Case Study: How a Diagnostic Review Saved One Client $30K in Taxes

Earlier this year, a business owner reached out to me wanting help getting his 2025 bookkeeping in order, but something about his 2024 numbers didn’t sit right with him. Even though we hadn’t planned to work together on his 2024 books, part of my onboarding process includes a diagnostic review. I always want to understand the full picture before diving into current-year work.

And I’m so glad we took that extra step. During the review, I discovered several red flags. The biggest one? Income was being dramatically overstated. He had been manually entering business expenses, like contractor payments and software subscriptions, as income by mistake.

The results after fixing everything? He avoided paying around an extra $30,000 in taxes.

It was a huge win, and a reminder of why clean books matter. Not just at tax time, but for making confident, informed decisions all year long.

If something feels “off” in your numbers, trust that instinct. Getting a second set of eyes on your books can save more than just time, it can save serious money.