At Par · United States
What a monthly close actually includes.
A close is not a report you run. It is a sequence you finish — and the difference between a business that knows its position in the first week of the month and one that finds out in April.
A qualified accountant is accountable. The finance team you don't hire.
Reconcile every bank, card and loan account to statement; record accruals and prepayments; review the balance sheet line by line; then close the period and issue reports. Done monthly it takes days, not the weeks an annual scramble costs — and it is what makes the March and April filing dates uneventful rather than expensive.
The close, step by step.
What is actually in a close?
Five steps, in order, finished — not started.
Reconcile every bank, credit-card and loan account against its statement. Record accruals, prepayments and depreciation so the period holds its own costs. Review the balance sheet line by line, because that is where errors hide. Close the period so the numbers stop moving. Then issue the reports. A close that skips the balance-sheet review is a report run, not a close.
Does monthly really beat annual?
Yes — and the reason is evidence, not tidiness.
Errors found within thirty days can be traced while the people and documents are still available. Errors found eleven months later are archaeology. Monthly close also makes estimated tax something you calculate rather than guess: the third instalment falls on 15 September 2026 and the fourth on 15 January 2027, and both are easier from closed books.
Source: IRS Publication 509, Tax Calendars.
How do you know the numbers are right?
Two independent checks have to agree before anything is recorded.
Nothing is recorded on one opinion. Two separate checks review the work and must agree; where they do not, it stops and a person looks at it. Every figure carries the document it came from, and the record is append-only — corrections are made as corrections, never as edits. A qualified accountant is accountable for the result.
One document in. Recorded, with its evidence.
Read, checked twice, recorded.
It balances · evidence attached · append-only. At Par records it — you still authorize the payment.
Priced against the hire, not the software.
A full-charge bookkeeper in the US typically runs $70,000–85,000 a year, all in. At Par is a fraction of that — the accountant and the accounting system in one, a qualified accountant accountable.
Flat monthly, sized to your volume. Start with a 30-day paid pilot; no lock-in.
- Bookkeeping and monthly close
- Bank and account reconciliation
- A qualified accountant accountable
- Everything in Books
- Federal and state tax return prepared
- Monthly management reports
- Priority answers to your finance questions
- Everything in Books + Tax
- Multiple entities or group
- CFO-level reporting and advisory
Every plan starts with a 30-day paid pilot · billed monthly, no lock-in · a qualified accountant accountable · you authorize everything that moves money. Exact scope sized on your call.
At Par prepares. Two checks agree. You authorize.
Two checks must agree before anything is recorded. Evidence on every figure. Append-only records. A qualified accountant is accountable. You — or your CPA — file. You authorize everything that moves money — At Par never moves it. At Par is not a licensed public accounting (CPA) firm and does not provide audit or assurance services.
The work, service by service.
Full-service accounting · Bookkeeping review & month-end close · Catch-up & cleanup · QuickBooks review · Xero review · Payroll · CFO & management reporting
Asked by United States businesses.
How long does a close take? +
Days rather than weeks, once the books are current. The first close after a catch-up takes longer because it inherits the backlog; after that it settles into a rhythm you can plan around.
What do I get at the end of each month? +
Closed books, a reconciled balance sheet and your reports — with the evidence behind each figure available to open. If something could not be resolved, you are told what and why, not given a number that hides it.
Do you do audit? +
No. At Par keeps your books closed, reconciled and audit-ready, and does not provide audit or assurance services. A qualified accountant is accountable for the work.
Does At Par file my taxes or move my money? +
No to both. At Par prepares your return and the reconciled books behind it, and hands you a filing-ready package. You — or your CPA — file. At Par is not a licensed public accounting (CPA) firm and never moves your money.
What does it cost? +
Books start from $349 a month and Books plus Tax is $649 a month, with custom scopes for groups and multi-entity work. You are priced against the hire, not the software, and can start with a 30-day paid pilot.
Close every month. Start this one.
Sized to your volume, priced against the hire, not the software. A 30-day paid pilot, full service, your weekly brief from week one.
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Reviewed by an ACCA on the At Par team · Last updated 27 July 2026 · figures cited from the IRS — verify current dates before filing. See our United States overview.