These terms set out how we work together. They apply whenever you engage QBSpecialist to work on your QuickBooks file — whether that is a one-time cleanup, catch-up bookkeeping, or ongoing monthly bookkeeping. Read them alongside the written scope and quote you approve for your specific engagement; where a signed engagement letter says something more specific, that letter controls.
What we do — our engagement scope
QBSpecialist is a QuickBooks bookkeeping practice. Our work is limited to bookkeeping inside your QuickBooks file: reviewing it, reconciling accounts, correcting and categorizing transactions, cleaning up the chart of accounts, catching a file up to the present, and — if you want it — keeping the books current month to month. Every engagement is defined by a written scope and a fixed fee that you approve before any work begins, and the scope of that specific document is the real boundary of what we have agreed to do. If something outside the agreed scope turns up mid-engagement, we stop and describe it to you rather than quietly expanding the work; you decide whether to add it. We are not your employee, officer, or agent, and nothing here creates a partnership or joint venture — we act as an independent contractor engaged for the work you approve.
We do not prepare or file tax returns
We do not prepare, review, sign, or file tax returns of any kind, and nothing we do should be read as tax advice or a promise about your tax position. Clean, reconciled books make tax time easier, but that is the extent of it — the return itself is separate work done by a qualified tax preparer. If you need one, we can refer you to a tax professional; that is a referral only. We do not supervise their work, we are not responsible for it, and any engagement you form with a tax preparer is strictly between you and them. Do not rely on our bookkeeping as a substitute for advice from your own CPA, tax preparer, or attorney.
Our templates and methodology stay ours
The methodology we use — our review process, checklists, working templates, spreadsheets, documentation formats, and the change-mapping approach we bring to a file — is our intellectual property, and we keep it. Engaging us does not transfer any ownership of those materials to you, and they may not be copied, resold, or redistributed. This does not affect your own data: your QuickBooks file, your financial records, and the corrected books we hand back are yours, and the written change log we produce for your engagement is yours to keep and to share with your CPA or a lender. What stays ours is the tooling and method we use to get there, not the results we deliver to you.
What we are responsible for
We do our work carefully and stand behind it, but there is a limit to what we can be held liable for. To the fullest extent allowed by law, our total liability for any claim arising out of an engagement is limited to the amount of fees you actually paid us for that engagement. We are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential losses — for example, lost profits, tax penalties assessed by a taxing authority, or decisions you or a third party make based on the books. The accuracy of the books also depends on the completeness and honesty of the records and access you provide; we work from the statements, documents, and file access you give us, and we cannot be responsible for problems caused by information that was withheld, incomplete, or incorrect at the source.
Ending an engagement
Either of us may end an engagement with 30 days' written notice. For a one-time cleanup or catch-up job, that notice period simply lets us bring the work to an orderly stop and hand back what is done. For ongoing monthly bookkeeping, the 30 days' notice ends the recurring arrangement without penalty. On termination you remain responsible for fees earned through the effective date of the notice, and we will hand back your file and the change log for the work completed. We may also end an engagement sooner if fees for approved work go unpaid or if we are asked to do something we believe is improper.
If there is a disagreement
If a disagreement comes up, we ask that you raise it with us directly first, in writing, so we have a fair chance to make it right — most issues are resolved this way once both sides can see the same facts. If a dispute cannot be resolved between us, it will be handled through the state or federal courts located in the State of Texas, and both sides agree to that venue. Nothing in this section shortens or waives any right you have under applicable law.
Governing law
These terms, and any engagement under them, are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. If any part of these terms is found unenforceable, the rest stays in effect.
Changes and contact
We may update these terms from time to time; the "last reviewed" date above shows when this version was posted, and the terms in effect when you approved your engagement are the ones that apply to it. For anything that touches your privacy or your data, read these terms together with our privacy policy. If any part of this is unclear, or you want a written engagement letter before you start, email us at info@qbspecialist.com and a real person will answer.