A month-end close checklist for bookkeepers
Updated October 12, 2026
The short answer
Reconcile every bank and credit card account first, then clear uncategorized items, review receivables and payables, accrue what is missing, check payroll and GST/HST balances against the filings, review the reports against last month, and lock the period before sending the client their package.
The checklist, in order
- Reconcile every bank and credit card account to the statement.
- Clear uncategorized and unmatched transactions.
- Review accounts receivable and payable aging for anything unusual or stale.
- Record accruals and prepaid adjustments the bank feed can't see.
- Reconcile payroll liabilities to the remittances made and due.
- Reconcile the GST/HST account to the return filed or about to be filed.
- Compare the profit and loss and balance sheet to last month and the same month last year; investigate large swings.
- Lock the period so later edits are deliberate, then send the client's package.
Why the order matters
Reconciliations first means every later check starts from a trusted base. Doing the GST/HST and payroll reconciliations after accruals means the numbers you compare against the filings are the final ones, so you only reconcile once.
Make it recurring, not remembered
The close is the same every month, so it belongs in a template: a job that appears on schedule for each client with these steps, an assignee and a due date. Clerra spawns recurring work like this automatically, so the checklist runs itself instead of living in someone's head.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a month-end close take?+
It depends on the client's transaction volume, but a well-organized small client is often a few hours. A consistent order of work and recurring templates are what keep it predictable.
Should I lock the period after closing?+
Yes. Locking prevents accidental changes to closed months, so any later change is a deliberate adjustment you can explain.
Let Clerra track these for every client.
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