Accounts Payable Services & AP Automation Providers in Joliet, IL

Overview

J&R Accounting Group LLC is a certified public accounting firm with offices in Joliet and Schaumburg, Illinois. Through virtual engagements, it also works with small businesses in other parts of the country. Buyers comparing accounts payable providers should understand that this is a broad CPA practice rather than a specialist payables software vendor. Handling supplier invoices and outgoing payments is one part of a larger menu that also covers bookkeeping, tax, payroll and financial systems.

Accounts Payable and Back-Office Support

Payables work is delivered through the firm's Data Entry Outsourcing service. A dedicated team takes over repetitive, time-heavy administrative tasks, including amounts owed to vendors and amounts owed by customers. The firm emphasizes accuracy, current records and steady cash flow. It presents the arrangement as a way to avoid the expense of recruiting, training and keeping in-house clerical staff, so that a client's own team can devote its time to growing the business.

On the technology side, the firm says it is certified in QuickBooks and Xero, and that it sets up automated workflows to reduce manual entry. Bigger organizations can use its ERP practice, which deploys and integrates cloud systems such as NetSuite, SAP and IFS and tailors them to the client's sector. Because accountants lead these projects, the firm says the work accounts for:

• Sales and use tax and 1099 filings
• Tax obligations across multiple states
• A well-built chart of accounts and internal controls
• Consistency with US GAAP and audit expectations

Additional services that sit comfortably beside a payables function include:

• Full-cycle accounting, with bank reconciliations, income statements and balance sheet upkeep
• Cash flow projections and financial planning and analysis
• Assessments of internal control systems, followed by suggested improvements
• Part-time CFO support, including general ledger oversight
• Payroll processing and payroll tax filings at the federal, state and local levels
• Tax planning and return preparation for individuals and corporations, along with IRS representation

Who They Serve

The firm says its financial services suit everyone from individual taxpayers to large enterprises. Its payroll service names four client groups: startups and small businesses, eCommerce and retail companies, service businesses such as agencies and contractors, and growing mid-sized employers with about 50 to more than 500 workers, including teams spread over several states. It also offers forensic accounting and litigation support, and one published testimonial thanks the firm for its help during a divorce.

How They Work

The firm commits to getting back to clients within one business day. Meetings can take place online or in the office, and during the most hectic stretch of tax season it makes additional appointment hours available. Quarterly sessions with thorough reporting give owners a clearer view of their finances. Services are available in both English and Russian.

According to the firm, routine bookkeeping and payroll are usually handled under fixed monthly arrangements, while specialized consulting, tax planning and one-off projects may be billed hourly or per project.

Background

The practice reports over two decades of accounting experience and attributes much of its growth to referrals from satisfied clients. It lists professionalism, responsiveness and quality as its core values. As a CPA firm, it can represent clients before the IRS and take charge of correspondence and meetings if an audit occurs. For companies that want their payables managed by people who also understand the tax and reporting implications, this sets it apart from a purely technical provider.

Keep A Count Bookkeeping is a family-run bookkeeping firm in Joliet, Illinois, that has been in business since 1993. It mainly works with small and mid-size companies across Will County and the surrounding suburbs, and it also takes bookkeeping clients nationwide. Buyers looking at accounts payable support should know that the firm does not sell AP automation software.

Instead, it handles payables as part of a broader outsourced bookkeeping service, which can suit owners who want one local contact for their whole set of books.

Accounts payable and bookkeeping work

The firm records transactions, reconciles bank and credit card accounts, sorts expenses into categories and tracks both payables and receivables. Clients get monthly profit and loss statements written to be easy for owners to read. Engagements can run weekly, monthly, quarterly or once a year, depending on how often a business needs its records updated. Core offerings include:

• Tracking of accounts payable and accounts receivable
• Monthly and quarterly reconciliations
• Financial statements and management reports
• Invoicing, deposits and recurring billing
• Cleanup and organization of old invoices, receipts and records
• Compliance-focused record maintenance

How the firm works with clients

Clients can have the bookkeeping done at their own location or by the firm's staff at its office. Owners who have fallen behind can use a drop-off option: they bring in a box of loose receipts and get back an organized report on how the business is doing. The firm offers a free 15-minute introductory consultation.

It also books appointments in the evenings and on weekends, which helps owners who can't meet during normal business hours. The firm describes its approach as technology-driven and cloud-based, and it uses QuickBooks Online as its main platform.

QuickBooks and process setup

Besides ongoing bookkeeping, Keep A Count sets up QuickBooks and trains business staff to use it. This is useful for companies that want to keep some payables work in-house but need a properly built system first.

One nonprofit client says the firm set up its QuickBooks Online account and chart of accounts, then took over monthly reconciliations, budgeting and grant spending tracking. The same client says the firm also kept track of annual renewals and property tax payments, two recurring obligations that sit close to the payables cycle.

Clients, background and credentials

The firm serves a wide range of local businesses, including trucking companies, contractors, salons, restaurants, auto repair shops and landscapers, as well as nonprofit organizations. Its bookkeepers are certified, and the firm points to more than 30 years of experience in the field. Its location pages mention certification through the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers.

Founder Kathleen also brings decades of human resources experience. Clients report that she has helped with payroll coordination, employee onboarding and preparing for audits. The firm's other line of business is notary, remote online notarization and loan signing agent services. Its Google reviews come from both bookkeeping and notary clients.