Books behind by years? Catch-up bookkeeping brings them back, month by month
Old documents, bank statements and a few scattered Excel files: hand them to a bookkeeping team that rebuilds your books month by month. Overdue years are handled first, then your company moves back to normal monthly bookkeeping.
Catch-up bookkeeping means taking the months your company never recorded, entering them month by month, reconciling them against bank statements and preparing the missing financial statements, so your company can carry on with its SSM (Companies Commission of Malaysia) and LHDN (Inland Revenue Board, IRBM) filings. BookKeeper's catch-up bookkeeping starts from RM150 per month of records and works year by year from the earliest year not done. Even if your documents are incomplete, we can start from your bank statements.
- Catch-up bookkeeping from RM150 per month of records; dormant company annual accounts from RM800/year.
- Books are completed year by year from the earliest year not done, with overdue years handled first.
- The Form C deadline is within 7 months after your financial year end, with a 1-month grace period for e-Filing.
- Accounts and documents must be kept for at least 7 years (section 82, Income Tax Act 1967).
- How long it takes depends on how many months are outstanding and how complete your documents are. You get a timeline before we start.
The day a letter from LHDN arrives, you realise your books stopped two years ago
It is an ordinary white envelope with LHDN printed on it. Before you open it, you already have a fair idea what it is about.
Your company is three years old. In the first year, a bookkeeper a friend introduced helped out. In the second year she moved to Singapore, and no one looked after the books after that. Business got busier, and the books fell further and further behind.
This is very common, and easier to sort out than you might think. The hardest step in catch-up bookkeeping is starting. Once you start, it is a matter of catching up one month at a time.
What is catch-up bookkeeping, and how is it different from monthly bookkeeping?
Catch-up bookkeeping: recording the months or years that were never done, using documents and monthly bank statements. Monthly bookkeeping means each month's books are done in that month. Both use the same methods; the difference is timing and the state of your records.
In catch-up bookkeeping, documents have often gone missing, so the bank statement becomes the main thread, and evidence is traced transaction by transaction. In monthly bookkeeping, documents are still fresh and questions can be cleared up within the month.
| Item | Catch-up bookkeeping | Monthly bookkeeping |
|---|---|---|
| Period covered | Past months or years | Last month |
| Main source | Bank statements, plus any documents that can be recovered | That month's documents and bank statements |
| How it is charged | From RM150 per month of records, one-off | From RM280/month, monthly |
| What you receive | Financial statements for each year | Basic monthly financial statements |
What does the catch-up bookkeeping service do?
Map out the backlog
First we confirm which financial years were not done, which deadlines have passed and what records you have, and list what is missing.
Use bank statements as the backbone
Each bank account is reconciled month by month. Bank records are the most reliable evidence, so every movement in and out goes into the books first.
Recover and match documents
Invoices, receipts, platform settlement statements and MyInvois records that can be found are matched to each transaction. Anything missing is flagged for you to confirm.
Sort out director and shareholder transactions
Company expenses paid from the owner's personal account, and personal expenses paid from the company account: these mixed payments are separated one by one.
Prepare the missing financial statements
For each financial year, a trial balance, profit and loss statement and balance sheet, handed to your auditor or a partner tax agent to take forward.
Move back to monthly bookkeeping
Once the old records are cleared, you move to monthly bookkeeping from the following month, so you will not need another catch-up two years later.
If I am several years behind, which year should be done first?
Start from the earliest year not done and complete them year by year, with overdue years handled first. Each year's closing balances are the next year's opening balances, so if you skip around, the numbers will not carry through.
Say you run a small logistics company in Johor Bahru with a financial year end (FYE) of 31 December, and the books for the last few financial years have not been done. Half the documents are in the lorry drivers' glove boxes and the other half are in WhatsApp groups.
A sensible approach is to start from the earliest year not done and complete them year by year, with overdue years first, handing each completed year to the tax agent. At the same time, start monthly bookkeeping from this month. Old and new records run on two separate tracks, so the backlog stops growing.
How does the catch-up process work?
First, talk through the backlog
On WhatsApp, tell us the year your company was set up, your FYE, the last month your books were done, and whether you have received any letters from LHDN or SSM.
