Month-end close checklist: documents to request from clients

Most month-end delays aren't caused by the close itself but by missing paperwork. Send every client the same short list on the first business day of the month, with a due date, and the close becomes predictable.

Statements

Bank statements for every business accountFull-month PDF statements, not screenshots or partial exports.
Credit card statements for every business cardIncluding cards in an owner's name that are used for the business.
Loan and line-of-credit statementsTo split principal and interest correctly.
Payment processor reportsStripe, PayPal, Square or Shopify payouts and fees for the month.

Receipts and invoices

Receipts for expenses above your thresholdMany firms ask for anything over $75; pick a number and keep it consistent.
Bills received but not yet paidFor accrual-basis clients.
Invoices issued outside the accounting softwareManual or one-off invoices that won't sync automatically.

Questions for the client

Any new loans, large purchases or asset sales this month?
Any owner contributions or draws not visible in the bank feed?
New employees, contractors or changes in payroll?
Anything unusual we should know before closing the month?

Tips to get every document on time

Ask on the same day every month and give a clear due date — 5 business days works for most clients.
Name items precisely: “October statement – Chase business checking” gets the right file far more often than “statements”.
Remind only about what is still missing, and stop reminding as soon as everything is in.
Accept photos from a phone for receipts; ask for PDFs for statements.

Send this checklist as a secure upload link

DocRally turns this checklist into one secure link for each client: no logins, uploads from the phone, automatic reminders until everything is in, and an AI check that flags the wrong document or period. The "Monthly bookkeeping close" template is ready in every new account.