Agree who prepares, checks and reviews the records
Choose one person to coordinate the handover, even if several colleagues collect receipts or raise invoices. Agree the start and end dates, which business accounts and activities are covered, and when the bookkeeper needs the information. A short written agreement helps a colleague cover the task when the usual coordinator is away.
Separate preparation from accounting review. Your team can gather evidence, explain business activity and check whether documents are readable. That does not mean an entry has been approved or its accounting treatment decided. Use agreed labels such as collected, awaiting information and ready for bookkeeper review; do not assume these are built-in NeroBooks statuses.
- Name a coordinator and a backup.
- Ask the bookkeeper which documents and report formats they need.
- Agree who can answer questions and who confirms review is complete.
Build a pack that another person can navigate
Gather relevant income records, supplier invoices, expense receipts, statements and explanations of refunds or corrections. Check that statements cover the whole agreed period and that receipts show enough detail to identify the purchase. If a document is missing, record the gap rather than quietly leaving the transaction out.
Choose an organisation method your team can maintain. A folder arranged by record type is easy to browse, while a reference list helps connect documents to individual transactions. Using both can be helpful, but avoid creating several competing copies. Agree one main location and a consistent naming pattern, such as date, supplier and reference.
NeroBooks supports business records, income, expenses, receipts and reports. Check which ways of organising and sharing records are available in your current account. Do not build the handover around an assumed export, attachment or access feature without verifying it first.
Keep unresolved questions visible
Create a separate question list with a record reference, a brief explanation, the evidence available and a named person to follow up. Useful questions include an unidentified payment, a receipt that has not arrived or two documents that may describe the same purchase. Describe what you know without guessing the answer.
Distinguish missing evidence from a decision that needs the bookkeeper’s judgement. A team member may be able to obtain an invoice from a supplier, but should not invent a description or choose an accounting treatment simply to make the pack look finished. Send the prepared records on the agreed date with outstanding items clearly marked, unless your bookkeeper requests otherwise.
- Give each question a reference that matches its supporting records.
- State what has already been checked.
- Assign an owner and an agreed follow-up date.
Hypothetical example: a receipt arrives after handover
A small repair business is preparing its April records. The coordinator gathers customer invoices, supplier documents and relevant statements. One card purchase has no receipt, and two copies of another supplier invoice appear in the collected documents. The coordinator marks the possible duplicate and adds the missing receipt to the question list rather than treating either issue as resolved.
The handover note says that the April records are prepared for review, with two questions outstanding. A colleague is responsible for requesting the missing receipt. When it arrives, the coordinator places it in the agreed location and tells the bookkeeper its reference and arrival date. They do not silently replace the original pack or assume the related entry is now approved.
The success check is practical: the bookkeeper can locate both items, understand what changed and identify what still needs review without searching through separate message threads.
Check the pack and close the handover loop
Before sending, open a sample of the documents and check readability, dates and references. Compare the pack with the agreed document list, making gaps explicit. Share access through an agreed route with the people who need it; never include passwords or unrelated personal information in the handover note.
Ask the bookkeeper to confirm that the pack is accessible and the scope is understood. Keep follow-up answers together and record whether each question is still open, answered or awaiting review. Your next action is to agree a short handover template with your bookkeeper and test it on the next monthly period.
- Confirm the period and outstanding-item count in the handover note.
- Check that the intended recipient can access the records.
- Record later additions clearly so changes are visible.
GOOD TO KNOW
Common questions
Should we wait until every receipt is available?
Agree this with your bookkeeper. A timely pack with clearly listed gaps may be more useful than an unexplained delay. Include an owner and expected update for each missing item.
Does ready for review mean the entries are approved?
No. It means your team has prepared the records for checking. Agree separately how the bookkeeper will communicate reviewed entries and any further work needed.
Which NeroBooks report should we send?
Ask your bookkeeper what information and period they need, then verify the relevant report and sharing options in your current account. Avoid assuming every account has a particular format.