A month-end close goes wrong in small ways: one client's bank statement never arrives, a supplier invoice is booked twice, a payroll change is noticed after the deadline. A short, repeatable checklist catches these before they become problems. Use the one below as a starting point and adjust it to your local deadlines.
Before the close: collect
- Open the new period for every active client on the same day.
- Send each client the same document checklist with a clear due date.
- Remind only the clients who are missing something, and name the missing items.
- Review documents as they arrive instead of waiting for everything.
- Reject incomplete documents quickly, with one specific reason.
During the close: reconcile
- Reconcile every bank account to the statement balance.
- Match sales invoices to incoming payments; list what is still unpaid.
- Match supplier invoices to outgoing payments; check for duplicates.
- Book recurring items: rent, subscriptions, loan repayments, depreciation.
- Process payroll changes: new starters, leavers, absences, bonuses.
- Note anything unusual and ask the client one clear question about it.
Before filing: check
- Compare key totals with the previous month - large swings deserve a look.
- Confirm that every required document for the period is accepted or marked “nothing this month”.
- Check VAT or sales tax figures against the source invoices.
- Have a second person review clients with unusual activity, if your team allows it.
After the close: improve
- Write down which clients were late and what they were missing.
- If the same item was rejected repeatedly, rewrite its instruction.
- Remove checklist items nobody ever provides; add ones you keep asking for by e-mail.
- Archive the period so documents are easy to find later.
Keep it the same for every client
The value of a checklist comes from repetition. When every client goes through the same steps every month, you can see at a glance who is behind and why. Exceptions are fine, but they should be written down, not remembered.
The collection part of this checklist - opening periods, reminders, review and the overdue list - is what MonthDocs automates, so your team can spend the close on the accounting itself.
