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QuickBooks Bookkeeping Services in Los Angeles (2026)
Short answer: In Los Angeles you can keep QuickBooks yourself, hire a freelance bookkeeper, use a bookkeeping firm, or have a tax firm keep the books so they match your returns. All State Tax Resolution, a Los Angeles firm led by an Enrolled Agent (a tax professional licensed by the IRS), does QuickBooks cleanup, catch-up and monthly books for a flat fee quoted after we see your volume.
Where to find QuickBooks bookkeeping in Los Angeles
There are four realistic routes. Four questions decide between them. How many accounts and monthly transactions do you have? How far behind are the books? Do you pay employees or sell goods, which brings in the Employment Development Department (EDD) and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA)? And who would answer an agency's questions about your books?
A low-volume business that is current can reasonably stay in QuickBooks itself. One that is months behind, or has payroll or sales tax, usually needs someone else's time.
Your options in Los Angeles
Do it yourself in QuickBooks — Who it suits: A low-volume business with time to reconcile every month; What you get: Full control and no outside fee; Watch-outs: Reconciliation can slip, and nobody else reviews your categories
Freelance bookkeeper — Who it suits: An owner who wants the books off their desk and is comfortable managing one person; What you get: Regular categorizing and reconciling, usually from one familiar contact; Watch-outs: Coverage when that person is unavailable; ask who handles agency questions
Bookkeeping firm — Who it suits: Higher volume, several accounts or more than one entity; What you get: A team, set routines and a backup if someone is out; Watch-outs: Ask who personally touches your file and what you receive each month
Tax firm that also keeps the books — Who it suits: An owner who wants books, returns and agency notices handled by one team; What you get: Books built to produce the return, and one team to answer if an agency writes; Watch-outs: Confirm the credential and what the flat fee covers, in writing
Free government routes explain rules but do not keep books. The City of Los Angeles Office of Finance, the CDTFA (1-800-400-7115), the EDD (1-888-745-3886) and the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) each say what they require, and Los Angeles County's Department of Consumer and Business Affairs publishes free tax help resources for residents. IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers answer account questions by appointment at 844-545-5640, and VITA and TCE volunteer sites prepare returns for eligible taxpayers. For IRS disputes, Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (listed in IRS Publication 4134) and the Taxpayer Advocate Service, (213) 576-3140, are free or low-cost routes, but they do not keep books.
A bookkeeper keeps the records. An Enrolled Agent, CPA or attorney can also represent you before the IRS, which matters if the books are ever questioned.
Book a free 15-minute tax review if you are not sure which route fits your volume. Bring a list of your accounts and a rough count of monthly transactions.
What cleanup, catch-up and monthly books mean
Cleanup fixes what already exists: miscategorized or duplicated transactions and accounts that were never reconciled.
Catch-up enters months or years that were never done, usually from bank and card statements.
Monthly books are the ongoing routine: reconciliation, categorization, and a monthly profit and loss and balance sheet.
A monthly close should leave you with reconciled accounts and those two reports. Books are what a Schedule C, Form 1065, Form 1120-S or Form 1120 is prepared from, and what an auditor asks for first.
The first 30 days of a cleanup
Week one: inventory every account. List each bank account, credit card, loan and payment processor, and collect log-ins and statements for every month to be fixed.
Week one: separate personal from business. Flag personal spending in business accounts and business spending on personal cards.
Weeks two and three: reconcile, oldest month first. Tie each account's balance to its statement so every month starts from a correct number.
Weeks two and three: fix the categories. Remove duplicates, recategorize misposted items and clear any holding accounts, such as uncategorized income and expenses.
Week four: check the filed numbers. If you pay employees, compare payroll reports with your Forms 941 and 940 and the EDD's DE 9 and DE 9C. If you sell goods, compare sales with what you reported to the CDTFA.
Week four: run the first reports and set the routine. Produce a profit and loss and a balance sheet, then agree who enters, who reconciles and when your preparer receives the file for your Schedule C, Form 1065, Form 1120-S or Form 1120.
The goal by day 30 is every account reconciled through its latest statement, a profit and loss and balance sheet for each month fixed, and a monthly routine with names and dates attached. Keep it clean afterward with a separate business account and card and a fixed reconciliation day.
