--- title: "Catch-up bookkeeping for marketing agencies & consultancies" description: "Catch-up bookkeeping for marketing agencies & consultancies: backlog bookkeeping that clears months or years of transactions, reconciles every account and." url: https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/catch-up-bookkeeping/ updated: 2026-09-11 publisher: LedgerBPO (SS Support Network LLC) language: en-US --- # Catch-up bookkeeping for marketing agencies & consultancies Catch up bookkeeping for marketing agencies & consultancies usually starts when a lender, an acquirer or the tax preparer asks for financials and the QuickBooks Online or Xero file has not been reconciled for months. Our catch-up desk rebuilds the back periods in order: bank and card reconciliations first, then client invoices matched to deposits, then freelancer payments coded to W-9 vendors, then retainers restated to deferred revenue and media split from fees. - Since 2020 - US · UK · CA · AU - Named accountant plus backup - Your software, no lock-in [Get a custom quote](https://ledgerbpo.com/get-a-quote/) [Book a 20-minute call](https://ledgerbpo.com/book-a-call/) Updated September 2026 ## 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 - [QuickBooks Online](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/quickbooks-online/) - [Xero](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/xero/) - [Stripe](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/stripe/) - [Bill.com](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/bill-com/) - [Gusto](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/gusto/) - [Expensify](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/expensify/) - [Dext](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/dext/) - Harvest - [All 50 platforms](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/) ## More for marketing agencies and consultancies Other services for agencies - [Bookkeeping](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/bookkeeping/) - [Invoicing and billing](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/invoicing-and-billing/) - [Accounts receivable](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/accounts-receivable/) - [Accounts payable](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/accounts-payable/) - [Bank reconciliation](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/bank-reconciliation/) - [Month-end close](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/month-end-close/) - [All agencies services](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/) Catch-up bookkeeping in other industries - [Auto repair shops & dealerships](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/auto/catch-up-bookkeeping/) - [Behavioral health practices](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/behavioral-health/catch-up-bookkeeping/) - [Daycares, schools & education](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/childcare-education/catch-up-bookkeeping/) - [Clinical laboratories](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/clinical-labs/catch-up-bookkeeping/) - [The full catch-up bookkeeping page](https://ledgerbpo.com/services/catch-up-bookkeeping/) ## 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. Next step ## Books closed. Invoices paid. Every month. Tell us what is going on with your books or billing. You will hear from a named person within 1 business day, with a custom quote and a plan for the first close. - Reply from a named person within 1 business day - No setup fee, month-to-month - Your software, your data, no lock-in Start with a custom quote [Get a custom quote](https://ledgerbpo.com/get-a-quote/) [Book a 20-minute call](https://ledgerbpo.com/book-a-call/) Or call [+1-657-777-0006](tel:+16577770006) during US, UK or Australian business hours. --- Source: https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/catch-up-bookkeeping/ · Contact: https://ledgerbpo.com/contact/ · Full site map for agents: https://ledgerbpo.com/llms.txt