Creations · South Africa
Bookkeeping that keeps the records usable
Organise transactions, reconcile bank accounts and keep supporting documents connected to the ledger. A practical routine for South African owners and finance teams.
What the work covers
Use this scope to identify what you need. Your proposal will confirm the services, records, reporting frequency and fees for your business.
- Capture and allocation of agreed sales and expense transactions
- Bank reconciliations with unmatched items identified
- Debtor and creditor schedules
- A maintained ledger and trial balance
- Supporting documents linked or organised for review
- A handover of queries and records needed for the next period
What to prepare
Tell us which records are available and where there are gaps. We can then distinguish ongoing work from any initial catch-up.
- Bank and payment-provider statements for the agreed period
- Sales invoices, supplier invoices, credit notes and receipts
- Prior balances and access to the agreed accounting system
- Approved payroll summaries, loan information and explanations of unusual transactions
Timing and responsibility
Timing depends on the records, approvals and work required. Tell us about any deadline at the start. The engagement should identify the person handling your work, the review responsibilities and any external specialist needed.
What a bank reconciliation should tell you
Start with the statement closing balance and compare it with the accounting records for the same date. Check outstanding payments, receipts in transit, fees and transfers. An unexplained difference should remain an open item with an owner and supporting evidence.
A reconciliation is not complete simply because a screen shows zero. Duplicated transactions, personal spending and entries forced into a suspense account can still make the records unreliable.
A manageable monthly handover
Agree a cutoff for documents and a way to answer queries. Separate business and personal transactions, retain original invoices and describe transfers between accounts. These small controls make later reporting and tax preparation easier.
If records are behind, establish the earliest reliable opening balance, the missing periods and the evidence available. Catch-up work should have its own scope before a routine monthly service begins.
How the work progresses
- 01
Review the requirement
Discuss the records, systems, deadlines and decisions the work needs to support.
- 02
Agree the scope
Confirm the deliverables, fees, responsibilities and any initial catch-up work.
- 03
Prepare and resolve
Work through the records, raise queries and obtain the required approvals.
- 04
Review and hand over
Provide the agreed outputs and identify outstanding matters and next steps.
Questions before you start
Does bookkeeping include my tax returns?
Not automatically. Bookkeeping provides records that support tax preparation. VAT, payroll and income-tax submissions must be included explicitly in the engagement if you need them.
Can I keep using my accounting software?
Discuss your current system and access arrangements before changing it. The initial review should establish whether the existing setup works and what cleanup or migration, if any, is needed.
How often should the records be updated?
That depends on the number of transactions and when you need the information. A business making frequent cash or stock decisions may need updates more often than a business using only a monthly reporting cycle.
What happens when a document is missing?
The transaction should be flagged and the missing support requested. Do not assume an expense is deductible or VAT can be claimed merely because a bank payment exists.
Official guidance
Practical guides
Follow this bookkeeping services engagement checklist to review scope, exclusions, handover terms, client duties, and month-end expectations before signing.
Follow this catch-up bookkeeping checklist to rebuild overdue records and move back into a controlled monthly bookkeeping process.
Let’s define the next step.
Tell us what you need, what is outstanding and when it matters.