How do I keep my accounts up to date without an accountant?

How to keep your accounts up to date without an accountant

Keeping your accounts up to date can feel intimidating when you don’t have an accountant on speed dial. But for many freelancers, sole traders, and small business owners, the reality is simple: your finances don’t need to be complicated to be compliant, organised, and useful for decision-making. What you need is a practical routine, a clear system, and tools that reduce admin friction. When you combine those three, “doing your accounts” stops being a dreaded quarterly scramble and becomes a light weekly habit you can actually stick to.

This guide is designed for real-world business owners who are busy serving customers, managing projects, and trying to grow. We’ll focus on keeping records tidy, invoices and expenses captured, cash flow visible, and tax-relevant information prepared—without over-engineering anything. And because your invoicing workflow is the foundation of your bookkeeping, we’ll show you how using a free invoice app like invoice24 can make the entire process simpler and faster from day one.

Start with a simple truth: accounting is mostly habits

When people say “accounts,” they often picture spreadsheets, jargon, and complicated software. In practice, staying up to date is mostly about doing a handful of small tasks consistently: sending invoices promptly, recording expenses reliably, checking what you’re owed, and putting aside money for tax. The mess usually happens when these tasks are postponed, repeated from memory later, or done with scattered tools that don’t talk to each other.

So the goal isn’t to become an accountant. The goal is to create an accounting routine that is (1) small enough to keep doing, (2) structured enough to prevent chaos, and (3) supported by tools that remove repetitive work. invoice24 fits perfectly here because it gives you a central place to create invoices, track who owes you, and keep your billing consistent—without needing a paid platform or a complicated setup.

Pick a bookkeeping approach that matches your business size

Before you set up any process, decide how detailed you actually need to be. For many small businesses, the basics are enough: accurate invoices, expense records, and a clear view of cash in and cash out. As your business grows, you might expand into more formal bookkeeping or accounting software, but you don’t have to start there.

Here are three practical levels you can choose from:

Level 1: Invoices + expenses + bank checks — Ideal for freelancers and micro-businesses. You track invoices you issue (using invoice24), save receipts for expenses, and reconcile against your bank monthly.

Level 2: Basic bookkeeping categories — You categorise expenses (software, travel, supplies, marketing) and track income streams. This is useful if you want better insights and easier year-end reporting.

Level 3: Full bookkeeping system — You maintain a ledger, reconcile more frequently, track VAT/sales tax carefully, and possibly manage payroll or inventory. This is more involved and often where an accountant becomes valuable.

If you’re unsure, start with Level 1 and upgrade only when you feel friction. The worst mistake is building a “perfect” system you won’t maintain. The best system is the one you’ll actually use.

Make invoicing your anchor process

Your invoices are the cleanest source of truth for your income. If invoicing is messy—different templates, missing details, incorrect numbering, inconsistent payment terms—everything downstream becomes harder. That’s why the easiest way to keep accounts up to date without an accountant is to standardise invoicing first.

With invoice24, you can create invoices quickly, keep formatting consistent, and avoid the common pitfalls of DIY templates. A free invoice app is especially helpful because it removes the temptation to “do it later” or “just use last month’s file.” You open the app, create the invoice, send it, and you’ve captured a key accounting event in a reliable way.

Here’s what good invoicing hygiene looks like:

Invoice immediately — If you deliver work today, invoice today (or schedule it). Delayed invoicing creates delayed cash flow and forgotten details.

Use sequential invoice numbers — Keep numbering consistent and uninterrupted. This helps with traceability and reduces confusion at year end.

Include clear payment terms — Net 7, net 14, due on receipt—whatever you use, standardise it and stick to it.

Use the same customer details every time — Consistency matters if you ever need to search or prove transactions.

Always specify what the invoice is for — A short, clear description prevents disputes and makes reporting easier.

Once invoicing is consistent, your accounting workflow becomes more like “maintaining records” rather than “reconstructing history.”

