Free Month-End Close Checklist Template
A month-end close checklist covers the documents to collect, the entries to post, the reconciliations to complete, and the review steps that finish the period.
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Month-end closes tend to feel fine right up until something doesn’t add up, and then the only question is what got missed and how long it’s been wrong. The Month-End Close Checklist runs the work as a project, so the close moves through a fixed order from access and source documents to reconciliations and final review, with a card for each step.
The board’s columns match the work itself, and each column holds the tasks that need a yes-or-no finish. A ledger-ink rose header under Space Grotesk headings keeps the board feeling like a checklist, not a brainstorming wall, so whoever’s reading it can tell what’s handled before the close reaches the statements.
- Client onboarding Tracks the access you need up front, including bookkeeping credentials, prior reconciliations, and the opening balances that start the period on the right foot.
- Source documents Lists the statements and reports to pull each month, from bank and card statements to payroll, POS, and merchant downloads.
- Transaction entry Covers the day-to-day posting that has to be in the file before you can reconcile, including bills, invoices, deposits, and payroll liabilities.
- Reconciliations Holds the bank, credit card, and merchant matching steps, plus a card for clearing anything left unreconciled.
- Review and close Pulls the close together with a trial balance and statements review, a sales tax summary step, delivery of the month-end package, and archiving before the books close.
Once the board is in Plutio, you add your own dates, assign the tasks to the people doing the work, and run the close by moving cards from one column to the next until the period is ready to archive.
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What is on this board
6 columns carrying 24 cards. Adding it builds the whole thing as a project in your workspace, with every column and card in place.
| Column | What is in it |
|---|---|
Client onboarding | Captures the access and starting-point items that have to be in hand before a close can run, including credentials, prior reconciliations, and opening balances. Swap in the exact systems and logins you’ll request so the first handoff is clear.
|
Source documents | Gathers the monthly inputs that drive the rest of the close, like bank and card statements, bills, payroll reports, and POS or merchant exports. Adjust the list to match the accounts and processors that actually feed the books.
|
Transaction entry | Runs through the posting work that turns documents into booked activity, including bills, customer invoices, payments, deposits, and payroll entries. Assign each card to the person entering the transactions so nothing sits unposted when reconciliations start.
|
Reconciliations | Moves the close into tying accounts to third-party statements, including bank, credit card, and merchant activity. Keeps one place to flag and clear leftover unmatched items before the period gets reviewed.
|
Adjusting entries | Collects the month-end journals that finish the accounting, like accruals, prepaid adjustments, depreciation, and receivables write-offs. Change the cards to fit the adjustments you actually book each month and who signs off on them.
|
Review and close | Finishes the month with a trial balance and statement review, a sales tax summary step, delivery of the month-end package, and file archiving. Add your deliverable names and review checkpoints so the close has a clear stopping point.
|
What happens when you install it
- A project is created with its board, 6 columns and 24 cards already there.
- Nothing carries a due date, because a board holds the order the work runs in rather than a calendar. The dates go on once you know when the job starts.
- Every card opens as a task with its own description, assignee, dates, subtasks and files, and columns are renamed, reordered or deleted like any other.
Who it is for
Bookkeepers, accountants, and finance managers who need a repeatable monthly close that someone can pick up and run without guessing what comes next.
Questions about this project template
What should be on a month-end close checklist?
A month-end close checklist usually covers source documents to collect, transaction entry, reconciliations, adjusting entries, and the final review that ends with closing the period. The exact tasks depend on the accounts you run, but the work still follows that order.
What’s the difference between monthly close and cleanup and catch-up bookkeeping?
Monthly close keeps each period current by posting, reconciling, adjusting, and reviewing as the month ends. Cleanup and catch-up means that same work is being done across past months that weren’t closed on time, often with extra time spent finding missing documents and fixing older errors.
How do you reconcile bank and credit card accounts at month-end?
Reconciliation ties the ledger balance to the statement by matching transactions, confirming deposits and fees, and then clearing any unreconciled items. The checklist keeps those steps together so the review happens after the accounts actually tie out.
What documents do you need to close the books each month?
Month-end closing usually needs bank and credit card statements, vendor invoices and bills, payroll reports and timesheets, and POS or merchant reports if sales flow through processors. The board keeps those requests in one place so posting doesn’t start from partial inputs.
What month-end journal entries are common?
Common month-end adjustments include accruals, prepaid adjustments, depreciation, and writing off uncollectible receivables when needed. The checklist separates those adjusting entries from day-to-day posting so they don’t get forgotten after reconciliations.
Where does payroll fit into the monthly close?
Payroll affects month-end through wage expense, taxes, and payroll liabilities that need to be posted correctly. The checklist includes payroll reports and timesheets as source documents, then includes processing payroll entries and posting liabilities during transaction entry.
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