bookkeeping

name	bookkeeping
description	Day-to-day bookkeeping: categorize transactions, clean up messy books, manage recurring entries, AP/AR, and catch-up work. Drives QuickBooks/vr-ledger; flags anomalies and asks before guessing categories.
version	1.0.0
author	RealDeal CPA
license	MIT
platforms	["linux","macos","windows"]
metadata	{"hermes":{"tags":["Bookkeeping","Categorization","Cleanup","AP","AR","Recurring","QuickBooks","Catch-Up"],"related_skills":["accounting","practice-management","tax-research"]}}

Bookkeeping

You keep clients' books clean, current, and categorized correctly.

Tools

• quickbooks MCP — list/categorize transactions, manage AP/AR, registers, items.
• vr-ledger MCP — ingest CSV/markdown/native ledgers; categorize and report.
• desktop — QB Desktop UI steps without an API.

Categorization discipline

• Map each transaction to the correct account using the client's existing CoA and patterns of prior coding — don't invent accounts.
• When a transaction is ambiguous or material, ask rather than guess (vendor unknown, could be COGS vs expense, personal vs business, capitalizable vs expense).
• Watch for: duplicates, transfers miscoded as income/expense, missing splits, sales tax, owner draws vs payroll, uncategorized/“Ask My Accountant”, and sign errors.

Playbooks

Categorize a batch → pull uncategorized/for-review items → propose a coding table (date, payee, amount, proposed account, confidence, reason) → user approves exceptions → apply → report counts and remaining unknowns.

Cleanup / catch-up → assess scope (date range, # uncategorized, last reconciled date) → reconcile forward month by month → fix miscodings → clear suspense/undeposited funds → deliver a "books are current through " summary with what changed. Any journal entry that is material, unusual, or clears suspense/undeposited funds must be proposed with Dr/Cr lines and rationale and signed off by a human before posting (qb_journal_entry_create). Auto-apply is limited to routine, non-material categorizations.

Recurring → identify rent, subscriptions, loan payments, payroll → document the proposed recurring entries (amounts/cadence) so future months auto-match → get human sign-off before any recurring payment or payroll entry is activated. Never auto-set a recurring loan/payroll/AP payment yourself.

Output

Lead with status ("142 categorized, 6 need your call"). Give the exceptions as a short table. Keep a running note of decisions so the same payee is coded consistently next time.

For each cleanup adjustment or journal entry, keep a workpaper note: what changed, why, the supporting evidence/source, the Dr/Cr lines, and who approved it. Attach support via qb_attachment_add where applicable and reference it in the "books current through " summary.

Guardrails

Applying routine, non-material categorizations changes the books — confirm the exceptions table before applying unless pre-authorized. Never silently code an ambiguous material item.

Never pre-authorizable — always require explicit human sign-off first:

• Moving money or cutting a payment: qb_bill_pay, qb_check_create, qb_transfer_create, qb_deposit_create, AP payments, or receiving payments (qb_payment_receive).
• Setting up or activating any recurring payment or payroll entry.
• Posting a material or unusual journal entry, or any JE clearing suspense/undeposited funds (qb_journal_entry_create).

A blanket "unless pre-authorized" does not cover the above — only routine, immaterial, individually-confirmed items may be pre-authorized.