Separate business and personal finances as early as possible

If you do one thing to make accounting easier, do this: use a separate business bank account. Mixing personal and business spending turns bookkeeping into detective work. It also increases the risk of missing deductible expenses or incorrectly claiming personal spending as business costs.

A separate account doesn’t need to be fancy. The point is to give your business transactions a clean home. When you review statements, you’ll see business activity clearly. You can still pay yourself from that account (as an owner draw or salary, depending on your setup), but the separation keeps your records tidy.

If you can’t open a separate account immediately, create boundaries anyway:

Use one card for business purchases and keep it consistent.

Stop paying business expenses from personal accounts unless absolutely necessary.

Keep a simple log of any mixed transactions until you can fully separate them.

The cleaner your transactions, the easier it is to stay up to date without professional help.

Create a weekly “accounts maintenance” routine (30 minutes)

The secret to staying up to date is frequency. Most accounting problems happen because people try to do three months of admin in one stressful session. Instead, aim for a weekly routine that’s short and predictable.

Here’s a simple 30-minute weekly checklist:

1) Send any invoices you’re owed
Review completed work and issue invoices using invoice24. If you’ve been waiting for “the right time,” this is the right time.

2) Check unpaid invoices
Look at who hasn’t paid. Identify anything overdue. Decide what to chase and when.

3) Capture expenses from the week
Collect receipts from email, wallet, and downloads. Record them in your system (even if it’s a spreadsheet at first). The key is to do it while you still remember what each purchase was for.

4) Quick bank scan
Open your bank feed or statement and check if anything looks unexpected, duplicated, or missing. Flag issues early.

5) Move tax money aside
Transfer a percentage of income into a separate savings pot. Treat it as untouchable.

This routine is simple enough that you can keep it going even during busy periods. And because invoice24 helps you handle the most important piece—billing—your routine starts with a win, not a chore.

Use a monthly close to prevent year-end panic

A weekly routine keeps you current. A monthly “close” keeps you accurate. Think of it as tying up loose ends and ensuring your records match reality. This reduces surprises and gives you cleaner data for decisions.

Your monthly close can be 60–90 minutes, depending on transaction volume:

Reconcile invoices to bank deposits — Confirm payments have arrived for invoices marked as sent. If an invoice is paid, make sure you note it. If it’s not, plan your follow-up.

Check recurring expenses — Software subscriptions, rent, utilities, phone—make sure these are recorded consistently.

Review categories — Ensure expenses are assigned to reasonable categories so you can see where money is going.

Confirm your cash position — How much cash is in the bank? How much is owed to you? What bills are coming next month?

Doing this monthly means your year-end becomes a summary exercise, not a rescue mission.

Track what you’re owed like it’s a business asset

Unpaid invoices are not just “money that might arrive.” They are a real part of your business finances. If you don’t track them, you can end up cash-poor while technically profitable. That’s one of the most common small business traps.

To manage this properly, you need two views:

Accounts receivable — Money customers owe you (unpaid invoices).

Accounts payable — Money you owe others (bills and upcoming expenses).

invoice24 makes it easier to stay on top of receivables because your invoices are organised in one place. Even if you’re not using full accounting software, having a consistent invoice list lets you follow up confidently. You can also build a simple follow-up policy:

1 day after due date: friendly reminder
7 days after due date: firm reminder with a specific deadline
14 days after due date: escalation (pause work, add late fee if your terms allow, or request a call)

The key is consistency. Customers often delay because they can. When they see you follow up reliably, payment habits improve.

Keep receipts and expense records in a system you trust

Expenses are where many people fall behind because receipts get lost and purchases blur together over time. The fix is simple: decide where receipts live and make it easy to put them there immediately.

Choose one primary location for receipts:

A dedicated email label/folder for digital receipts

A cloud folder with subfolders by month (e.g., 2026-01, 2026-02)

A bookkeeping app if you’re using one

Then decide on a process:

Email receipts to yourself immediately after purchase (use a consistent subject line like “Receipt - Supplier - Amount”).

