Ask for a quote with a defined scope: hours to rebuild the ledger, produce the memo, amend a filing if needed, and answer later questions. Separate accounting fees, immigration-preparation legal fees and business expenditures, because they are not treated the same way. Confirm current government fees at the step where they apply.
Know what the reconciliation is worth before authorizing it
Reconciliation spending is justified when it changes what can be proven: a documented investment figure, a supportable revenue history, a clean path of funds. It is not justified when it only reformats presentation. Ask what the accountant will do if the corrected numbers weaken the case, and whether that triggers a strategy conversation before any filing. No amount of professional work buys an approval, a processing time, or a return on the investment.
The investment is the money committed to the enterprise: the purchase price, and any additional capital injected for equipment or working capital. The price paid for the management contracts, the booking platform, the trade name and the modest equipment is investment. Substantiality has no fixed minimum: the officer compares the amount invested with the cost of purchasing or establishing this kind of business.
Some professional costs are ordinary business expenses, such as drafting the operating agreement or negotiating a lease; costs incurred to prepare the immigration case are a different category.