Answers
Frequently asked questions.
Scope, pricing, software, security, and onboarding — the questions we hear most from finance leaders and founders.
General
- I'm pre-revenue. Do I need a bookkeeper?
- Yes. Setting up your chart of accounts and separating founder finances from day one prevents costly cleanup later. When you go out to raise pre-seed/seed capital or file year-end taxes, having clean, reconciliation-backed books makes due diligence take days instead of months. Our Starter plan ($499/mo) is built specifically for this stage.
- Can I pause if runway gets tight?
- Absolutely. Finendra operates on month-to-month retainers with no multi-year lock-in. If your runway gets tight or you need to hibernate operations, give us 30 days' notice. Your books remain clean, organized, and handover-ready in your cloud software.
- What's the difference between Starter and Growth?
- Starter ($499/mo) is cash-basis bookkeeping and quarterly reporting for pre-revenue to $50K MRR teams. Growth ($1,299/mo) upgrades you to accrual accounting, monthly close by the 5th, board-ready decks, ASC 606 revenue recognition, AP/AR management, multi-state payroll, and a dedicated monthly review call.
- Do you help with Delaware incorporation / EIN / bank account?
- While we do not provide legal counsel, we handle the complete financial onboarding stack: connecting your Mercury/Brex bank accounts, setting up QuickBooks Online or Xero, configuring Gusto payroll, tracking founder stock 83(b) payments, and establishing proper chart of accounts hygiene.
- Can you work with my existing CPA for tax filing?
- Yes, seamlessly. We prepare GAAP-compliant trial balances, balance sheet reconciliations, and tax workpapers (Form 1120 / 1120-S support) so your CPA can complete your corporate filing in hours without needing to reclassify messy transactions.
- How do you handle ASC 606 / revenue recognition?
- For SaaS, marketplace, and contract businesses, we maintain deferred revenue waterfall schedules, recognize subscription revenue ratably over service terms, record contract assets/liabilities, and reconcile Stripe billing directly to the general ledger.
- What about Form 5472 / 1120-F for foreign-owned US corps?
- If your US entity is 25%+ owned by a non-US individual or foreign parent (common with cross-border India, UK, and Singapore founders), we track all intercompany reportable transactions, loan transfers, and prepare audit-ready workpapers for Form 5472 compliance.
- How quickly can we get started?
- Most engagements begin within 3 to 5 business days. After a quick scoping call, we connect read-only access to your accounting and banking portals, migrate or clean up your books, and start operations immediately.
- Do you work inside our existing accounting software?
- Yes. We work directly inside your QuickBooks Online, Xero, NetSuite, Gusto, Rippling, Stripe, Brex, Ramp, or Bill.com accounts. You retain 100% ownership of your accounts and financial data.
- What if our books are months or years behind?
- Historical catch-up and cleanup is our specialty. We rebuild neglected ledgers, reconcile every bank and credit card statement, correct miscategorized expenses, and deliver an audit-ready balance sheet.
- How do you protect our financial data?
- We enforce role-based access, 2FA/MFA on all internal platforms, TLS 1.3 in transit, AES-256 encryption at rest, and strict employee NDAs and Data Protection Agreements (DPAs).
Startup & Founder Essentials
- I'm pre-revenue. Do I need a bookkeeper?
- Yes. Setting up your chart of accounts and separating founder finances from day one prevents costly cleanup later. When you go out to raise pre-seed/seed capital or file year-end taxes, having clean, reconciliation-backed books makes due diligence take days instead of months. Our Starter plan ($499/mo) is built specifically for this stage.
- Can I pause if runway gets tight?
- Absolutely. Finendra operates on month-to-month retainers with no multi-year lock-in. If your runway gets tight or you need to hibernate operations, give us 30 days' notice. Your books remain clean, organized, and handover-ready in your cloud software.
- What's the difference between Starter and Growth?
- Starter ($499/mo) is cash-basis bookkeeping and quarterly reporting for pre-revenue to $50K MRR teams. Growth ($1,299/mo) upgrades you to accrual accounting, monthly close by the 5th, board-ready decks, ASC 606 revenue recognition, AP/AR management, multi-state payroll, and a dedicated monthly review call.
- Do you help with Delaware incorporation / EIN / bank account?
- While we do not provide legal counsel, we handle the complete financial onboarding stack: connecting your Mercury/Brex bank accounts, setting up QuickBooks Online or Xero, configuring Gusto payroll, tracking founder stock 83(b) payments, and establishing proper chart of accounts hygiene.
- Can you work with my existing CPA for tax filing?
- Yes, seamlessly. We prepare GAAP-compliant trial balances, balance sheet reconciliations, and tax workpapers (Form 1120 / 1120-S support) so your CPA can complete your corporate filing in hours without needing to reclassify messy transactions.
- How do you handle ASC 606 / revenue recognition?
- For SaaS, marketplace, and contract businesses, we maintain deferred revenue waterfall schedules, recognize subscription revenue ratably over service terms, record contract assets/liabilities, and reconcile Stripe billing directly to the general ledger.
- What about Form 5472 / 1120-F for foreign-owned US corps?
- If your US entity is 25%+ owned by a non-US individual or foreign parent (common with cross-border India, UK, and Singapore founders), we track all intercompany reportable transactions, loan transfers, and prepare audit-ready workpapers for Form 5472 compliance.
What's included & Deliverables
- What do I actually get with a monthly plan?
- A dedicated finance team managing your day-to-day books, account reconciliations, monthly close by the 5th, board-ready reporting, AP/AR, and payroll. Software subscriptions remain directly in your name.
- Are reviews and quality checks included?
- Yes. Every close package is reviewed by a controller or senior finance lead before deliverables reach you or your board, at no extra cost.
- Is software or subscription cost included?
- QuickBooks, Xero, Gusto, and bank fees remain billed to you directly so you always own your data, history, and licenses.
Billing & Contracts
- When am I billed?
- Monthly plans are billed in advance on the 1st of each month. No long-term contracts — cancel or upgrade with 30 days' notice.
- Can I upgrade or downgrade as revenue changes?
- Yes. Move between Starter, Growth, and Scale seamlessly as your MRR and operational complexity evolve.
- How do payments work?
- We accept US ACH bank transfer, international wire, and major corporate credit cards (Brex, Ramp, Visa, Mastercard).
Still have a question about your specific setup?
Ask our teamFree Founder Resource
The 27-Point Founder Month-End Close Checklist
The step-by-step operating checklist used by seed-stage startups and VC-backed companies to close their books by the 5th of every month. Reconcile Stripe, clear AP, track deferred revenue, and calculate true cash runway.
- ASC 606 Rev Rec Guidelines
- Runway & Burn Formulas
- Multi-State Payroll Steps
- Audit-Ready Workpapers
Ready to simplify your finances?
Talk to a Finendra specialist about your books, your systems, and what a dedicated finance pod would handle for you.