Close the books before you file

If the bank rec is three months behind, the return will inherit every missing check and personal charge. We would rather close January in February than reconstruct a year in a week.

What “closed” means here

Every account reconciled, owner draws separated, sales tax tied out, payroll liabilities matching the 941s. Then we file.

If you are starting mid-year, we catch up once, then stay current. That is cheaper than two years of cleanup after a notice.