Frequently asked questions

Not always, but it often helps. A treasurer usually oversees church finances on behalf of the congregation or board, while a bookkeeper does the detailed recording, reconciling and reporting. Many churches find that separating those roles gives the treasurer better information and a sensible separation of duties. It is not an audit or any form of assurance work.

Each gift is recorded to its fund when it is deposited, fund balances are carried forward month to month, and spending is coded to the fund it came from. Leadership receives a fund balance report every month, so it is always clear what has been given for a purpose, what has been spent, and what remains.

Restricted funds carry a purpose set by the donor, and generally only the donor's terms govern how they can be used. Designated funds are amounts church leadership has set aside for a purpose, which leadership can usually change. Churches often use the words loosely, so part of setting up fund accounting is agreeing which is which.

Yes, with careful setup. QuickBooks is not purpose-built fund accounting software, but a consistent chart of accounts, class or location tracking for funds, and disciplined monthly reporting let many churches track funds reliably in QuickBooks.

Yes. Church payroll, including pastoral compensation and housing allowances designated by church leadership, is part of the church bookkeeping service. Payroll is set up according to decisions made by the church and its tax adviser, and exactly which payroll filings are included is confirmed before work begins.

Yes. Giving records are reconciled to deposits during the year so that year-end contribution statements match what was actually received and recorded.

Yes, and we encourage it. Books are kept organized and reconciled so your CPA or outside reviewer can work from them efficiently. Tax preparation, audits and reviews remain with your CPA.

Danielson Bookkeeping & Consulting does not provide tax preparation or tax planning, audits or reviews, legal advice, or investment or retirement advice. When you need those, we will coordinate with the CPA, attorney or adviser you choose.

It depends on transaction volume, the number of accounts and funds, payroll, and how current the books are. After a consultation and a look at your records, you receive a written scope and quote before any work begins.

Cleanup fixes records that exist but are wrong: duplicates, miscategorized transactions, unreconciled accounts. Catch-up fills in periods where no bookkeeping was done. Many files need some of both, and the first step is always a review of the file to see which.

Yes. Small business bookkeeping includes monthly recording and reconciliation, financial reports, budgeting support, and help improving the financial processes behind the numbers.

Both are available. Carey is based in Kuna and serves churches and businesses across the Treasure Valley, and much of the ongoing work can be done remotely using secure document sharing and cloud accounting software.

Access is set up with named user accounts rather than shared logins, documents are exchanged through secure sharing rather than ordinary email where possible, and access is removed when an engagement ends. No system is completely risk-free, so these practices are reviewed with you at the start of an engagement.