Accounting Checklists: Month-End, Reconciliations, Payroll, AP, AR, Inventory, and Year-End
Use practical accounting checklists to organize month-end close, reconciliations, bookkeeping, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, inventory, tax compliance, financial reporting, and year-end work. Each checklist helps standardize recurring tasks, improve review, and reduce missed steps across accounting workflows.
Explore Accounting Checklist Categories
Choose the accounting workflow you want to standardize, then open the checklist that matches the task, period, or review process.
Month-End Close Checklists
Standardize recurring close tasks, account reviews, reconciliations, accruals, adjustments, and reporting.
Explore Checklists →Reconciliation Checklists
Review bank, credit card, receivable, payable, payroll, inventory, and general ledger balances.
Explore Checklists →Bookkeeping Checklists
Organize routine transaction recording, document review, coding, posting, and bookkeeping controls.
Explore Checklists →Accounts Payable & Receivable Checklists
Manage supplier bills, customer balances, aging, collections, payments, and reconciliations.
Explore Checklists →Payroll Checklists
Review payroll inputs, approvals, calculations, taxes, liabilities, payments, and reconciliations.
Explore Checklists →Year-End & Reporting Checklists
Coordinate annual closing, financial statement preparation, tax support, schedules, and document retention.
Explore Checklists →Month-End Close Checklists
Use these practical checklists to standardize recurring accounting work, strengthen review, and improve documentation.
Month-End Close Checklist
Track recurring close tasks, owners, due dates, status, review, and completion.
Open Checklist →Pre-Close Checklist
Confirm transaction cutoffs, open items, missing documents, and readiness before closing begins.
Open Checklist →Journal Entry Review Checklist
Review account, period, support, debit-credit logic, approvals, and posting.
Open Checklist →Accruals Checklist
Identify unpaid expenses, unbilled revenue, reversing entries, and supporting calculations.
Open Checklist →Prepaid Expense Checklist
Review prepaid balances, amortization schedules, additions, expirations, and remaining amounts.
Open Checklist →Month-End Reporting Checklist
Confirm reconciliations, financial statements, management reports, and review sign-off.
Open Checklist →Reconciliation Checklists
Use these practical checklists to standardize recurring accounting work, strengthen review, and improve documentation.
Bank Reconciliation Checklist
Review bank statements, book balances, outstanding items, bank fees, errors, and reconciling entries.
Open Checklist →Credit Card Reconciliation Checklist
Match card statements with recorded purchases, expenses, payments, and supporting receipts.
Open Checklist →General Ledger Reconciliation Checklist
Verify account balance, source documents, subledger support, differences, and adjustments.
Open Checklist →Accounts Receivable Reconciliation Checklist
Compare customer balances, aging reports, credits, write-offs, and the control account.
Open Checklist →Accounts Payable Reconciliation Checklist
Compare supplier balances, unpaid invoices, credits, payments, and the control account.
Open Checklist →Payroll Reconciliation Checklist
Reconcile payroll registers, bank payments, tax liabilities, deductions, and payroll expense accounts.
Open Checklist →Bookkeeping and Transaction Checklists
Use these practical checklists to standardize recurring accounting work, strengthen review, and improve documentation.
Daily Bookkeeping Checklist
Review bank activity, sales, expenses, receipts, invoices, and transaction posting.
Open Checklist →Weekly Bookkeeping Checklist
Review uncategorized transactions, outstanding documents, customer balances, and supplier bills.
Open Checklist →Transaction Coding Checklist
Check account classification, department, project, tax treatment, memo, and supporting document.
Open Checklist →Cash Receipts Checklist
Review customer receipts, bank deposits, payment references, and receivable application.
Open Checklist →Cash Payments Checklist
Review authorization, supplier details, invoice support, payment method, and posting.
Open Checklist →Document Retention Checklist
Confirm invoices, receipts, contracts, statements, approvals, and accounting support are stored correctly.
Open Checklist →Accounts Payable and Receivable Checklists
Use these practical checklists to standardize recurring accounting work, strengthen review, and improve documentation.
