As a bookkeeper, one of the most important aspects of my work is to make sure that the books are accurate. A rather large part of this is making sure all of the transactions from all business accounts are entered and categorized properly, then reconciling each account every month. The only way this is possible is for me to have read-only access to each account, allowing me to pull statements myself each month, or for my client sends me their monthly statements as they come out. 

The problem is when clients are reluctant, or even refuse, to provide this information. Some don’t even have the account(s) in question linked to the bank feed, which means the balance showing on the books most likely isn’t correct. The reason behind this is often assumed (by bookkeepers and others in the industry) to be that there are expenses the owner is embarrassed about or doesn’t want people to see. I can tell you that if embarrassment is the only reason you’re not willing to provide this information, you have no need to fear. If we recognize what the charges are for, or Google the vendor to try to categorize the transaction properly, we will never say anything to you. 

Personally, when I come across charges that are obviously of a personal nature, I normally don’t even add the vendor to the transaction. Certain types of transactions are clearly not able to be considered business expenses, so it isn’t necessary to have all the information we would typically add. I will never ask clients directly what those are for. I just send over a report of what appears to be their personal transactions, asking them to confirm. As long as the charges aren’t for something illegal, I have a strict no judgement policy, and treat my clients the same no matter what. I even include in my Engagement Letters, signed prior to beginning any work with a new client, that I will not disclose their financial information to any outside parties. This means mum’s the word. 

That being said, I’m a big supporter of not charging any personal items to business accounts. This way I can do my job and there’s no need to worry about what might come up. But for those of you who are insistent on using your business cards so you can earn those rewards points, us bookkeepers are generally perfectionists and just want to make sure we have all the business expenses in order for tax time. A good compromise would be to send us over a list of business transactions so we can make sure they’re entered, or send us your bank statement and just black out what you don’t want us to see.