Yes, we have worked extensively with both the desktop and online programs and can set up your datafile so that it is specific to your individual entity’s needs.

Our approach is to truly understand your business, how it works, and what you, as the owner and/or operations manager, needs to track and analyze. We take the time to learn about your business and operations so that our recommendations for processing actually meet the needs of your entity, rather than just pulling out the standard operating procedure as a one-size-fits-all approach.  You can expect to have multiple team members working on your account because we believe cross training and coverage is vital to your success.   We endeavor to ensure your processing continues regardless of your primary processor’s schedule.

Yes, we prefer to initially meet in person as experience has taught us it is vastly more efficient and helps facilitate a smooth transition over to our services.  We are happy to either meet at your location or at our office. If needed, a remote session or a phone call is always available as well. 

A full charge bookkeeper handles standard bookkeeping tasks but also does additional, more complex duties.  A full charge bookkeeper has the experience and knowledge that is needed to take full responsibility for a company’s finances if required by the client.  This includes preparing monthly statements, balance ledgers, preparing financial reports for the CPA to do the tax return.  Full charge bookkeepers are expected to understand and apply GAAP concepts, double-entry bookkeeping, adjusting journal entries, read a chart of accounts and take a trial balance. 

Full cycle bookkeeping, also known as full cycle accounting, is the process of recording all business transactions during an accounting period, from the beginning to the end. It’s a vital part of managing a small business’s finances, and it ensures accurate and up-to-date records. This information helps businesses make informed decisions and comply with tax regulations

Bookkeepers and accountants sometimes do the same work, but have different skill sets.  In our case, our team, at a minimum, will record transactions and keep your records appropriately organized so that the financial reporting is meaningful for you and your CPA to assure that all necessary activities have been recorded.  We process all activities that an accountant will need to provide their consultation, analysis and advice on tax matters for your entity.

Although setting up the program and adding transactions into your books may seem straightforward; the programs designed and utilized today are telling you that with a click of the button “you too can be processing your own payroll”, however, without the proper setup and understanding of accounting processes, the software, in an attempt to “help ease the burden” may classify into categories that are not truly reflective of your business activities.  Additionally, if you don’t understand the quirks – and they do exist – of the software itself, you can find yourself with a big messy set of books, which can be very costly to clean up.

As far as cost goes, Ascension Accounting’s hourly rate may seem high in comparison to hiring a staff bookkeeper or an office manager.  However, your staff person comes with more than an hourly rate.  You should also consider the cost of employer payroll taxes, benefits and worker compensation insurance premiums, not to mention the expense of paid time off and managing the schedule of your staff person.  An analysis of that fully loaded hourly rate and the time you actually spend to manage that person will help you see it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison.  As far as experience goes, a comparison of a staff person, who may have less or unrelated industry experience, as compared to even the youngest members of our team, you’ll find our team is surrounded by years of experience in the accounting field, and because of our team approach, most issues that come up can be verified and posted correctly, and are reviewed before financial reporting is considered complete.   Lastly, we have complete checklists to handle all of your accounting activities.  Oftentimes when we begin working on an account that the client thinks is up to date, we will find that the books have never been reconciled or transactions that the client has been “excluding” incorrectly.  This could put you at higher risk for an IRS audit and/or penalties.