. The work can include organizing income and expenses, reconciling accounts, reviewing unpaid invoices and bills, and preparing reports from the completed records. The exact responsibilities should be defined in the service agreement.
Turn daily activity into organized records
Sales, purchases, refunds, transfers and financing need to be recorded in the right accounts. A bank feed may import part of that activity, but someone still needs to check context, match existing entries and request missing information. This is how a deposit becomes a documented customer payment rather than an unexplained number in the bank feed.
Check the records against outside evidence
Reconciliation compares the books with statements from banks, card providers and other relevant accounts. The review investigates missing items, duplicates and timing differences. Supporting records remain important because matching a bank balance does not prove that every purchase was categorized correctly or that every customer invoice was entered.
Keep the owner and tax preparer informed
Completed records support financial reports and an organized handoff for tax preparation. A bookkeeper can flag unusual changes and items that need your decision. Tax advice, return preparation, payroll processing, audit work and payment authorization are separate responsibilities unless expressly included and appropriately provided. Agreeing on documents, delivery dates and who handles exceptions helps the relationship work smoothly from the first month.