client-cleanup-triagelisted

# Client Cleanup Triage ## When to use this - A prospect says their books are "a little behind" (they are usually more than a little behind). - You are taking over from a previous bookkeeper and need to know what you are inheriting. - Tax prep revealed a balance sheet that does not tie to anything. - You need to price a catch-up or cleanup engagement without guessing. ## What to gather first Ask the user for: 1. Country (US/AU/NZ/UK/CA) and accounting software (QuickBooks Online, Xero, MYOB, desktop file, spreadsheets). 2. What access exists: read-only login, or exported reports. The most useful reports: Balance Sheet (all dates and as of last year-end), A/R and A/P aging, reconciliation reports per account, and the audit log/history. 3. The period involved (when were the books last known to be right, usually the last filed tax return). 4. Why the client thinks they need help, in their words. 5. Who kept the books before (owner, family member, prior bookkeeper) and whether that person is still reachable. 6. Whether a tax deadline is driving the timeline. Do not proceed to scoring on vibes alone; if reports are not available, the first deliverable is the request list for them. ## Workflow 1. Run the diagnostic question list. Answer from reports where possible and ask the client for the rest: - Last reconciled date for every bank account and credit card. "Never" is an answer and it matters. - Count of uncategorized transactions (Uncategorized Income/Expense, Ask My Ac