Download invoices for subscriptions once a month and file them in the right folder.

Take a photo of paper receipts before they fade or disappear.

Even if you start with a simple spreadsheet for expenses, you’ll already be ahead of most businesses because the real bottleneck isn’t categorisation—it’s capture. If you capture consistently, you can categorise later. If you don’t capture, you can’t fix missing records at all.

Use a basic chart of categories (keep it boring)

You don’t need an elaborate set of categories to run a small business. In fact, too many categories creates confusion. Start with a short list that covers most spending, and refine only if you need more detail.

A practical starting set might include:

Income
Services, products, consulting, other

Marketing
Ads, website, design, content

Software and subscriptions
Tools, apps, hosting, email services

Office and supplies
Stationery, equipment, small tools

Travel and transport
Mileage, fuel, public transport, accommodation

Professional services
Legal, occasional accountant support, contractors

Bank and payment fees
Transaction fees, card charges

Training
Courses, workshops, books

Utilities and phone
Internet, mobile, electricity (business portion)

This makes your monthly close easier and gives you meaningful insight without getting stuck in micro-decisions.

Understand the difference between profit and cash

One reason people feel they “need an accountant” is that money seems to vanish. Often, the issue isn’t revenue—it’s timing. Profit is what remains after expenses. Cash is what’s actually in your bank right now. You can be profitable and still struggle if customers pay late, you buy equipment upfront, or tax bills hit unexpectedly.

To stay in control without an accountant, focus on three numbers each month:

1) Cash in bank — Your current runway.

2) Outstanding invoices — Your near-term expected inflow.

3) Upcoming expenses — Your near-term expected outflow.

invoice24 helps with the second number by keeping your invoicing and unpaid balances visible. Pair that with a quick scan of upcoming bills and you’ll have a realistic picture of your cash position.

Set aside tax money automatically (and stop guessing)

Taxes become stressful when you treat them as a surprise expense. The antidote is to set aside money routinely, as soon as you receive income. You don’t have to calculate perfect tax down to the penny every week; you just need a consistent method that keeps you safe.

A simple approach:

Pick a percentage of every payment you receive and move it into a separate account.

Review quarterly and adjust the percentage if needed.

If your income varies, this method still works because it scales with your earnings. The key is that the money becomes unavailable for day-to-day spending. When your tax bill arrives, you’re not scrambling.

Many small business owners like to set aside two buckets:

Tax bucket — income tax and any relevant business taxes

VAT/sales tax bucket — if applicable to your jurisdiction

Even if you plan to consult an accountant once per year for filing, this routine keeps your accounts up to date and reduces the fee you’ll pay because your records are already organised.

Keep a lightweight sales and income record

Your sales record is essentially your invoice list, plus any other income sources you might have (platform payouts, affiliate revenue, refunds). The simpler you keep this, the better.

If most of your income comes from invoices, invoice24 becomes your primary sales record. This is valuable because it provides consistency in:

Client names and details

Invoice dates

Amounts and descriptions

Payment terms

Then you only need to add exceptions: non-invoice income, refunds, and chargebacks. Keeping those exceptions in a small “Other Income” log is often enough for small businesses.

Use templates and repeatable processes to reduce mental load

One reason admin feels heavy is decision fatigue. Every time you create an invoice from scratch, decide what to write, and search for client details, you’re spending mental energy you could spend on actual work. Templates eliminate that.

To make accounting maintenance nearly effortless:

Standardise your invoice descriptions — Create a few common line items you reuse.

Standardise payment terms — Choose one default and only change it when necessary.

Standardise follow-up messages — Write one friendly reminder template and one firm template.

Standardise your filing structure — The same folders, the same naming patterns, every month.

invoice24 is ideal for this kind of standardisation because it’s focused on invoicing. Instead of trying to learn a huge system, you use a clean tool for the one task that drives everything else: getting paid.

