Frequently Asked Questions

Every business is unique, so we individualize the service package for each client. Our goal is to set a flat monthly price that lets us maintain your accounting at a price you can afford. When you request a customized quote, we'll call you and ask a few questions about your organization and bookkeeping needs — we're usually able to give you a quote right over the phone. Your price will depend on the overall volume and complexity of your financial transactions, as well as on the mix of services you need.

Absolutely. There's no charge for questions about our services or whether we may be a good fit. Just call our office at (801) 901-3990 or email us at info@backyardbookkeeper.com, and we'll get back to you within a day or two.

Most banks and fintech platforms offer a "guest user" type of access to online banking for business accounts. This kind of access lets us view transaction details, statements, and reports, but doesn't allow us to transfer funds or initiate transactions. Wherever possible, we prefer to set up view-only access to your financial data, since that's safest for both you and us. Where that's not available, we'll discuss other options with you to minimize your risk exposure.

Since the onset of COVID in 2020, we've discontinued onsite services and work entirely remotely. If you're located in or near Salt Lake City, UT, or one of our other hubs, we can arrange occasional in-person meetings. That said, we find we can handle almost all of our work with the remote tools available today, and we frequently host Zoom meetings with our partners and clients.

When you sign up for bookkeeping with us, we assign you a primary bookkeeper who's responsible for your books. We rarely reassign bookkeepers, but you also benefit from the strength of our whole team — we meet regularly, share information securely, and keep each other updated. That way, if your bookkeeper takes time off, your books stay current.

We pride ourselves on being technology-forward and software agnostic. The accounting industry is changing rapidly, and we are committed to keeping up with the pace of change. As of this writing, at least half of our clients still use QuickBooks Online, but we're also familiar with Xero, Wave, Zoho, CosmoLex, and others. We can also work with you to integrate data from other systems, such as Shopify, other POS platforms, CRM, or project management into your company file. Bookkeeping principles stay the same no matter which accounting software you use.

Yes, absolutely. Our remote server is well-encrypted and backed up daily. We follow strict security protocols to keep your data safe, carry cybersecurity insurance to protect both us and our clients, and provide ongoing cybersecurity training for all employees. We partner with Advantage IT for all of our IT and cybersecurity needs.

One of the reasons you're looking for a bookkeeper is simply that you need someone else to take it off your plate so you can focus on other things — let us do that for you. Over the past decade, we've refined our remote tools and processes so we can handle the bulk of the work without needing direct access to your systems — no remoting into your computer, taking up space in your office, or pestering you for information. We reach out with a short list of questions after we've done everything else we can on our own, and once that's done, we issue your financials. It really can be that easy.

Yes, of course, including cybersecurity insurance. We can provide a certificate of insurance upon request.

We've done bookkeeping for businesses across almost every industry imaginable — including construction, professional services, personal services, entertainment, medical, nonprofits, law firms, MLM, retail, e-commerce, SAAS, and cryptocurrency. The only thing we don't handle is bookkeeping for government entities and publicly traded corporations.

Yes. We currently work with clients across various industries whose gross monthly revenues reach eight or nine figures. And if you're not making millions yet, we'll stand with you as you grow — our work gives you the financial data you need for effective decision-making and growth.

We will be launching a tax preparation service arm by the end of 2026. Until then, we will help you generate the financials that empower you to make good business decisions. We act as the bridge between you, your books, and your tax preparer.

Yes, as needed. If your only goal is personal budgeting, you're probably better off using one of the many free online personal finance tools. That said, there are scenarios where people need personal finance tracking — for example, when personal finances are comingled with business, or when someone needs help identifying additional tax deductions. We've also helped prepare household income and expense statements needed for divorce proceedings and similar court cases.

Yes! Payroll requires a different skill set than bookkeeping does, so we have dedicated specialists to support our clients' payroll needs.

We use Gusto for most of our clients. Gusto is best-in-class software and a great fit for businesses that just want to keep things simple. Employees onboard themselves and keep forever access to their paystubs and W-2s, and you get that same access to all of your historical records. Paychecks go out on a regular schedule, tax payments are submitted with every run so you never fall short, and benefits are managed to keep you compliant. When you need more, we can add features like elevated HR support and integrated timesheets. If you need to use a platform other than Gusto, such as ADP, QBO Payroll, or others, we can help you with that too.

Every payroll plan covers the full cycle: direct-deposit paychecks, calculation of any manual checks, and submission of federal, state, and local tax payments and filings. We also prepare and file W-2s, manage payments to employee retirement accounts, and arrange deductions and reimbursements. Organizing payroll, tracking payments, and settling taxes is a lot to juggle — with us, each month all we need from you is employee hours, and we take care of the rest. We do not offer physical check delivery as part of our service. We can run manual payroll and send you manual checks for you to print locally, though.

Getting started is easy. We handle the setup with you up front, and after that all we need each month are your employee hours — we take care of everything else, from paychecks to tax filings.

Yes — law firm bookkeeping is one of our specialties. Typical accounting training doesn't cover trust accounts, so finding the right bookkeeper for your firm can be challenging. Our dedicated legal accounting team has deep experience with trust/IOLTA and retainer accounting, three-way reconciliations, hard and soft cost expense accounting, the financial reporting law firms require, and practice management platforms including Cosmolex, Clio, PracticePanther, and Rocket Matter. Beyond the regular bookkeeping and reconciliations, we review retainer activity every month to confirm transactions are recorded correctly — and when we find an error, we tell you exactly what needs to be done to fix it and supply the documentation to support state bar compliance. We can also help prepare and send invoices so you stay current on receivables.

Absolutely — we love our nonprofits. We know you're held to a higher standard of accountability and transparency, and that your books need to withstand your annual third-party audits. After more than 15 years of serving nonprofits, we've learned no two are alike, so we build a bookkeeping system flexible enough for your classifications, program management, and mix of grants and donations. Our nonprofit services include expense tracking by program, preparing grant reports, submitting invoices and documentation for reimbursement grants, preparing annual budgets and budget progress reports, and financial reporting for your board of directors.