Monthly Bookkeeping Services Chicago, IL
We close your books every month, reconcile every account and send you financial reports you can actually read. Chicago business owners get clear numbers twelve times a year instead of one scramble at tax time.
Your books, closed every month
- Every transaction categorized
- Bank and credit card accounts reconciled
- Profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow
- Illinois sales tax and payroll entries tracked
- A quick review call when you want one
- Books ready for tax time, all year
Certified on the platforms our clients use
A monthly close, not a once-a-year cleanup
Most small businesses only look at their books when a tax deadline forces them to. By then, receipts are missing, bank feeds are out of balance and nobody remembers what a transfer from March was for. Monthly bookkeeping fixes that by closing each month while the details are still fresh.
Every month we record and categorize your transactions, reconcile your bank and credit card accounts to the statements, post payroll and sales tax activity, and send you a profit and loss statement, balance sheet and cash flow report. You know where the business stands before you make a hiring, pricing or spending decision, and your business tax return is built from numbers that were checked all year.
Monthly service is one part of our full Chicago bookkeeping services. If your books are already months behind, we start with a bookkeeping cleanup and then keep you current from there.
What our monthly bookkeeping covers
The same checklist runs every month, so nothing slips between closes.
Transaction Categorization
Every deposit, card charge and payment is coded to the right account, with questions sent to you in one short list instead of a dozen emails.
QuickBooks bookkeeping →Bank and Card Reconciliation
Each bank, credit card and loan account is matched to its statement, so duplicates, missing entries and bank errors are caught the same month.
Bank reconciliation →Monthly Financial Reports
A profit and loss statement, balance sheet and cash flow report each month, with comparisons to prior months so trends are easy to spot.
Accounting services →Receivables and Payables
We track who owes you and who you owe, with aging reports that show late customer invoices and upcoming bills before they become a problem.
All bookkeeping services →Payroll and Sales Tax Entries
Payroll runs and Illinois sales tax collected are posted correctly each month, so liabilities on your balance sheet match what you actually owe.
Payroll services →Year-End Tax Package
Because the books are closed monthly, year-end is a review, not a rebuild. We hand your preparer clean books or file the return ourselves.
Business tax preparation →What your monthly reports tell you
The profit and loss statement shows whether you made money last month and where it went. Comparing it month over month shows which costs are creeping up and which services or locations carry the business. The balance sheet shows what the business owns and owes on the last day of the month, including cash, loans, credit card balances and taxes collected but not yet paid.
The cash flow report explains why profit and cash in the bank are rarely the same number, which is the question we hear most from owners. Receivables and payables aging reports round it out by showing which customers are paying late and which bills are coming due. If you would like to walk through the numbers, we schedule a short review call so the reports turn into decisions, not just files.
Your monthly bookkeeping calendar
A predictable rhythm, so you always know what is due, what we are working on and when reports arrive.
What to look for in a monthly bookkeeping service
Software can categorize transactions. A good bookkeeper makes sure the numbers are right and that you understand them.
A consistent close
Reports you can read
A real person to call
Books built for tax time
Monthly bookkeeping for Chicago small businesses
We set up the chart of accounts and reports around how your industry actually earns and spends. See all industries →
Rated 5.0 by 100+ clients on Google
Business owners trust us to keep their books current month after month. Here is what they say.
What we need from you each month
Most of it flows in automatically once accounts are connected. The rest takes a few minutes.
- Access to your business bank and credit card accounts or monthly statements
- Your QuickBooks, Xero or other accounting login
- Sales reports from your POS or online store
- Payroll reports if someone else runs payroll
- Receipts or notes for large or unusual purchases
- Any IRS or Illinois tax letters you receive
Behind on your books?
Monthly bookkeeping works best on a clean starting point. If your books are months or years behind, we catch them up first with a bookkeeping cleanup, then move you to monthly service.
Running an S corp? See our S corporation bookkeeping.
Book a consultation →Monthly bookkeeping questions
Want to talk it through? Call (312) 810-3603 and speak with our team.
Book a consultation →How much does monthly bookkeeping cost?
It depends on how many accounts and transactions you have each month and whether you also need payroll or tax filing. We give you a clear monthly quote after a short consultation.
What is included in monthly bookkeeping?
Transaction categorization, bank and credit card reconciliation, payroll and sales tax entries, receivables and payables tracking, and monthly profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow reports.
When will I get my monthly financial reports?
On a set schedule we agree on when you start, after each month is closed and reconciled. You can add a review call any month to go over the numbers.
Do I need monthly bookkeeping or is quarterly enough?
Quarterly works for some very small businesses. If you have employees, collect Illinois sales tax, carry inventory or want to make decisions from current numbers, monthly is the better fit.
Do you work in QuickBooks or Xero?
Yes. Our team is certified in QuickBooks Online and Xero, and we can work in the software you already use or help you move to a better fit.
Can you help with Illinois sales tax?
Yes. Your books track sales tax collected each month, which makes Illinois sales tax returns accurate and easy to file. Monthly filers are generally due by the 20th of the following month.
My books are behind. Can I still start monthly bookkeeping?
Yes. We start with a bookkeeping cleanup to bring past months up to date, then move you to monthly service so you never fall behind again.
What is the difference between bookkeeping and accounting?
Bookkeeping records and reconciles the day-to-day transactions. Accounting uses those records for financial statements, tax planning and business decisions. We handle both, so the same team knows your numbers.
Ready for books that stay current?
Book a consultation and we will review where your books stand today and set up a monthly close that fits your business.