What QuickBooks Reports Should I Give My Tax Preparer?

Start with the reporting period

Confirm the tax year and accounting basis with your preparer. A report for the current month is not a substitute for the full requested period. Name exported files with the business, report, dates, and basis so nobody has to guess what they are reviewing.

Reports to discuss

• Profit and loss for the requested period.
• Balance sheet at the requested period end.
• General ledger or transaction detail when more context is needed.
• Reconciliation reports and corresponding statements.
• Accounts receivable and payable detail if relevant to your business.

Check the books before exporting

Review uncategorized activity, duplicate bank-feed entries, opening balances, and uncleared items. Do not change prior-year entries simply to make a current report look better. Coordinate corrections that could affect a filed return with your preparer.

Include records outside QuickBooks

Provide requested loan and equipment records, tax information forms, notices, and other items that explain your situation. Payroll or sales information may live in another system. A report can be internally consistent while still missing an account that was never connected.

If the reports disagree

First compare dates, basis, filters, and whether a report was changed after export. If the difference remains, write down the exact reports and totals in question. SV can discuss a QuickBooks cleanup review before you rely on those numbers for filing.