Why We Need to See Your Financials Before We Can Give You a Price

You just had your discovery call with us. We had a great conversation. You’re thinking, “This sounds like the right next step for my business.” Then we hit you with a request:

“We’ll need to see your QuickBooks file, tax returns, and a few bank statements before we can send you a proposal.”

Cue the hesitation. Maybe you’re thinking:

• Why do you need all of that?

• Can’t you just give me a ballpark price?

• Is my information even safe with you?

This article is for the business owner who is interested but cautious, especially if this is your first time outsourcing accounting or tax work. We’re not here to pressure you. We’re here to show you why we ask for your financials, how it protects you, and what happens after you send them.

What Financial Documents We Ask For (and Why)

When we say “your financial stuff,” here’s exactly what we mean:

• Accountant-level access to QuickBooks or Restaurant365

• Your most recently completed tax return (Form 1120S, 1065, or 1040 Schedule C, depending on structure)

• Two to three months of bank and credit card statements

This information gives us a complete view of your business’s financial health. It helps us:

• Understand where your business is today

• Verify that your books and tax returns are aligned

• Spot compliance gaps, errors, or missing filings

• Build an accurate, custom-fit scope of work

Your numbers tell us more than you think. We’ve had prospective clients say, “I have two bank accounts and a couple loans.” Then we look at the balance sheet and see five accounts, three loans, and a few surprise liabilities.

That’s not about dishonesty, it’s just real life. Business owners are busy. And without seeing the details, we’re flying blind.

Why We Can’t Give You a Ballpark Price Without Seeing Your Numbers

We could. In fact, we used to.

But here’s what happened: we’d take someone at their word, build a package based on incomplete info, and then three months later realize it’s four times the work. That meant going back to the client and saying, “Actually, your monthly fee is going from $500 to $2,500.”

That’s called a bait-and-switch. It’s a terrible experience... for everyone.

That’s why we do things differently now. We don’t guess. We verify. And we only present pricing after we’ve reviewed your financials.

Our pricing is flat-fee and based on:

• The complexity of your business

• The volume of monthly transactions

• The effort required to bring your books into compliance

• All the taxes, filings, and back work involved

That means no surprise bills, no inflated invoices, and no backpedaling after onboarding. You get a number you can trust, and we do the work efficiently without sacrificing quality, because that’s how we’ve built our reputation.

How We Keep Your Financial Data Safe and Private

Your financials include sensitive data and we take that seriously. We don’t use email to collect documents. Instead, we use Secure Send, which encrypts everything you upload and keeps your EINs, account numbers, and personal info protected.

We also provide:

• A step-by-step guide to grant QuickBooks access (or you can watch this video to see exactly how to do it)

• A checklist of documents to submit

• A secure upload portal linked directly from our email signatures

You’re trusting us with your most personal business information. We don’t take that lightly.

What Happens After You Send Your Financials

Once we receive your documents, we’re off to the races:

1. We review your financials within a few business days.

2. We schedule your alignment call, where we walk through our findings.

3. We confirm that what you told us matches what we’re seeing.

4. We identify potential clean-up or compliance risks.

5. We present a proposal with an accurate monthly cost.

And if everything looks good? You could be onboarded by next week.

Seriously. If you sent your info today, we could meet Monday and get started Tuesday.

The sooner we receive your documents, the sooner we can clean up your books, take tasks off your plate, and help you feel confident heading into tax season (and every season after that).

This Isn’t About Being Nosy. It’s About Being Thorough.

We’ve seen everything from restaurants with 18 vendors to nonprofits with restricted funds to cigar shops that require tobacco tax returns (yes, that’s a thing). Every business is unique, and that uniqueness affects how we serve you.

We want to:

• Help you make more money

• Help you keep more of it at tax time

• Give you peace of mind about compliance and reporting

To do that well, we need to start with facts, not assumptions. That’s why we ask for your financials. It’s the first step to building a real partnership, not just a transaction.

Your Next Step Toward Clean Books and Confident Decisions

Once we’ve reviewed your documents, the next step is your Alignment Call, where we’ll walk you through what we found, confirm what’s needed, and lay out exactly how we can help.

Think of it as the moment everything starts to click.

Here's "What to expect during your Alignment Call with Patrick Accounting" so you’re ready, confident, and one step closer to clarity.