How it runs for marketing agencies and consultancies
Each month is closed and reviewed before the next begins, and you receive a short summary of what changed and what still needs a document from you.
What is catch-up bookkeeping?
Catch-up bookkeeping is a one-time project that records and reconciles months or years of transactions that were never entered. The goal is a set of books where every bank, card and loan balance agrees with the statement and every period can be reported on. It ends when the backlog is current and reconciled, usually followed by ongoing monthly bookkeeping.
What we handle for marketing agencies and consultancies
- Reconcile every back month of bank, card, Stripe and PayPal activity
- Match historical client payments to invoices and clear unapplied cash
- Rebuild contractor payment history for prior-year 1099 reporting
- Restate advance retainers to deferred revenue in the correct periods
- Split historical media pass-throughs from fee revenue
The KPI that matters here
Every back month reconciled and reviewed at a rate of at least 3 months per fortnight, with a running list of missing documents.
Agencies compliance notes
1099 contractor reporting
Agencies rely on freelancers, and the IRS requires Form 1099-NEC for nonemployee compensation above the annual threshold, which is $2,000 for payments made in 2026. We collect W-9s at vendor setup, code every contractor payment, and hand your preparer a reconciled 1099 report each January. Your firm reviews and files; we do not sign.
Retainers and deferred revenue
A retainer billed before the service period is a liability until the work is delivered. We keep a deferred revenue schedule that releases each retainer to income as hours are logged or the month ends, so your P&L matches the work actually performed.
WIP and unbilled revenue
Work delivered but not yet invoiced is an asset that lenders and buyers ask about. We reconcile unbilled hours from Harvest or your PM tool against the ledger monthly, so WIP is real, aged and collectible.
Gross versus net for media
ASC 606 and IFRS 15 ask whether the agency is principal or agent for media it buys on a client's behalf. We apply the treatment your CPA or accountant chooses and keep the pass-through account reconciled to platform statements so the answer is documented.
Agencies software we work in
More for marketing agencies and consultancies
Other services for agencies
Catch-up bookkeeping in other industries
Frequently asked questions
How long does agency catch-up bookkeeping take?
It depends on the number of months, accounts and transactions, but a typical agency with a few bank accounts and a payment processor moves at roughly three back months per fortnight once documents are in hand. The first week is mostly document collection. We quote by scope within 1 business day and give a timeline with the quote.
Can you fix prior-year 1099s during catch-up?
We can rebuild the contractor payment history so your CPA or filing service can issue or correct prior-year 1099-NEC forms. Each freelancer is matched to a W-9 and a full-year payment total across PayPal, Bill.com, Wise and bank transfers. Your firm reviews and files any corrections; we provide the reconciled data.
What do you need from us to start?
Accountant access to your accounting file, statements for every bank, card and payment account, exports from Stripe and PayPal, your client list with contract terms and any contractor W-9s you hold. Our checklist is short and we chase what is missing through LedgerDesk so the work does not stall on paperwork.
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