These criteria were disregarded for providers where no reviews were found. Because each plan depends on many factors, we looked at the value provided in terms of the time and potential money that you’re saving by using the service. You’ll also see a step-by-step task list maintained by your bookkeeper, which shows the tasks that have been completed. Using the QuickBooks Live service is often cheaper than hiring an independent bookkeeper who will likely charge you hourly, which makes budgeting the expense a chore as it probably will change monthly. If you have historical records for your business, we’ll review your books during your first appointment to see if you’re eligible.

Typical cleanup is complete within 30 days after receiving all necessary documentation. Connect one-on-one with experts so you can manage your books with ease. Feel confident about your business and your books with QuickBooks experts by your side to help you succeed. Sign up to receive more well-researched small business articles and topics in your inbox, personalized for you. Keep reading Forbes Advisor for the chance to see the answer to your question in one of our upcoming stories. See articles customized for your product and join our large community of QuickBooks users.

Frequently asked questions

QuickBooks Live Bookkeeping offers online bookkeeping services that connect small businesses with trusted, QuickBooks-certified virtual 3 ways to write a receipt bookkeepers. Depending on the service you choose, a bookkeeper can give you guidance or take the lead on your bookkeeping. QuickBooks Live doesn’t provide payroll, invoicing, bill pay services, and tax and consulting services, such as chief financial officer (CFO) advisory. However, it contains features that can assist your monthly bookkeeping needs.

1. QuickBooks’ score could’ve been higher in this criterion if it offered sales tax return filing and CFO services.
2. These monthly meetings are a great time to get a status update on your books and go over key financial statements.
3. You’ll also see a step-by-step task list maintained by your bookkeeper, which shows the tasks that have been completed.
4. Because each plan depends on many factors, we looked at the value provided in terms of the time and potential money that you’re saving by using the service.
5. QuickBooks vets bookkeepers to ensure they are certified in QuickBooks accounting software and have the experience to manage accounts.

QuickBooks Live and Ignite Spot Accounting are two competitively priced services, where Decimal is substantially higher in cost for the same services. One thing that we found that separated QuickBooks Live from the competition was its accuracy guarantee. Some businesses will appreciate this guarantee that the service stands behind its work. If you haven’t worked with a bookkeeper before, it may take you some time to learn how to utilize the QuickBooks Live service best. While maintaining the records is relatively straightforward, getting valuable reporting pertinent to your business may take some time working with your dedicated bookkeeper. While reports are easy to run, you may find that you need some reports and not others to best get a pulse on your business’s finances.

You should be able to access a dedicated bookkeeper how do you calculate the break-even point in terms of sales for any questions or advice and one-on-one assistance. The service’s biggest drawback is its limited services and lack of access to financial advice. Other customers wished it was possible to call someone directly rather than wait for a response or set up a meeting. If you invoke the guarantee, QuickBooks will conduct a full n evaluation of the Live bookkeeper’s work.

Schedule and manage appointments with your bookkeeper

With Live Expert Full-Service Bookkeeping we pair you with a dedicated bookkeeper who will bring your books up to date and then manage your monthly books for you, so you can focus on your business. With Live Expert Full-Service Bookkeeping, your dedicated bookkeeper will work with you to get to know quickbooks desktop vs online your business, bring your past books up to date, and manage your bookkeeping for you, start to finish. Live Bookkeeping Messaging connects you to a QuickBooks product expert. Though these experts can’t give you specific bookkeeping advice, they can answer your questions about QuickBooks or connect you to the right resources for bookkeeping help. If you’ve signed up for QuickBooks Live Bookkeeping, you can meet with your bookkeeper at regular monthly appointments. Then, throughout the month, you can stay in touch through the Document and Request Center, or get help with QuickBooks from a product expert.

Focus on your business

Established businesses will start their engagement with QuickBooks Live Bookkeeping’s cleanup services. This step ensures your books are accurate and up to date when your ongoing monthly bookkeeping service commences. You can also meet with them to review reports and receive assistance with any bookkeeping questions. Throughout your engagement with QuickBooks Live Bookkeeping, your bookkeeper will manage your books for you and provide you with month-end reports. They will also help you with ongoing, basic bookkeeping and QuickBooks questions, like how to use QuickBooks’ reporting features, assistance with bank connections, and setting up customers and vendors.

You’ll need to provide QuickBooks with a receipt for the transaction in question, correspondence from your outside tax accountant, or a document stating the balance of the account if an account balance is in question. Your bookkeeper can run detailed reports that give you a clear view of your business, so you have the info you need to make informed decisions and feel confident at tax time. Next, your bookkeeper will take on the monthly management of your books. First, a bookkeeper reviews your chart of accounts and past transactions to bring your books up to date. With QuickBooks Live Expert Full-Service Bookkeeping, a dedicated bookkeeper will get to know your business, bring your past books up to date, and do your book for you, start to finish. You can cancel your QuickBooks Live plan or upgrade from Live Expert Assisted to Live Expert Full-Service Bookkeeping at anytime.

You can also reach out to the extended bookkeeping team at any time. QuickBooks Live is an online bookkeeping service that connects small businesses with trusted, QuickBooks-certified virtual bookkeepers. Your bookkeeper takes the lead on your bookkeeping and runs essential reports so you can focus on your business. There’s no set amount of time you get per month with your bookkeeper, but you can only have one scheduled appointment at a time. That means you won’t be able to sign up for future appointments until you’ve completed your current scheduled one.Here’s how to schedule a monthly live call with your bookkeeper through your mobile app or your browser. We evaluated QuickBooks Live based on tax and consulting services, personal bookkeeper, user reviews, bookkeeping services, and pricing.