Free books review
Free self-check · 12 questions · about 3 minutes

Are your seller books in shape?

A free 12-point books self-check for online sellers. Answer yes, not sure or no on payouts, inventory, tax-ready records and controls. You get a score out of 24 and a clear next step for every gap.

Works in your browser · nothing is stored or sent · no sign-up

The 12 questions

Scoring: yes = 2, not sure = 1, no = 0. Out of 24: 20–24 in shape · 12–19 some gaps · 0–11 needs a catch-up.

Payouts & reconciliation

1. Every marketplace payout is matched to the sales, fees and refunds behind it. A deposit in the bank ties back to the orders it pays out.
2. Fees and refunds sit on their own lines, apart from gross sales. Sales, refunds and each kind of fee can be read separately on the profit and loss.
3. Reserves and held funds are tracked until they are released. Money the marketplace holds back is recorded, not lost between payouts.

Inventory & COGS

4. Inventory is counted, or taken from inventory records, at each month end. Including stock held at a fulfillment center or a 3PL.
5. Unit cost includes inbound freight, duty and other landing costs. The cost of each unit is what it took to get it to you, not only the supplier price.
6. Cost of goods sold comes from inventory, not from purchases. Beginning inventory plus purchases less ending inventory, every month.

Tax-ready

7. Your Form 1099-K totals tie to the sales recorded in your books. You can show how the marketplace's figure gets to your sales line.
8. Sales tax you collect is tracked separately from your sales. It sits in its own account, so revenue shows only what you earned.
9. Your books are closed by a set day each month. Last month's numbers are final early in the next month, not at year end.

Systems & controls

10. Every bank account and card is reconciled each month. The book balance matches the statement, with differences explained.
11. Business money runs through separate business accounts. No personal spending in the business bank or on the business card.
12. Anyone helping with the books has only the access their job needs (read-only for bank and sales channels), and logins use multi-factor sign-in. Access fits the job, and every account is protected.
How the score works

What the score tells you.

Each question is a monthly habit that keeps an online store's numbers dependable. A yes scores 2, not sure scores 1 and no scores 0, for a total out of 24.

  • 20–24 · In shape. The monthly routine is in place. Tidy the few open items and your numbers are ready for decisions and for tax time.
  • 12–19 · Some gaps. The foundation is there. Closing the open items turns your monthly numbers into ones you can plan with.
  • 0–11 · Needs a catch-up. The months that are behind get rebuilt first, then a monthly close keeps them current.

Not sure counts for something: it usually means the work happens, but nobody checks it. A free books review turns every not sure into a yes or a no, in writing.

Go further

Behind on more than a few?

You don't have to fix it alone. Our catch-up bookkeeping rebuilds the months that are behind, then monthly bookkeeping keeps every payout, fee and unit of inventory current.

See catch-up bookkeeping See monthly bookkeeping

See where your books stand — free.

Get a written review of every channel: what's reconciled, what's missing, and the exact price to fix it. No card, no commitment.

Get my free books review