Free bookkeeper handoff checklist
Bookkeeper leaving? Don't let your books leave with them.
Twelve things to get from your bookkeeper before their last day: QuickBooks admin access, every login, what's actually reconciled, and the routine that only lives in their head.
Free. No call, no credit card. Written by Jordan Peacock, a Certified Advanced QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor and bookkeeper in Cranberry Township, PA.
What's on the bookkeeper handoff checklist
Here's what to ask for in each check. The full checklist adds why each one matters, the fix, and a score that tells you how exposed you are.
- 01
You're the primary admin of your QuickBooks
In QuickBooks Online, open Settings, then Manage users, and see who's listed as the primary admin.
- 02
A list of every login the books depend on
Ask for every account they use to keep your books: the bank and card logins behind the bank feeds, payment apps like Stripe or Square, receipt apps, bill pay, payroll, and the state and local tax portals.
- 03
The last month each account was reconciled
For each bank and credit card account, ask for the last statement date they reconciled. In QuickBooks Online it's on the Reconcile page, under History by account.
- 04
Nothing left in Uncategorized or Ask My Accountant
Run a profit and loss report for the year to date and look for Uncategorized Income, Uncategorized Expense, or an Ask My Accountant account with a balance. Then check the balance sheet for Uncategorized Asset.
- 05
The open bills and unpaid invoices are real
Run the A/P aging and A/R aging reports. Go down each list with your bookkeeper.
- 06
Recurring transactions and bank rules are written down
In QuickBooks Online, look at the recurring transactions list and the bank rules. Ask what each one does.
- 07
Contractor paperwork for the 1099s
Ask which contractors you paid $2,000 or more in 2026 (the line was $600 before) and whether there's a W-9 on file for each of them.
- 08
A calendar of every return they file or prepare
Ask which returns they handle or prepare numbers for: sales tax, payroll tax returns if they file them, local taxes, anything else. For each one, the due dates, the portal login, and the last period filed.
- 09
Loans and leases match the lender's statements
Compare each loan and lease balance on the balance sheet to the latest statement from the lender.
- 10
Your CPA's year-end package
Ask what your CPA gets at tax time and when, and where last year's returns and the CPA's adjusting entries are saved.
- 11
The things only they know
Ask one question: "What do you do every month that isn't obvious?" Write down every answer.
- 12
A backup of the books and documents
Ask for year-to-date reports as of their last completed month: profit and loss, balance sheet, general ledger and trial balance. And ask where receipts and documents are stored. Then open Settings, then Audit log, filter by their user, and skim their last 30 days of changes.
Who it's for
- Owners whose bookkeeper is retiring, quitting, or moving on.
- Owners whose books were kept by a family member or office manager who's stepping back.
- Owners switching bookkeeping firms who want a clean starting point.
- Anyone whose bookkeeper has slowed down, and who wants to know what they'd need if things fall apart.
Already behind? See catch-up bookkeeping prices and timelines. Found a mess in checks 4 to 6? That's QuickBooks cleanup. Want it handled for good? See monthly bookkeeping.
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