Transaction processing and reconciliations
Record transactions under the firm-approved mapping; reconcile bank, credit-card and agreed balance-sheet accounts; document reconciliation differences with supporting schedules and follow-up status.
For CPA firms delivering recurring client accounting
CAS Production Support for CPA Firms
Prepare recurring client accounting work through a defined, reviewable workflow. Accounstone can support agreed bookkeeping, reconciliations, close schedules and reporting-package preparation while your firm retains the client relationship and professional decisions.
A delivery layer for your CAS practice
Separate recurring production from the professional work your firm owns
A CPA firm’s client accounting services (CAS) offering can involve recurring bookkeeping, month-end close, accounts payable and receivable records, account schedules and financial reporting preparation. The production work needs to be consistent across clients, with the firm’s reporting context and engagement responsibilities reflected in the workflow. CAS production support organizes the recurring bookkeeping, close schedules and reporting preparation that underpin the firm’s client accounting service.
Accounstone can scope preparation work for firms that already deliver CAS or are building a recurring accounting portfolio. Identify the files, systems, checklist, reporting package and review expectations, then document deliverables and review points for the selected workflow.
Production tasks
Build the monthly package from defined, traceable work
The exact scope depends on the firm’s service model, the client’s source records and the level of preparation requested. A practical production checklist distinguishes completed tasks from missing information and decisions that still require the CPA or client.
Month-end close preparation
Follow the close checklist, organize supporting records and prepare agreed schedules. Proposed adjustments should be documented and routed for approval according to the firm’s instructions.
AP/AR and supporting records
Maintain agreed vendor and receivable records, organize invoices or remittance support, and route approval items through the client’s established payment workflow.
Reporting-package assembly
Prepare agreed account schedules and report drafts in the firm’s existing format, with source references and open questions visible for review before anything is presented to the client.
Define the handoff
The reporting package is only useful when the reviewer can trace it
A report can look complete and still leave the reviewer reconstructing the numbers. Before work begins, define which balances require reconciliation, what supporting evidence must accompany the schedule, how account movements should be explained and which questions must be escalated. When source records need clarification, document the open item and the supporting details so reviewers can determine the next step.
Establish a consistent close calendar and a single place to record missing documents, open items, proposed adjustments and reviewer comments. The handoff should distinguish a task that is finished from one that is blocked pending client information or professional judgment. This gives the CPA firm a clear basis for review and helps it determine whether a process is ready to repeat for other clients.
Agree on the output standard
- Which accounts, entities, periods and reports are in scope.
- How each schedule ties to the trial balance or source report.
- What backup and cross-references a reviewer expects.
- How unusual balances, missing records and proposed entries are logged.
- Who reviews, approves, communicates findings and releases the report.
Scope and judgment
Keep professional decisions with the CPA firm
The production checklist should document preparation steps, review points and engagement responsibilities. Questions involving revenue-recognition policy, tax positions, client advice, financial-statement approval or filing requirements are recorded with the supporting facts and routed through the engagement’s designated professional review process.
For tax-related work, the firm should review applicable taxpayer-information disclosure and consent requirements before external access is granted. IRS Publication 4557 provides general guidance on safeguarding taxpayer data; it does not replace engagement-specific legal or professional advice. Confirm the required permissions, contracts and access controls with qualified advisers for the actual arrangement.
Software choice and access should also be confirmed before onboarding. Workflows are planned around the existing software setup and confirmed platform capabilities. Before assigning a task, verify any feature, report or version that the workflow depends on.
Related CPA-firm cluster pages
Use the page that matches the decision in front of your firm: overall delivery model, white-label scope, bookkeeping, tax preparation or supplier evaluation.
CAS client onboarding
Conventions, opening position and getting to the first clean close.
Cleanup before the first close
Scoping backlog remediation, setting a cutoff and substantiating opening balances.
CAS close calendar
Sequencing a book of recurring closes and protecting reviewer capacity.
Reconciliation standards
When a reconciliation is complete rather than merely balanced.
