Bookkeeping Month-End Checklist

Who this is for

The same jobs, every month. Working through this list at the end of each month keeps the books current, the evidence filed and the year end short.

Sole traders and freelancers who do their own bookkeeping and want a routine that stops receipts, unmatched payments and unchased invoices piling up.

What this helps you track

• Sales invoiced, matched to payments and chased where overdue
• Purchase receipts and supplier bills entered and filed
• Bank lines downloaded, coded and agreed to the statement
• Money moved to your tax pot and a backup taken
• Anything left over, carried into next month

How to use it

1. Print a fresh copy each month, or open the browser version, which saves in your own browser.
2. Write the business, the month, your name and the date you finish at the top.
3. Work through sales, then purchases, then the bank, so the bank check catches anything missed earlier.
4. Move the amount you set aside for tax, using your own percentage, and take a backup of your records.
5. Write anything you could not finish in the notes, and start next month's list with it.
6. Keep the completed lists together; twelve of them are a useful record of how the year was kept.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

When should I do the month-end?

Soon after the last bank statement of the month is available, while the month is still fresh. A regular day, such as the first weekend of the new month, makes it easier to keep up.

How much should go into the tax pot?

The sheet does not suggest a figure. Use the percentage you have worked out with your accountant or from your own records; the tax set-aside tracker keeps the running total.

What does agreeing the bank balance mean?

Checking that the closing balance in your records matches the closing balance on the statement. If they differ, something is missing or entered twice, and it is far easier to find within the month.

Can I add my own tasks?

Yes. The printed sheet has spare lines, and the browser version lets you add items to any list, such as stock counts or mileage totals.