Termsof service

These terms apply to this website and to the bookkeeping services offered through it. By using the site or engaging Alabaster Bookkeeping, you agree to them. If a signed engagement letter says something different, the engagement letter wins.

What I do, and what I do not do

Alabaster Bookkeeping provides bookkeeping services: recording and categorizing transactions, reconciling accounts, maintaining the general ledger, producing financial reports, and preparing records so your accountant can work from them.

Alabaster Bookkeeping is not a CPA firm, a law firm, an audit firm, or a registered investment adviser. Nothing on this website and nothing produced in the course of an engagement is:

• Tax advice, or the preparation or filing of a tax return.
• Legal advice.
• An audit, a review, or a compilation as those terms are used in the accounting profession, and no opinion or assurance is expressed on your financial statements.
• Investment, lending, or business valuation advice.

Year-end preparation means getting your records into a state your accountant or tax preparer can work from. It does not mean filing on your behalf. Please consult a licensed professional before acting on your financial information.

How an engagement starts

Nothing on this website is an offer, a quote, or a contract. Prices are not published because they depend on the size and complexity of your books. An engagement begins only when a written proposal has been accepted and an engagement letter is signed by both of us. Until then either of us can walk away with no obligation.

Your responsibilities

Bookkeeping is only as accurate as the information it is built from, so this part matters.

• You are responsible for giving me complete, accurate, and timely records, statements, and explanations.
• You are responsible for the accuracy of the underlying transactions and for keeping your source documents, including receipts.
• My work relies on what you provide. I do not independently verify or audit it, and I am not responsible for errors that follow from information that was incomplete, inaccurate, or provided late.
• You remain responsible for your own tax filings, regulatory obligations, and business decisions.
• You are responsible for maintaining your own access to your accounting software and financial accounts.

Fees and payment

Fees are set out in your proposal and engagement letter. Monthly bookkeeping is billed monthly in advance unless your engagement letter says otherwise. Catch-up projects are quoted as a project and may require a deposit before work begins. Invoices are due on the terms stated on the invoice, and work may be paused on overdue accounts.

Cancellation and refunds

Either of us may end an ongoing engagement by giving 30 days written notice. Notice by email is fine.

• Monthly fees are non-refundable once work on that month has begun.
• Deposits on catch-up projects are non-refundable, because they reserve the time the project needs.
• You will be invoiced for work completed up to the end of the notice period.
• On the way out, I will return your records and leave your books in a state your next bookkeeper or accountant can pick up.

If something has gone wrong, please raise it with me before anything else. Most problems are fixable, and I would rather fix them.

Confidentiality

Your financial information is confidential. It is used to perform your engagement and is not disclosed to anyone else, except to people you direct me to share it with, to the service providers listed in the Privacy Policy, or where disclosure is required by law. This obligation continues after the engagement ends.

Using this website

The text, design, code, and images on this site belong to Alabaster Bookkeeping or are used under license, and may not be copied or republished without permission. QuickBooks, Intuit, and Xero are trademarks of their respective owners, and their use here refers to certifications held and software used. It does not imply that those companies endorse or are affiliated with this business.

Links to other websites are provided for convenience. I am not responsible for their content or their practices.

The website is provided as is. I aim to keep it accurate and available, but I do not warrant that it will be uninterrupted or error free.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent the law allows, Alabaster Bookkeeping is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, or for lost profits, arising out of this website or an engagement. Total liability for any claim connected to an engagement is limited to the fees you paid for the services giving rise to that claim in the three months before it arose.

Nothing here limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited, including liability for fraud or for wilful misconduct.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. Any dispute will be brought in the state or federal courts located in Florida.

If any part of these terms is found unenforceable, the rest stays in force. I may update these terms, and the date at the top of this page will change when I do. Continuing to use the site after an update means you accept the revised terms.