How long to keep business records
A typical return — How long to keep records: Generally 3 years from filing
More than 25% of income left off a return — How long to keep records: 6 years
No return filed, or a fraudulent return — How long to keep records: No time limit
Employment tax records — How long to keep records: At least 4 years
California (FTB) — How long to keep records: At least 4 years from filing, because the FTB generally has 4 years from filing to assess
Why books matter in Los Angeles
A Los Angeles business can answer to several agencies, and each one works from your books.
City of Los Angeles Office of Finance — What they look at in your books: Gross receipts, which the business tax is measured on; the Business Tax Registration Certificate is renewed by the last day of February every year, even with no revenue
CDTFA — What they look at in your books: Sales and use tax, which it audits from the books
EDD — What they look at in your books: Worker classification and payroll, which it audits from the books
IRS and FTB — What they look at in your books: The return itself, prepared from the books
S corporation owners — What they look at in your books: Reasonable wages and distributions, which the books have to show
In West Hollywood the City of West Hollywood handles the business tax certificate, but the books you need are the same. Freelance crews, editors and musicians are paid with no withholding, so tax is due through estimated payments, and the IRS requires the income to be reported whether or not a tax form arrives. The books are how you know what to pay. Personal and business money in one account is the most common cleanup problem we see, because it blurs receipts, expenses and owner pay all at once.
How to check whoever you hire
Credential. Ask what credential, if any, the person holds and what it lets them do if an agency questions your books. You can verify any Enrolled Agent's status with the IRS, through its public directory of credentialed preparers or its Office of Enrollment.
Fee. Ask for a flat fee in writing after they have seen your volume, meaning your accounts and monthly transactions, not a number quoted blind.
Who does the work. Ask who personally reconciles your accounts, who reviews that work, and what you will receive each month and by what day.
Promises. Be cautious of anyone who promises a result before seeing your files, and keep administrator access to your own QuickBooks file.
What we do and how we work with Los Angeles clients
I'm Sabih Shafi, an Enrolled Agent licensed by the IRS under Treasury Circular 230, and the founder of All State Tax Resolution in Los Angeles. We do QuickBooks cleanup, catch-up and monthly books in QuickBooks Online, and we also clean up QuickBooks Desktop files. Because we prepare the returns too, the books are built to produce the Schedule C, Form 1065, Form 1120-S or Form 1120 and to answer IRS, FTB or EDD questions.
The fee is flat and quoted in writing after we see the volume (your accounts and monthly transactions), because the volume sets the price. We work by phone, video and a secure client portal, so you do not need to visit an office, and we serve Los Angeles and the rest of Southern California remotely from our Los Angeles base. You can reach us at (323) 900-0305.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find bookkeeping services with QuickBooks in Los Angeles?
You have four routes: keep QuickBooks yourself, hire a freelance bookkeeper, use a bookkeeping firm, or use a tax firm that also keeps the books. Choose by monthly transaction volume, how far behind the books are, and who can speak for you if the IRS, FTB, EDD or CDTFA asks questions. We do QuickBooks cleanup, catch-up and monthly books for Los Angeles businesses by phone, video and secure portal.
Where can I get help organizing my business books in Los Angeles?
Start with a cleanup: list every account, separate personal from business spending, reconcile each month against its statement and fix the categories. A freelance bookkeeper, a bookkeeping firm or a tax firm can do this work, while free government resources, such as the tax help resources Los Angeles County's Department of Consumer and Business Affairs publishes, do not keep your books. Our fee is flat and in writing once we see your accounts and monthly transactions.
What is the difference between bookkeeping cleanup, catch-up and monthly books?
Cleanup fixes miscategorized or duplicated transactions and unreconciled accounts. Catch-up enters months or years that were never done, usually from bank and card statements. Monthly books are the ongoing routine of reconciliation, categorization, and a monthly profit and loss and balance sheet.
How long do I need to keep business records?
For IRS purposes, keep records generally 3 years from filing. Keep them 6 years if more than 25% of income was left off a return, with no limit if no return was filed or it was fraudulent, and at least 4 years for employment tax records. The FTB generally has 4 years from filing to assess, so keep California records at least that long.
Do I need books for the City of Los Angeles business tax?
Yes. The city's business tax is measured on gross receipts, and the Business Tax Registration Certificate is renewed by the last day of February every year, even with no revenue, so you need each year's gross receipts on hand. For the current rate, check with the Office of Finance.
Last reviewed: October 2026 by Sabih Shafi, EA
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Talk to an Enrolled Agent
This article is general information, not individual tax advice. If you want to talk through your own IRS or state balance, book a free 15-minute review or call or text us directly.
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