The month-end close is the accounting profession's recurring challenge. Companies spend 5-10 business days closing their books each month, with much of that time consumed by repetitive tasks: posting recurring entries, calculating accruals, reconciling accounts, and preparing variance explanations.
MONTH-END CLOSE: [Month/Year]
COMPANY: [Name]
CLOSE DEADLINE: [Date]
Generate a comprehensive close checklist with:
1. PRE-CLOSE (Days 1-2):
- Cut off accounts payable and receivable
- Ensure all bank transactions are imported
- Post any pending intercompany entries
- Review open purchase orders for accrual needs
2. JOURNAL ENTRIES (Days 2-3):
- Recurring entries (depreciation, amortization, rent)
- Accruals (unbilled revenue, incurred but unpaid expenses)
- Prepaid amortization
- Payroll accrual (if payroll period does not align)
- Bad debt provision adjustment
3. RECONCILIATIONS (Days 3-4):
- All bank accounts
- Intercompany balances
- Fixed asset roll-forward
- Debt schedule
- Equity roll-forwardUpgrade to Pro to access the full content
What you'll learn: