“Tap” isn’t an official accounting term you’ll find in QuickBooks or the IRS handbook. It’s bookkeeper slang—short, punchy, and instantly understood in the trenches. Bookkeeping Services in Baltimore. If you hear a bookkeeper say, “Just tap that expense,” they’re telling you to record it fast and move on. Think of it as the verbal equivalent of hitting “Enter” in your software.

Where It Came From

Back in the paper-ledger days, bookkeepers literally tapped a calculator key or a manual posting machine to lock in a number. The sound—tap-tap-tap—meant “done.”

Today, it’s survived as shorthand for quick, clean data entry.

When Not to Tap

Suspicious round numbers ($500 cash withdrawal every Friday).

Missing invoices over $1,000.

Anything that smells like personal expense disguised as business.

Here, you pause, ask, document. Tapping blindly = future audit nightmares.

The “Tap Workflow” (60-Second Drill)

Grab the transaction (bank feed, email, photo).

Code it (right account, right tax line).

Attach proof (receipt PDF).

Tap → next.

Pros batch 50 taps in 20 minutes. Rookies take 20 minutes per tap.

Why Clients Love the Tap

Books stay real-time (no 60-day backlog).

Owners see clean dashboards at 9 a.m.

CPAs get audit-ready files without cleanup fees.

One-Line Definition

Tap (v.): To record a transaction accurately in under 30 seconds so the books never lie and the owner never waits.

Next time a bookkeeper says, “I’ll tap those receipts tonight,” translate: “Your books will be perfect by morning.”