How it runs for limo, taxi and rideshare fleets
Revenue is posted by month from trips rather than deposits, platform and card fees are restated, vehicle and loan schedules are rebuilt, gratuities and service charges are separated and every account is reconciled to the cut-over date. You get a clean start and a list of what could not be supported.
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 limo, taxi and rideshare fleets
- Completed trips posted by month, vehicle and channel from dispatch-system history
- App payouts and card settlements restated to gross fares, fees and pass-throughs
- Vehicle purchases, sales, loans and depreciation schedules rebuilt from dealer and lender documents
- Driver settlements, tips and service charges reconstructed from settlement records and payroll
- Written list of unsupported items and open questions for your review
The KPI that matters here
Backlog months reconciled and delivered on the agreed schedule with a signed-off list of unsupported items.
Limo & taxi compliance notes
Local licensing and permits
Taxi and for-hire licensing is local: medallions or permits from a city taxi commission, state public utility or transportation authority permits for limousines, airport pickup permits and, for vehicles carrying nine or more passengers across state lines, federal USDOT registration. We track each fee and renewal date, code it by vehicle and keep certificates on file. Applications and renewals are submitted by you or your permit service.
Driver classification: 1099 or employee
Whether a driver is an employee or an independent contractor depends on federal and state tests that differ, and app drivers in California fall under Proposition 22. We post pay exactly as your arrangement and your counsel define it, keep contractor and employee costs in separate accounts, and prepare the 1099 and W-2 figures at year end. We do not decide classification.
App payouts and platform reporting
Uber, Lyft and similar platforms deposit net payouts weekly and issue year-end tax forms based on gross fares, which will not match the deposits. We keep gross fares, platform fees, tolls and incentives in separate accounts so the ledger can be reconciled to the platform's annual statement and to the bank without adjustment.
Surcharges, sales tax and gratuities
Congestion surcharges, airport fees, ground-transportation taxes and, in some states, sales tax on limousine services are collected from passengers and remitted on their own schedules. Mandatory service charges are wages, not tips, under IRS rules. We track each collected amount as a liability and post gratuities under the rule your CPA confirms; you or your preparer files the returns.
Limo & taxi software we work in
- QuickBooks Online
- Xero
- Square
- Stripe
- Gusto
- Limo Anywhere
- Moovs
- iCabbi and Autocab dispatch
- Uber and Lyft fleet portals
- All 50 platforms
More for limo, taxi and rideshare fleets
Other services for limo & taxi
Catch-up bookkeeping in other industries
Frequently asked questions
What records do you need to rebuild fleet books?
Dispatch-system trip and invoice history by month, Uber and Lyft fleet statements, card processor reports, bank, credit-card and loan statements, vehicle purchase and finance documents, insurance and permit records, driver settlement statements and payroll registers, plus prior tax returns. If the dispatch and platform history is intact we can usually rebuild the rest. Missing months are flagged, not estimated silently.
Can you separate tips and service charges retroactively?
Usually, from card processor reports, invoice history and settlement records that show what was collected and what was paid to drivers. We restate the back months so voluntary tips, mandatory service charges and driver wages each sit in their own accounts and prepare a summary for your CPA to decide on any payroll corrections. We do not file amended returns ourselves.
How long does a fleet catch-up take?
It depends on the number of back months, vehicles, channels and bank accounts, and on how quickly dispatch and platform history can be pulled. A single-entity fleet with a year of backlog and complete statements is usually a few weeks of work. We quote after reviewing the file, work to an agreed schedule and then move you onto a monthly close.
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