Month-end close checklist (printable)

What the month-end close checklist (printable) gives you

A tidy month-end saves hours at year end. This printable checklist takes a small business through closing the month: cash and bank, sales and receivables, purchases and payables, stock, accruals and prepayments, depreciation, payroll and tax, and the final review, with tick boxes and space for the date and initials.

Who it is for

Bookkeepers, accountants and owners who close their own books, and finance staff who want a consistent routine.

How to use it

1. Print one copy for each month.
2. Work through the sections in order and tick each step.
3. Write the date and your initials on each section.
4. File the signed checklist with the month's accounts.
5. Keep a signed or dated copy with your records, so you can show what was agreed or done.

What is inside

• Eight sections from cash to review
• Tick boxes for every step
• Space for date, initials and notes
• Review and sign-off lines
• A list of tax dates to diarise

The document is a ready-to-print PDF with these parts: Details, 1. Cash and bank, 2. Sales and receivables, 3. Purchases and payables, 4. Stock and fixed assets, 5. Adjustments, 6. Tax, 7. Review. It is laid out for A4, with the headings, tables and tick boxes already in place, so you can print it and fill it in by hand, or type into it with a PDF editor.

Tips for getting it right

• Start closing on the first working day of the month.
• Never skip the bank reconciliation.
• Investigate differences the same day.
• Keep the checklists; they show the books were controlled.

Why it helps

Accounting records let you answer three questions at any time: what came in, what went out and who owes whom. Kept consistently they also make tax returns, loan applications and the sale of a business much easier, because the evidence is already organised. Entering transactions the day they happen is far cheaper than reconstructing them at year end.

Questions people ask

Can I edit it? It is a PDF, so it is meant to be printed and completed, or filled with a PDF editor. If you want to change the wording, copy the text into Word or Google Docs and adapt it to your business.

Is it legal advice? No. It is a practical starting point written for Kenya. Rules change, so check the current position and ask a professional where the stakes are high.

Will it work on my phone? Yes for reading. For filling in and printing, a computer or a PDF app works best.

Keeping it safe and up to date

Good accounting records are a legal duty as well as a management tool: keep the supporting receipts and invoices with the workbook, and keep each year's copy for at least five years. Work on a copy, never on your only file, and back it up.

Read how to keep business records for KRA for the wider picture. Free calculators that go with it: Vat calculator, Turnover tax calculator. See more accounting templates or ask us for a custom one.

This document is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice, and it is not affiliated with the Kenya Revenue Authority. If something does not work as described, contact us and we will put it right.

Related guides, calculators and templates

• Free calculator: VAT Calculator
• Free calculator: Turnover Tax Calculator
• Guide: How to set up an M-Pesa till or Paybill for your business and account for it
• Guide: Tax on selling personal items and second-hand goods online
• Guide: How KRA uses data matching and what it means for you
• Another template: 13-week cash flow forecast
• Another template: Accounts receivable ledger (up to 1,000 invoices)
• Another template: Bank balance tracker

Need something different? Request a custom template, browse all guides or see every Excel template.