Senior QBO Forensic Recast / Litigation-Support Accountant

Summary Job Description: We are a multi-entity ecommerce and fitness equipment business involved in an eminent-domain relocation matter. We need a senior accountant, controller-level QBO cleanup consultant, CPA, forensic accountant, or litigation-support accountant to normalize 2019–2026 QuickBooks Online records and create expert-ready financial schedules. This is not routine bookkeeping. Historical QBO categories were inconsistent from year to year and across related entities. We need clean, source-linked workpapers that management, counsel, and retained experts can use to understand the financial impact of a forced relocation from a Stockton operating platform to a Benicia mitigation site. Primary objectives 1. Normalize 2019–2026 books across multiple QBO company files/entities. 2. Build year-by-year and month-by-month recast financials showing revenue, COGS, rent, facilities, outside services, legal, payroll, freight, storage, security, capex, and one-time/relocation items. 3. Prepare a source-linked data package for loss-of-business-goodwill, FF&E/M&E/personal property, relocation/reestablishment, permanent increased costs, and financial trend analysis. 4. Create normalized COA mapping that preserves the original audit trail and separates live QBO cleanup from off-book recast schedules. 5. Build an FF&E/M&E asset-listing template and schedule for appraiser use. 6. Review Shopify/A2X/QBO/payment-processor clearing logic so revenue trends are not distorted by duplicate postings, refunds, chargebacks, wrong-entity posting, or unmatched deposits. 7. Support factory-payment and inventory/COGS controls by tying factory payments to invoices, packing lists, containers, and receiving records where needed. Initial Paid Working Trial (First 10 Hours) The first phase of this engagement is a structured diagnostic and business-context validation period. The objective is to establish an accurate factual foundation before beginning the full forensic accounting reconstruction. The initial paid 10-hour block will generally include: Hour 1 * Paid kickoff meeting with management to review business context and project objectives. Hours 2–3 * Review the business-context packet. * Prepare: * One-page understanding memo. * Known facts versus assumptions table. * Prioritized questions. Hours 4–10 * Prepare a first-pass source index. * Build an entity, QuickBooks, bank, and payment processor relationship map. * Create an initial risk register. * Recommend a Phase 1 work plan, timeline, dependencies, and estimated effort. The purpose of this first engagement is to validate the factual foundation before substantial forensic work begins. Deliverables during this phase are expected to be first-pass working frameworks rather than polished production-ready workpapers. Required deliverables: 1. Current-state findings report and source/request register. 2. QBO company-file/entity/bank/processor map. 3. Normalized chart-of-accounts mapping workbook. 4. 2019–2026 recast P&L package by month and year. 5. Year-over-year variance analysis and category change explanations. 6. Non-recurring/personal/owner/one-time expense schedule. 7. Rent and occupancy cost schedule and permanent increased cost schedule. 8. FF&E/M&E asset schedule for appraiser review. 9. Relocation/reestablishment/buildout cost matrix. 10. Shopify/A2X/payment-to-bank reconciliation review summary. 11. Factory payment vs. invoice/packing list/container/receiving support framework. 12. Expert package index and missing-document list. 13. Implementation roadmap and handoff checklist for internal finance. Important: The deliverables above represent the overall project objectives. Candidates are not expected to complete all production-ready deliverables during the initial 10-hour engagement. The first phase focuses on understanding the business, validating source data, identifying risks, and creating an organized implementation plan before the larger forensic reconstruction begins. Access and confidentiality: * Start with exports, screenshots, sanitized examples, and limited read-only data; no broad live access during the paid trial. * Do not make live QBO changes until management, CPA, or counsel approve the mapping and adjustment plan. * Do not request or use litigation strategy memos or deposition-preparation drafts unless counsel specifically approves. * Final tax advice, Section 1033 exchange advice, legal recoverability opinions, and expert opinions are outside the scope of this engagement unless separately retained. Working guidelines: * A paid kickoff meeting with management is required before substantive work begins. * Structured live collaboration will be available during onboarding. * Candidates should organize questions in writing after the kickoff meeting. * Upwork Time Tracker is required for all hourly work. * Manual time will not be approved unless authorized in advance in writing. * During the diagnostic phase, no live QuickBooks Online changes are permitted without written approval. * Candidates should clearly distinguish between: * Executed source documents. * QuickBooks evidence. * Bank evidence. * CPA or tax guidance. * Management representations. * Initial findings should clearly separate confirmed facts, assumptions, missing information, and recommended next steps. Ideal candidate: * CPA, CMA, Controller, forensic accountant, litigation-support accountant, valuation-support accountant, or senior QuickBooks Online cleanup consultant. * Strong QuickBooks Online experience across multiple years, multiple entities, inconsistent historical accounting, and complex cleanup projects. * Experience with ecommerce accounting, Shopify, A2X, PayPal, Braintree, Shopify Payments, bank deposits, refunds, chargebacks, and clearing-account reconciliations. * Experience with inventory, COGS, vendor payments, accounts payable, accounts receivable, customer deposits, bank reconciliations, fixed assets, depreciation, and source-linked workpapers. * Experience supporting litigation, loss-of-profits analysis, business interruption, eminent domain, business valuation, damages analysis, or expert witness support is highly preferred.