Accruals and prepaids
Schedule-driven entries, judgment estimates and reversal discipline.
General ledger hygiene
The account maintenance that happens between closes, not during them.
Chart-of-accounts standardization
How far to standardize across a book, and what stays client-specific.
The exception list
Stating an open item so it can be decided in one reply.
Quality review before release
Why review is the binding constraint, and building files to be verified.
The monthly reporting package
What goes in it, what each schedule ties to, and who releases it.
Documenting a close
Writing a close down so it survives a change of preparer.
Quarter and year end
The verification layer, and the handoff to tax and audit teams.
CPA firm outsourcing overview
The broad service model and responsibility boundaries.
White-label accounting
Branding, client contact and workpaper handoff rules.
Bookkeeping support
Recurring bookkeeping, reconciliations and month-end preparation.
Accounting and close support
Journal entries, close mechanics and management reporting.
CAS guide for CPA firms
How CAS engagements differ from the preparation delivery layer.
Outsourcing readiness checklist
Scope, access, taxpayer-data safeguards and pilot evaluation.
Scope and review
CAS production support questions
What is CAS production support for a CPA firm?
CAS production support is the preparation layer behind a firm’s client accounting services. It can include recurring bookkeeping, reconciliations, close schedules and agreed reporting packages, while the CPA firm retains client advice, professional judgment, review and approvals assigned to it.
Is this the same as outsourcing the entire CAS client relationship?
No. Production support is scoped around defined accounting tasks. The CPA firm controls the client relationship, engagement terms, reporting discussion, decisions and professional responsibilities. Client contact and deliverable branding are agreed before work begins.
Which recurring tasks can be included?
Depending on the client file and agreed scope, tasks may include transaction processing, bank and balance-sheet reconciliations, AP/AR records, month-end schedules, supporting documents and reporting-package preparation. The precise checklist should be confirmed for each workflow.
Can you work inside our existing accounting software?
The preferred starting point is the firm’s supported client system and existing workflow where permissions and scope allow. Confirm the platform, access level, client records, chart-of-accounts mapping, workpaper format and review checklist before assigning work.
Who handles accounting judgments and client-facing reporting?
The CPA firm retains professional judgment, client advice, interpretation of unusual transactions and approval of conclusions. Accounstone prepares the agreed records and schedules and returns missing information or judgment questions for the responsible professional.
How should a firm pilot CAS production support?
Start with one client, one period or a clearly bounded workflow. Agree the source records, deliverables, reviewer, open-item process and acceptance checklist, then assess tie-outs, evidence quality, exceptions and remaining review effort before expanding.
How are recurring CAS deadlines and close calendars coordinated?
The recurring calendar should identify the client or entity, period, expected schedules, input dependencies, due dates, reviewer and escalation path. The cadence is agreed around the firm’s existing process, then exceptions or missing inputs are tracked rather than hidden until the deadline.
Can you support several clients with different reporting packages?
Yes, when each client’s scope, reporting format, close checklist and reviewer are documented separately. Shared production steps can be repeated where appropriate, but one client’s chart, template or assumptions should not be carried into another file without confirmation.
What happens when source records are missing or a balance does not tie?
The open item should identify the affected client or entity, account or schedule, source records available, difference observed and next action required. The firm or client supplies the missing information or decides the accounting treatment; the preparer does not force an unsupported adjustment.
How is the CAS reporting package handed back to the firm?
The handoff can include the agreed schedules, reconciliation support, reporting drafts, exception list and links or references to the underlying records. The CPA firm reviews the output, resolves professional questions and retains responsibility for client-facing conclusions and approvals.
Free consultation
Discuss a defined CAS workstream
Tell us which recurring client work you want to prepare, which system and reporting format you use, and how your reviewer wants open items returned. We can discuss whether a bounded pilot is a fit.
- Start with one client or one month of close work
- We prepare; your firm reviews, signs and e-files
- No EFIN, no banking control, no client-facing contact without your say-so
Build a reviewable CAS production workflow
Start with a defined set of tasks, agreed output standards and a reviewer who can evaluate the first cycle.