How to Do Bookkeeping for a Small Business

Bookkeeping provides a framework for small businesses to track financial activities by systematically recording all monetary transactions. This practice allows business owners to understand their financial health, enabling informed decision-making. It also ensures compliance with reporting obligations, making tax preparation and other regulatory submissions straightforward.

Setting Up Your Bookkeeping System

Setting up your bookkeeping system begins with selecting an accounting method: cash basis or accrual basis. Cash basis accounting recognizes income when cash is received and expenses when paid out, making it simpler for very small businesses or those without inventory. Accrual basis accounting records income when earned and expenses when incurred, regardless of when cash changes hands, providing a more accurate picture of a business’s long-term financial performance. The IRS requires businesses with inventory to use the accrual method, while businesses with average annual gross receipts of $29 million or less over the three prior tax years may use the cash method.

Organizing financial data requires creating a chart of accounts. This list categorizes transactions into assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, and expenses. For instance, an asset account might be “Cash in Bank,” a liability account “Accounts Payable,” a revenue account “Sales Revenue,” and an expense account “Rent Expense.” A well-structured chart of accounts ensures consistency in recording and simplifies financial report generation.

Separate business and personal finances entirely. Open dedicated bank accounts and credit cards for business operations. Commingling funds can complicate tracking, lead to errors, and create challenges during tax preparation or an audit. Maintaining separate accounts provides a clear audit trail and reinforces the business’s identity.

Choosing the right bookkeeping tool depends on the business’s size, complexity, and budget. Simple spreadsheets might suffice for very small businesses with few transactions. Dedicated bookkeeping software, such as QuickBooks or Xero, provides automated features for transaction recording, categorization, and report generation, suitable for growing businesses with more complex needs. Alternatively, hiring a professional bookkeeper can offload the entire process, with costs ranging from $50 to $500 per month depending on services and business volume.

Recording Daily Financial Transactions

After setting up your bookkeeping system, consistently record daily financial transactions. Tracking income accurately is important for understanding your business’s revenue streams. This includes recording sales revenue, service fees, or other money received from business activities. Invoices issued to customers and receipts for cash sales serve as primary documentation, which should then be linked to corresponding bank deposits.

Recording expenses involves detailing money spent by the business. This encompasses categories such as supplies, rent, utilities, marketing costs, and professional services. Each expense should be accurately categorized according to your established chart of accounts. Retaining physical or digital receipts and invoices for all expenses is important, as these documents provide verifiable proof for tax purposes and internal audits.

For businesses with employees, managing payroll involves recording gross wages, employee deductions for taxes and benefits, and employer contributions for Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment taxes. While complex tax calculations are handled by payroll service providers, the resulting expense figures must be accurately entered into your bookkeeping system. This ensures payroll costs are correctly reflected in your financial statements.

Handling petty cash and employee reimbursements. Petty cash, used for small, incidental expenses, should have a dedicated log with receipts attached. For employee reimbursements, a clear policy should require employees to submit expense reports with supporting documentation. Recording these small transactions ensures all cash outflows are accounted for and properly categorized.

Reconciling Accounts and Generating Reports

Once daily financial transactions are recorded, perform bank reconciliations. This involves comparing transactions recorded in your bookkeeping system with those listed on your bank and credit card statements. This process helps identify discrepancies, such as unrecorded transactions, bank errors, or outstanding checks, allowing for corrections. Regular reconciliation, done monthly, confirms your cash balance in the books matches the bank’s records.

After reconciliation, your bookkeeping system can generate three primary financial reports. The Profit & Loss (P&L) statement, also known as an Income Statement, summarizes your revenues and expenses over a specific period, such as a month or a quarter, to show your net profit or loss. This report is generated directly from the categorized income and expense accounts in your system.

The Balance Sheet provides a snapshot of your business’s financial health. It details your assets (what the business owns), liabilities (what the business owes), and equity (the owner’s stake in the business), following the accounting equation: Assets = Liabilities + Equity. Your bookkeeping software compiles this report from the balances in your asset, liability, and equity accounts.

The Cash Flow Statement tracks the movement of cash into and out of your business over a period, categorized into operating, investing, and financing activities. This report is valuable as it shows how cash is being generated and used, which can differ significantly from the profit reported on the P&L statement due to non-cash transactions. Most bookkeeping software can generate this statement by analyzing the cash impacts of recorded transactions. Reviewing these reports helps identify unusual trends, significant changes, or obvious errors.

Ongoing Bookkeeping Maintenance

Maintaining accurate bookkeeping records requires a consistent schedule. Setting aside specific times, whether weekly or monthly, to review transactions, categorize new entries, and perform reconciliations prevents backlogs. A regular routine helps catch errors early.

Proper record keeping and documentation are important for compliance and operational efficiency. All financial documents, including receipts, invoices, bank statements, and payroll records, should be organized and securely stored. Digital storage solutions are often preferred, but physical copies should also be maintained for a recommended period, often seven years, to comply with IRS record retention requirements. Well-organized records simplify retrieving information for audits, tax preparation, or internal reviews.

Good bookkeeping supports tax preparation. By consistently recording and categorizing all income and expenses, a business generates the data needed for federal and state tax forms. Organized financial records reduce time spent searching for information and the likelihood of errors, contributing to smoother tax compliance. The detailed reports from a well-maintained bookkeeping system provide the foundation for calculating taxable income and allowable deductions.

Small businesses may benefit from professional help. If transactions become too numerous or complex, if the business begins to hold inventory, or if specific tax implications arise, hiring a professional bookkeeper or accountant is an option. They can provide ongoing support, handle complex tasks, or offer advice on financial strategies.

References

IRS. Cash Method of Accounting. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-20-19.pdf. Accessed August 3, 2025.
IRS. How long should I keep records? https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-long-should-i-keep-records. Accessed August 3, 2025.