Month-end close checklist for bookkeepers: a Day 1–10 timeline
A free monthly close checklist for small-business clients, in eight steps, with a month end close timeline that spreads the work over ten days instead of one long night.
Most late closes aren't caused by hard accounting. They're caused by a missing statement, a card nobody reconciled, or a step you forgot because last month you did it in a different order. A fixed checklist, run in the same order every month, takes those surprises out of the month end close process for small business clients.
The free checklist: 8 close steps
- Reconcile all bank accounts to statements. Every account reconciled to the statement ending balance, with any difference explained.
- Reconcile credit cards to statements. Cards reconciled; charges without receipts logged as document requests.
- Review AP aging and unpaid bills. Stale or duplicate bills flagged for the client.
- Review AR aging and undeposited funds. Undeposited funds cleared or explained, old receivables listed.
- Book accruals and adjusting entries. Agreed recurring adjustments posted, for example splitting a loan payment into principal and interest.
- Tie the payroll journal to payroll provider reports. Wages, taxes and liabilities match the provider's reports for the month.
- Run a month-over-month variance review. Unusual swings investigated, client questions sent in one email.
- Deliver financial statements and a close memo. Package sent; open issues listed in the memo.
A Day 1 to Day 10 month end close timeline
This timeline assumes the close is due on the 10th of the following month. Days are calendar days after the period you're closing. If a client's close day is later, stretch the middle steps; if it's earlier, compress them.
| Day | Work |
|---|---|
| 1 | Create this month's checklist and send the client one email listing every statement and receipt you need. |
| 1–3 | Categorize the remaining bank feed activity for the month. |
| 3 | Step 1: bank reconciliations. |
| 4 | Step 2: credit card reconciliations. |
| 5 | Steps 3 and 4: AP and AR review. |
| 6 | Steps 5 and 6: accruals and payroll tie-out. |
| 7–8 | Step 7: variance review and one batch of client questions. |
| 9 | Go back over your own entries, generate statements and draft the close memo. |
| 10 | Step 8: deliver the package. |
Running the close for several clients
Stagger close days
If every client closes on the 10th, you reconcile everything on the same three days. Spread close days across the month (for example the 8th, 10th, 12th and 15th), agree them in each engagement letter, and work through clients in close-day order.
Use "Blocked" honestly
A step waiting on the client isn't "in progress". Mark it blocked and write the reason where you'll see it, such as "waiting on 4 card receipts". When you open your board, the blocked column becomes your list of follow-ups for the day.
Chase documents on a schedule
Missing statements are the most common reason a close slips. Request everything on Day 1 with a due date, then follow up on a fixed cadence: a friendly reminder the day after the due date, a specific follow-up a few days later, and a final reminder if needed.
Keep a history
Group close steps by client and month, so you can answer "what happened in March?" without digging through email, and spot clients who block the same step every month.
What a close tracker needs
- Eight rows per client per month, each with a step order, status and due date
- A board grouped by status: not started, in progress, blocked, done
- An overdue view for anything past its due date that isn't done
- A per-client progress count, such as "5/8 done", and the next close date for each client
The checklist and timeline above are free to copy into whatever tool you already use.
Bookkeeper Client Hub: Onboarding & Month-End Close Notion Kit, $19 on Gumroad. If you'd rather run this close from a Notion board than from a copied list, the kit covers the close and the rest of the month:
- Month-End Close Checklist. One button creates the eight close steps above. Track them on a Not Started / In Progress / Blocked / Done board, and see every client's next close date in one list.
- Document Requests. Log each request with a due date. A
Follow-Upcolumn shows "Chase: N days late" as soon as something is overdue. - Onboarding Checklist. One button creates an eight-step onboarding checklist for a new client, from engagement letter to prior-period tie-out.
- Recurring Tasks. Weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual tasks per client, with a due status and the next due date calculated for you.
- Time / Scope Log. Log your time, flag work as in scope or out of scope, and the client page compares this month's in-scope hours with the hours the fixed fee covers: Within scope, Near limit or Over scope.
What you get: six Notion-ready CSV files (one per database, with fictional sample rows) plus a written setup guide, BUILD_SPEC, and the guide "Client Onboarding & Month-End Close System". It is a manual build with many steps, not a template you duplicate: you import the CSVs into Notion, then follow the setup guide to build the relations, rollups, formulas, views and buttons. How long it takes depends on how well you know Notion, so set aside a focused work session. It doesn't connect to your accounting software. Refunds: 14 days from purchase, via Gumroad.
Not yet test-run: the full build has not been test-run end to end in a fresh Notion workspace. If a step doesn't work for you, the 14-day refund via Gumroad applies.
Created with AI assistance. Not accounting, tax, or legal advice.
New client? Start with the bookkeeper client onboarding checklist.
Refund policy: the checklist on this page is free to copy. The paid kit has refunds within 14 days of purchase, via Gumroad. To ask for one, reply to your Gumroad purchase receipt or contact the seller through Gumroad. You don't need to give a reason.
Privacy: this site sets no cookies, runs no analytics and collects no email addresses. Gumroad collects your email address at checkout to deliver the kit and shares it with the seller for delivery.
Created with AI assistance. This page was created with AI assistance. It can still contain mistakes. Not accounting, tax, or legal advice. This checklist and timeline are general examples and may not fit your jurisdiction, your clients or your professional obligations. Following them doesn't guarantee accurate books or on-time closes. For advice about a specific situation, consult a qualified professional such as a CPA, enrolled agent or attorney. No affiliate links or sponsored mentions.