Accounts Payable Checklist
Review invoice entry, approval, due dates, duplicate detection, coding, payment, and filing.
Open Checklist →Vendor Payment Checklist
Confirm supplier, bank details, invoice status, approvals, payment batch, and remittance.
Open Checklist →Accounts Receivable Checklist
Review invoices, customer balances, aging, collections, adjustments, and reconciliations.
Open Checklist →Customer Collection Checklist
Prioritize overdue balances, contact customers, document follow-up, and record payment arrangements.
Open Checklist →Bad Debt Review Checklist
Review aged receivables, collection history, allowances, write-offs, and supporting approval.
Open Checklist →AR Aging Review Checklist
Analyze aging buckets, disputes, credits, unapplied cash, and overdue customer balances.
Open Checklist →Payroll Checklists
Use these practical checklists to standardize recurring accounting work, strengthen review, and improve documentation.
Payroll Processing Checklist
Review employee changes, hours, earnings, deductions, taxes, approvals, and payroll submission.
Open Checklist →Pre-Payroll Checklist
Confirm employee master data, time records, salary changes, bonuses, and approved adjustments.
Open Checklist →Post-Payroll Checklist
Review payroll reports, bank funding, accounting entries, tax liabilities, and employee payments.
Open Checklist →Payroll Tax Checklist
Track withholding, employer taxes, deposits, filings, deadlines, and reconciliation.
Open Checklist →New Employee Payroll Checklist
Verify tax forms, bank details, compensation, benefits, deductions, and system setup.
Open Checklist →Year-End Payroll Checklist
Review employee statements, payroll tax reports, year-end reconciliations, and outstanding corrections.
Open Checklist →Inventory and Fixed Asset Checklists
Use these practical checklists to standardize recurring accounting work, strengthen review, and improve documentation.
Inventory Count Checklist
Prepare count teams, locations, item lists, cutoff procedures, recounts, and variance review.
Open Checklist →Inventory Reconciliation Checklist
Compare physical counts, inventory records, adjustments, obsolete items, and general ledger balances.
Open Checklist →COGS Review Checklist
Review beginning inventory, purchases, production costs, ending inventory, and cost classifications.
Open Checklist →Fixed Asset Addition Checklist
Verify asset cost, supporting invoice, capitalization policy, useful life, and asset register setup.
Open Checklist →Depreciation Review Checklist
Review method, useful life, residual value, additions, disposals, and depreciation expense.
Open Checklist →Fixed Asset Disposal Checklist
Confirm disposal proceeds, accumulated depreciation, carrying amount, gain or loss, and register removal.
Open Checklist →Financial Reporting and Year-End Checklists
Use these practical checklists to standardize recurring accounting work, strengthen review, and improve documentation.
Financial Statement Review Checklist
Review classifications, balances, comparative periods, disclosures, and cross-statement consistency.
Open Checklist →Income Statement Review Checklist
Review revenue, COGS, expenses, unusual items, margins, and period comparisons.
Open Checklist →Balance Sheet Review Checklist
Review account classifications, reconciliations, current versus noncurrent presentation, and support.
Open Checklist →Cash Flow Statement Review Checklist
Review operating, investing, financing classifications, noncash items, and reconciliation.
Open Checklist →Year-End Close Checklist
Coordinate final reconciliations, adjustments, schedules, tax support, reporting, and archive procedures.
Open Checklist →Audit Preparation Checklist
Organize schedules, reconciliations, confirmations, contracts, support, and requested audit evidence.
Open Checklist →Tax and Compliance Checklists
Use these practical checklists to standardize recurring accounting work, strengthen review, and improve documentation.
Tax Document Checklist
Collect tax forms, income records, deduction support, payment confirmations, and prior filings.
Open Checklist →Sales Tax Checklist
Review taxable sales, exemptions, collected tax, filing frequency, returns, remittance, and records.
