How to organize receipts for your bookkeeper

Bookkeepers don't need a perfect shoebox. They need, for every expense: date, vendor, total, how it was paid, what it was for (category), and an image of the receipt. Capture those six things at the moment of purchase and month-end becomes a five-minute handoff.

The system

1. Get the category list from your bookkeeper. Ask for the expense accounts they use for you (names and codes). See our starter chart of accounts.
2. Capture at the counter. Photograph the receipt before it hits your pocket. Paper fades, emails get buried.
3. Record the six fields immediately. Note which card or account paid — it lets the bookkeeper match it to the bank feed.
4. Split mixed purchases. If one receipt covers two categories, record the amounts separately (how).
5. Name files consistently: 2026-10-15_HomeDepot_84.12.jpg sorts by date and is searchable.
6. Hand off on a schedule. Weekly or monthly, send one spreadsheet/CSV plus a folder (or ZIP) of images. Same format every time.

A CSV your bookkeeper will like

Common mistakes

• Only keeping the card statement — it shows vendor and amount, not what you bought.
• Letting OCR guess the category. It can read the total; it can't know whether those screws were for a job.
• Mixing personal and business on one receipt without noting it.

Related: How to get clients to send you coded receipts (bookkeeper POV) · Receipt app vs OCR apps