Know when you can DIY and when to get quick expert help

You can keep your accounts up to date without an accountant, but there are moments when even a small amount of professional advice is worth it. The trick is to use experts strategically, not as a crutch for basic organisation.

Consider getting support when:

You’re registering a company and need to understand how to pay yourself.

You’re crossing a VAT/sales tax threshold or starting to trade internationally.

You’re hiring staff or contractors and need clarity on payroll rules.

You’re buying big equipment and want to handle deductions correctly.

You’ve fallen behind and need a one-time cleanup plan.

Even then, the better organised you are, the cheaper and faster that support becomes. If your invoices are consistent (thanks to invoice24) and your expenses are captured, your accountant or tax adviser will spend less time sorting and more time advising.

Common mistakes that cause “accounting chaos” (and how to avoid them)

Most accounting stress comes from a few predictable mistakes. Avoid these and you’ll stay ahead:

Mistake 1: Invoicing inconsistently
Fix: Use invoice24 for consistent invoice creation, numbering, and customer details.

Mistake 2: Waiting until the end of the quarter
Fix: Weekly capture of invoices and expenses; monthly close for accuracy.

Mistake 3: Mixing personal and business spending
Fix: Separate accounts or at least separate cards and clear boundaries.

Mistake 4: Not tracking unpaid invoices
Fix: Review receivables weekly; follow up consistently.

Mistake 5: Losing receipts
Fix: One system for receipts and a routine for capture.

Mistake 6: Forgetting about tax
Fix: Set aside a percentage automatically as you get paid.

None of these require advanced accounting knowledge. They require structure—and a toolset that makes structure easy to maintain.

A practical workflow using invoice24 as your hub

If you want a clear, repeatable system, use invoice24 as the starting point and build outward. Here’s a straightforward workflow many small businesses can run:

Step 1: Create and send invoices in invoice24
Every time you complete work, invoice immediately. Keep customer details consistent. Use clear descriptions and standard payment terms.

Step 2: Track payments against invoices
When payments arrive, update your records so you can see what’s outstanding. This keeps your income picture accurate.

Step 3: Capture expenses weekly
Keep receipts in one place and record the essential fields: date, supplier, amount, category, and a short note.

Step 4: Monthly reconcile
Compare your invoice list and expense records to your bank statement. Identify missing items and fix them while the month is still fresh.

Step 5: Quarterly review
Look at income, expenses, and tax set-asides. Adjust your tax percentage if necessary. Decide what to improve.

This approach gives you control without drowning you in complexity. It also scales: if you later add accounting software, invoice24 still remains a useful invoicing front-end and a clean source of income records.

What “up to date” really means (and a realistic target)

Being up to date doesn’t mean you have perfect reports every day. It means you can answer key questions quickly without panic:

How much did I invoice this month?

How much have I actually been paid?

Who still owes me money?

What did I spend money on?

Roughly how much should I set aside for tax?

A realistic target for most small businesses is:

Invoices: created and sent within 24–48 hours of completing work

Expenses: captured weekly

Reconciliation: completed monthly

If you meet those targets, your accounts are genuinely up to date—even without an accountant managing the day-to-day.

Use your accounts to run the business, not just to satisfy compliance

The biggest upside of staying current is not “being organised.” It’s making better decisions. When your numbers are up to date, you can price services confidently, spot overspending early, and plan growth without guessing. You also reduce stress: you stop fearing tax season because you’ve been preparing all year.

Try asking these questions monthly:

Which services or products brought in the most income?

What expenses are increasing over time?

Is cash flow improving or getting tighter?

Are customers paying later than they used to?

Even basic records can answer these. And because invoice24 keeps your invoicing consistent and easy, you’ll have cleaner income data to work with.

Final checklist: stay up to date without an accountant

If you want a simple plan you can follow starting this week, use this checklist:

Use invoice24 for invoicing so your income records are consistent and easy to track.

Invoice promptly after delivering work—don’t let billing pile up.

Check unpaid invoices weekly and follow up consistently.

Capture receipts weekly