Month end close checklist: 30 items for a three day close

Before the month ends (days -3 to -1)

Chase missing receipts and vendor invoices, with a named owner per item

Confirm all bank, card and payment processor feeds are connected and current

Review uncategorised transactions and clear them daily

Confirm payroll has been run and the journal is scheduled

Send customer statements for overdue invoices

Lock the prior period so nobody posts into it by mistake

Day 1: cash and subledgers

Reconcile every bank and credit card account to the statement

Reconcile payment processors (Stripe, PayPal, Shopify) to the ledger

Match AP invoices to purchase orders and receipts, post accruals for goods received not invoiced

Review AR ageing, write off or reserve anything clearly uncollectable

Reconcile intercompany balances if you have more than one entity

Day 2: accruals, prepaids and fixed assets

Post recurring accruals (rent, utilities, contractors, bonuses)

Amortise prepaid expenses per the schedule

Recognise deferred revenue per the schedule, check new contracts were added

Post depreciation and record any asset additions or disposals

Accrue payroll for days worked but not yet paid

Review credit card spend for personal or duplicate charges

Day 3: review and report

Run P&L versus prior month and versus budget, explain every line over 15 percent variance

Review the balance sheet: every account has a reconciliation or a reason

Check gross margin, cash balance and burn against expectations

Prepare the management report pack and share as a live link, not a PDF

Record open questions and who owns them

Log close duration in business days and one thing to fix next month

Quarterly and annual add ons

Sales tax and VAT returns filed and paid

Estimated tax payments made

1099 or equivalent contractor information collected and current

Review the chart of accounts for accounts that should be merged or closed

Back up or export the ledger and store it outside the accounting system

Make it shorter next month

Most of the day one and day two items can be automated. Card and expense platforms deliver receipts already coded, AI categorisation clears the uncategorised queue, and scheduled journals post accruals and amortisation on their own. Read how to cut the close from ten days to three or estimate the saving with the calculator.