# Year-End Closing Checklist, Free Template Source: https://nerix.ai/templates/year-end-closing-checklist Close the financial year step by step, with an owner and a due date for each task. Before you send it Filing deadlines, audit duties and required statements differ by country and legal form. Check them, and ask your accountant what you must file and when. ## Fill it in and preview You are signed in. Fill it in your workspace and it is kept as a document you can send, share and have signed. [Open in your workspace](https://app.nerix.ai/documents/templates/year-end-closing-checklist) ### Year-end closing checklist **Company:** Northfield Bakery Ltd **Year end:** 31 December 2028 **Closing lead:** Anna Berg, Finance Manager **External accountant:** Clarke and Moss Accountants **Books closed by:** 31 January 2029 ## Filing deadlines Annual accounts: 30 September 2029 Tax return: 31 October 2029 ## How to use this checklist Each line is one task: owner, task and due date. Tick a task off only when its evidence is saved with the closing file. ## 1. Cut-off and transactions | Owner | Task | Due date | | Anna Berg | Post all invoices dated on or before 31 Dec | 8 Jan | | Anna Berg | Check goods received and not invoiced | 8 Jan | | Omar Khan | Record December payroll | 10 Jan | ## 2. Reconciliations | Owner | Task | Due date | | Anna Berg | Bank accounts to statements | 12 Jan | | Anna Berg | Customer balances to the ledger | 12 Jan | | Omar Khan | Supplier statements to the ledger | 14 Jan | | Omar Khan | Loan balances to lender statements | 14 Jan | ## 3. Accruals, prepayments and adjustments | Owner | Task | Due date | | Anna Berg | Accrue unpaid bills and bonuses | 15 Jan | | Anna Berg | Prepaid insurance and rent | 15 Jan | | Anna Berg | Bad debt review | 16 Jan | | Anna Berg | Depreciation | 16 Jan | ## 4. Stock and fixed assets | Owner | Task | Due date | | Maria Costa | Year-end stock count and valuation | 2 Jan | | Maria Costa | Asset register check | 10 Jan | ## 5. Tax and compliance | Owner | Task | Due date | | Anna Berg | Sales tax returns up to date | 18 Jan | | Anna Berg | Payroll tax filed | 18 Jan | | Anna Berg | Tax computation to the accountant | 25 Jan | ## 6. Review and sign-off | Owner | Task | Due date | | Anna Berg | Trial balance review and variance check | 26 Jan | | Daniel Roche | Management review and approval | 30 Jan | | Daniel Roche | Lock the year in the system | 31 Jan | ## Open issues A 4,200 supplier dispute is not yet agreed. Held as a provision. **Closing lead** ______________________ Date: ____________ **Approved by** ______________________ Date: ____________ Templates are a careful starting point, not legal advice. Where the law matters, check what applies where you are. Finance and accounting ## What this template is for A year-end closing checklist for finance teams: cut-off, reconciliations, accruals, stock, assets, tax and sign-off. Add owners and dates, then Word or PDF. It is free to fill in online, needs no account, and downloads as a Word document or a PDF. [See all Finance and accounting templates](https://nerix.ai/templates/finance-accounting) Finance and accounting ## What you fill in The form asks for 13 details. The document fills itself in as you type. - ### Company For example: Northfield Bakery Ltd - ### Year end date For example: 31 December 2028 - ### Closing lead For example: Anna Berg, Finance Manager - ### External accountant (optional) optional For example: Clarke and Moss Accountants - ### Books closed by For example: 31 January 2029 - ### Filing deadlines to meet (optional) optional For example: Annual accounts: 30 September 2029 Tax return: 31 October 2029 - ### Cut-off and transactions One row for each task. For example: Anna Berg | Post all invoices dated on or before 31 Dec | 8 Jan Anna Berg | Check goods received and not invoiced | 8 Jan Omar Khan | Record December payroll | 10 Jan - ### Reconciliations One row for each task. For example: Anna Berg | Bank accounts to statements | 12 Jan Anna Berg | Customer balances to the ledger | 12 Jan Omar Khan | Supplier statements to the ledger | 14 Jan Omar Khan | Loan balances to lender statements | 14 Jan - ### Accruals, prepayments and adjustments One row for each task. For example: Anna Berg | Accrue unpaid bills and bonuses | 15 Jan Anna Berg | Prepaid insurance and rent | 15 Jan Anna Berg | Bad debt review | 16 Jan Anna Berg | Depreciation | 16 Jan - ### Stock and fixed assets One row for each task. For example: Maria Costa | Year-end stock count and valuation | 2 Jan Maria Costa | Asset register check | 10 Jan - ### Tax and compliance One row for each task. For example: Anna Berg | Sales tax returns up to date | 18 Jan Anna Berg | Payroll tax filed | 18 Jan Anna Berg | Tax computation to the accountant | 25 Jan - ### Review and sign-off One row for each task. For example: Anna Berg | Trial balance review and variance check | 26 Jan Daniel Roche | Management review and approval | 30 Jan Daniel Roche | Lock the year in the system | 31 Jan - ### Open issues (optional) optional For example: A 4,200 supplier dispute is not yet agreed. Held as a provision. Finance and accounting ## What is inside The parts of this document, in order. - 1 Filing deadlines - 2 How to use this checklist - 3 1. Cut-off and transactions - 4 2. Reconciliations - 5 3. Accruals, prepayments and adjustments - 6 4. Stock and fixed assets - 7 5. Tax and compliance - 8 6. Review and sign-off - 9 Open issues Templates ## How it works - 01 ### Fill in Type your details in the form. The document fills itself in as you type; click any gap to jump to its field. - 02 ### Check Read it through. Gaps you have not filled stay marked, so nothing goes out half done. - 03 ### Download Save it as a Word document to edit further, or as a PDF to send or print. ### Make it yours with AI Open it in the chat and ask for changes: shorter, firmer, another situation, another language. [Adapt it with nerix](https://nerix.ai/try?template=year-end-closing-checklist) ### Was this template helpful? Finance and accounting ## Questions people ask ### What details does this template ask for? The form asks for 13 details, starting with Company, Year end date, Closing lead, Books closed by, Cut-off and transactions. 3 more are optional. ### Can I download this template as Word or PDF? Yes. When you have filled in the form, save it as a Word document to keep editing, or as a PDF to send or print. It is free and needs no account. ### Is what I type sent anywhere? No. What you type stays in your browser while you fill in the document. It only goes to nerix if you choose to open the template in the chat. ### What should I check before I use this template? Filing deadlines, audit duties and required statements differ by country and legal form. Check them, and ask your accountant what you must file and when. ### Are these finance templates free? Most are. Fill in and download them for free as Word or PDF, with no account. A few longer documents are premium: free to fill in, paid once to download, and marked with their price. ### Do these templates include tax rules? No. Tax and invoicing rules differ by country. Each template has fields for amounts and references, and you add the tax details your local rules require. ### Can I use them with my accounting software? Yes. They are plain documents. Download the Word version, or copy the figures into your software. 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