Collect bank statements
Bank statements for every company account are the first priority. You can download them as PDFs from online banking. With these, catch-up work can begin.
Start from the earliest year
Years are completed one at a time, with overdue years handled first. Reports are delivered as each year is completed, so the audit and tax filing can move ahead.
Questions asked in one go
Transactions that do not match are put together in one list and asked in one go. We will not call you every day.
Deliver reports, move to monthly
Financial statements for each year are delivered on the dates agreed in the service agreement, after which you move to monthly bookkeeping.
How is catch-up bookkeeping charged?
Catch-up bookkeeping starts from RM150 per month of records. Months with high transaction volume, many missing documents or several bank accounts cost more. Any work outside the quoted scope is explained to you before it is done.
A dormant company has no trading, so its accounts are simpler. Annual accounts start from RM800/year.
These are starting prices; your final price is confirmed in a quote. Prices exclude service tax. If the service provider is registered for SST, 8% is added. See the full price list on our pricing page.
Which rules should I know before catching up?
The three most important are: how long to keep documents, the Form C deadline and the Form B deadline.
Accounts and documents must be kept for at least 7 years, as required by section 82 of the Income Tax Act 1967 and section 245 of the Companies Act 2016. One purpose of catch-up bookkeeping is to make those 7 years of records complete.
Companies file tax using Form C, due within 7 months after the financial year end, with a 1-month grace period for e-Filing. For example, with an FYE of 31 December 2025, the deadline is 31 July 2026, with e-Filing grace until 31 August. That date has now passed. Enterprise owners use Form B, due on 30 June each year, with e-Filing grace until 15 July.
If a deadline has passed, do not panic, but do not delay any further either. The sooner you bring your books up to date and file, the stronger your position when dealing with LHDN. Whether a penalty applies and how much is decided by LHDN. Ask an accountant to confirm what applies based on your company's details.
If you want to get your own thoughts in order first, read what to do if your books are years behind. For how tax filing fits in, see our tax filing support service.
When does it make sense to get help with catch-up bookkeeping?
- Your books stopped a few months ago, and your bookkeeper has left or cannot be reached
- You have received a reminder letter from LHDN or SSM
- You are applying for a bank loan and need financial statements for the last two years
- You are preparing to sell the company, bring in shareholders or close the company
- Your Enterprise is converting to a Sdn Bhd and you want to sort out the old records first
If your situation already involves an LHDN audit or legal proceedings, the catch-up team can organise your accounts, but you should also consult a licensed tax agent or a lawyer.
Tell us which month your books stopped, and we will estimate how much needs catching up.
Ask About Catch-up Bookkeeping on WhatsAppQuestions you may still have
Tap a question to see the answer. Can't find yours? Just ask us.
Ask on WhatsAppI have lost a lot of documents. Can my books still be caught up?
In most cases, yes. Bank statements are the backbone of catch-up bookkeeping, because every movement in and out is recorded. We then fill in the details with e-Invoices, bills reissued by suppliers and platform settlement statements. For anything that truly cannot be recovered, the accountant will advise how to handle it based on your situation.
How long does catch-up bookkeeping take?
It depends on how many months are outstanding, your transaction volume and how complete your documents are. Longer backlogs are done in batches, starting from the earliest year not done, with overdue years handled first. Before we start, we give you a timeline based on your situation.
How is catch-up bookkeeping charged?
From RM150 per month of records, adjusted for each month's transaction volume and how complete the documents are. The final price is confirmed in a quote and excludes service tax. Once the catch-up is done and you move to monthly bookkeeping, that is charged separately according to your plan.
I have already missed the tax filing deadline. Will I be penalised?
Filing Form C or Form B late may lead to a penalty from LHDN, and the amount is decided by LHDN case by case. The sooner you bring your books up to date and file, the more control you usually have over the situation. Ask an accountant to confirm what applies based on your company's details.
Does a dormant company also need catch-up bookkeeping?
Yes. A company that is not trading still has to prepare financial statements every year and file with SSM and LHDN. Annual accounts for a dormant company start from RM800/year, with the final price confirmed in a quote.
