Two printable A4 pages covering the whole close, in the order that survives contact with a real month-end. Not a teaser for a longer document - this is the complete checklist, from someone who has closed a few hundred month-ends.
Get the month-end close checklist PDF
The full close in four passes, A to F: cut-offs, the balance sheet top to bottom, P&L sanity check, sign-off, locking, and the after-sign-off checks most teams skip. Print it or keep it on the second screen.
Bank feeds, supplier bills, sales invoicing, expenses, payroll, stock - the six things that must be complete before reconciling anything is worth your time.
Eleven lines worked top to bottom - bank through to suspense - each with the specific check that matters, not just "reconcile it".
The ten-minute P&L review that catches cut-off errors, then what "signed off" should actually mean, including the dated export.
Xero lock dates done properly - user lock and adviser lock - and why a lock alone does not record what the numbers said.
The checks almost everyone skips: re-checking closed months, getting the story behind any change, correcting in the current period, keeping a register.
Free to copy and share inside your team. Prefer working papers with the formulas built in? The Excel templates are free too - no email needed there.
Connect Xero read-only and check your last 6 closed months in one pass. Prefer to look around first? The demo company needs no sign-up either.