Open Checklist →Payroll Tax Compliance Checklist
Review registrations, withholding, employer taxes, deposits, filings, and employee statements.
Open Checklist →Business Tax Filing Checklist
Organize business income, expenses, deductions, credits, schedules, payments, and filing support.
Open Checklist →Tax Deadline Checklist
Track filing dates, payment dates, extensions, deposits, estimated taxes, and confirmation records.
Open Checklist →Tax Recordkeeping Checklist
Retain filed returns, schedules, source documents, payment proof, notices, and correspondence.
Open Checklist →Quick Accounting Checklist References
Use these supporting guides to configure checklist ownership, due dates, review levels, documentation, and control evidence.
Accounting Checklist Library Guide
Choose the right checklist based on close, reconciliation, bookkeeping, payroll, tax, inventory, or reporting needs.
Checklist Setup Guide
Assign owners, due dates, review levels, evidence requirements, and completion status.
Month-End Close Workflow Guide
Connect daily bookkeeping, reconciliations, journal entries, reporting, and sign-off into one close process.
Accounting Review Controls Guide
Use preparer-reviewer controls, documentation standards, and completion evidence across checklist workflows.
Which Accounting Checklist Should You Use?
Match the accounting workflow with the checklist that best supports the task, controls, documentation, and review process.
| Your Task | Recommended Checklist | Typical Review Areas | Main Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close the accounting period | Month-End Close Checklist | Reconciliations, accruals, adjustments, reporting | Complete the close consistently and on time |
| Verify account balances | Reconciliation Checklists | Source support, differences, adjustments, sign-off | Support accurate general ledger balances |
| Process supplier payments | Accounts Payable Checklist | Invoices, approvals, coding, duplicates, payment | Strengthen AP processing and controls |
| Review customer balances | Accounts Receivable Checklist | Aging, collections, credits, unapplied cash | Improve receivable accuracy and collection follow-up |
| Process payroll | Payroll Processing Checklist | Employees, hours, earnings, deductions, taxes | Reduce payroll processing errors |
| Prepare annual records | Year-End Close Checklist | Final reconciliations, reporting, tax support, archive | Coordinate annual financial close and documentation |
Not Sure Which Accounting Checklist You Need?
Start with the workflow you want to standardize: bookkeeping, reconciliation, month-end close, AP, AR, payroll, inventory, tax, or year-end reporting.
Featured Accounting Checklist Guides
Explore selected checklists and workflow guides from the Accounting Checklists section.
Latest Accounting Checklist Articles
Read the newest guides about close procedures, reconciliations, bookkeeping, payroll, AP, AR, inventory, tax, and reporting workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions About Accounting Checklists
Find quick answers about checklist design, month-end close, reconciliations, ownership, controls, storage, and customization.
What is an accounting checklist?
An accounting checklist is a structured list of recurring tasks, reviews, controls, and documentation steps used to complete an accounting process consistently.
Why are accounting checklists useful?
They help reduce missed steps, improve consistency, assign responsibility, support review, and create evidence that accounting procedures were completed.
What should a month-end close checklist include?
It commonly includes cutoff review, reconciliations, accruals, prepaid expenses, depreciation, journal entries, financial statement review, and final sign-off.
How should accounting checklist tasks be assigned?
Each task should have a clear owner, due date, status, required support, and reviewer where appropriate.
Should reconciliation checklists be completed every month?
Frequency depends on the account and risk, but many important balance sheet and cash accounts are reconciled monthly.
Can accounting checklists replace internal controls?
No. Checklists can support internal controls, but effective controls also depend on segregation of duties, approvals, access controls, reconciliations, and review.
How should completed checklists be stored?
Store them with supporting documents using consistent naming, period folders, access controls, and retention procedures.
Can accounting checklists be customized?
Yes. They should be adapted to the entity's size, accounting system, reporting requirements, tax obligations, controls, and workflow.
Build More Reliable Accounting Workflows
Use Accountant Compass accounting checklists to standardize recurring tasks, strengthen review, document completion, and reduce missed steps across accounting processes.
