How it runs for retail stores
A LedgerBPO setup specialist builds or migrates the file, connects Shopify POS, Square, Lightspeed or Clover, merchant and bank feeds, Dext or Bill.com for supplier bills and Gusto or ADP for payroll, then runs a parallel month before the old system is retired.
What is accounting software setup and migration?
Accounting software setup is the configuration of a new ledger: chart of accounts, tax codes, bank feeds, items, users and apps. Migration is moving existing books from another platform or spreadsheet into that ledger so history, open items and balances carry across. Both end with a file that agrees to the old records and is ready for live posting.
What we handle for retail stores
- Chart of accounts built for retail: channels, tenders, tax codes and liabilities
- POS integration configured so daily summaries post by tender and tax rate
- Processor and buy-now-pay-later clearing accounts created per store
- Inventory or cost-of-goods method set up to match your counting practice
- Historical balances migrated and one month run in parallel before go-live
The KPI that matters here
Setup complete and the first parallel month closed within 30 days of access.
Retail compliance notes
Sales tax collection and remittance
Sales tax collected at the register belongs to the state and, in many places, to a city or county too, each with its own rate and filing frequency. We reconcile the tax collected in your POS to the liability in the ledger every month and prepare the workings for each jurisdiction. Your registered preparer or your Avalara or TaxJar subscription files the return; we prepare, we do not file.
Economic nexus for online sales
Since the Wayfair decision in 2018, a store selling online can owe sales tax in states where it has no premises once it passes that state's threshold, commonly $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions. We track sales by ship-to state from Shopify or your marketplace reports and flag when a threshold is near so you and your advisor can register in time.
Inventory shrinkage and counts
Shrink from theft, damage, miscounts and vendor errors reduces gross margin and, if unrecorded, overstates both inventory on the balance sheet and profit. We book count adjustments when you supply cycle or full counts, separate known write-offs such as damaged goods from unexplained variance, and report shrink as a percentage of sales each period.
Gift cards and unclaimed property
Gift-card sales are recorded as a liability and released to revenue on redemption, with breakage recognized only under the method your CPA sets. Several states treat unredeemed balances as unclaimed property after a dormancy period. We keep a card-level liability schedule so the annual unclaimed-property review is a report, not a reconstruction.
Retail software we work in
- Shopify
- Square
- QuickBooks Online
- Xero
- Avalara
- TaxJar
- Dext
- Lightspeed
- Clover
- All 50 platforms
More for retail stores
Other services for retail
Software setup and migration in other industries
Frequently asked questions
Should a retail store use QuickBooks Online or Xero?
Both handle retail well when set up correctly. QuickBooks Online has a broader set of POS integrations in the US and its Plus and Advanced tiers add locations and inventory; Xero suits stores already on it or whose accountant prefers it. We set up either; the deciding factors are your POS, your CPA and any multi-store reporting you need.
Will the POS integration post every sale or a daily summary?
A daily summary by tender, tax rate and store is what we recommend and configure. Posting every individual sale bloats the ledger and adds nothing to the financial statements, while the daily summary still reconciles to the Z-report and each card batch. Item-level detail stays in the POS, where category reporting comes from.
Can you migrate from QuickBooks Desktop or another bookkeeper's file?
Yes, we export the historical data, rebuild the chart of accounts for retail, bring in opening balances including inventory and gift-card liabilities, and reconcile them to bank statements before go-live. The old file stays available for reference. The bank reconciliation service for retail stores then takes over daily matching from the first live month.
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