Monthly bookkeeping
Monthly bookkeeping checklist
Every month a bookkeeping client owes you the same core paperwork: a statement for each account, the payroll register, the sales records behind the deposits and anything that changed during the month. Ask for it in the same order every month so nothing is missed. Items marked optional only apply when the client has that account or activity.
Who sends itSent by the bookkeeper for the month that just ended, usually at the start of the next month. Firms often set the due date around the 10th, then send reminders until the list is complete.
0 of 20 ticked
01Statements for this month
02Sales and cash receipts
03Changes this month
04Questions for the client
What firms get wrong
- Waiting for the client to remember. Send the same list on the same day each month, with a due date the client can see.
- Accepting a transaction export when the reconciliation needs the opening and closing balances on the statement.
- Forgetting to ask about accounts opened or closed during the month, which leaves new loans or cards off the books.
- Letting receipts pile up until year end instead of asking for the few that support larger purchases each month.
- Treating an unanswered item as complete. Ask the client to say when an item does not apply.
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Questions about this checklist
How early should I send the monthly checklist?
Send it when the month ends or at the start of the next month, so the client has time to download the statements. Set the due date to suit your close schedule. The 10th of the following month is a common choice.
Do I need the full statement, or are transaction exports enough?
Ask for the statement the bank or card issuer produces for the full month. It shows the opening and closing balances you need to reconcile. A transaction export can fill in details, but it does not replace the statement.
What if a client had no activity on an account this month?
Ask the client to say so in the note. A statement for an account with no activity still shows the balance, so it is worth requesting when the bank issues one.
Should clients send a receipt for every purchase?
No. Ask only for receipts above a threshold you set, such as $75 in the standard checklist. Smaller purchases appear on the bank and card statements, which you already have.
Can this checklist repeat every month?
Yes. In Usual a checklist can be set to recur monthly, so the same items go out each month, reminders go out until everything is in, and items still missing carry forward to the next period.
Sources
Checked November 3, 2026. Tax rules, forms and thresholds change; confirm them with the IRS or your tax software before relying on them.
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