A month end close workflow you can hand off fits into 10 business days and three owners: a bookkeeper, a reviewer and a partner. Here is the day by day plan Senvora recommends, with a handoff table.
Last updated October 27, 2026. Reviewed by Aryan Patel, founder of Senvora Group, a bookkeeping firm that supports CPA firms and business owners in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. The QuickBooks Online steps come from Intuit help pages, linked under Sources. The day numbers and roles are our own method, not a standard. Change them to fit your firm.
Key takeaways
- This is Senvora’s recommended method, not a rule. Your firm can shift the days and the owners.
- Split the close into three jobs. The bookkeeper prepares. The reviewer checks. The partner signs off and talks to the client.
- The reviewer should never start from a blank screen. Day 7 is when the reviewer gets a complete package with evidence.
- Every task needs a “done when” line. Without it, “done” means whatever the bookkeeper felt that day.
- Most trouble starts early. Late bank feeds, uncategorized items and unreconciled accounts push every later day back.
Why a handoff needs a written workflow
Most CPA firms do not struggle to review books. They struggle to review books that arrive half finished. The reviewer opens the file and finds a pile of uncategorized items, a reconciliation that is off, and no notes. Now the reviewer is doing the bookkeeper’s job.
We see the same pattern in files we take over. In the QuickBooks files we review, the same five setup errors keep showing up. Two of them were unreconciled historical months and zero bank rules. You can read the details in our 5 QuickBooks setup errors we see most. A written close workflow stops those two from creeping back in every month.
This post is about the monthly rhythm. If you want the quarterly version with filing dates, use our quarter end close checklist. The two work together. A clean monthly close makes the quarter end review a short one.
The roles
- Bookkeeper: gets the data in, categorizes it, reconciles it and writes the notes.
- Reviewer: checks the work against evidence and sends back questions. This is often a senior accountant or a manager at the CPA firm.
- Partner: reads the summary, handles anything judgment related and decides when the books go to the client.
One person can wear two hats at a small firm. Just never let the person who prepared the books be the only person who checks them.
The 10 business day month end close workflow
Business day 1 is the first working day after the month ends. Here is how we suggest the days run.
Days 1 and 2: get every transaction in
On day 1 the bookkeeper checks that every bank and credit card feed is connected and current. Intuit says that once an account is connected, QuickBooks Online downloads your latest transactions. It also says the download start date is set when you connect, and the timespan varies by bank. So confirm that the feed actually reaches back to the first day of the month. If a feed is broken, ask for a statement the same day. Intuit notes that an accountant cannot connect a bank account for a client. The client has to do it. That is worth knowing before you promise a day 1 fix. (Intuit guide to connecting bank and credit card accounts)
On day 2 the bookkeeper works through the downloaded transactions. Intuit describes a Pending tab where QuickBooks suggests a category for each transaction, and you post it as suggested or change it. You can also create bank rules that categorize transactions automatically. (Intuit guide to categorizing online bank transactions) Anything the bookkeeper cannot categorize goes on a question list, not into a guess.
Day 3: ask the client one clean list
Send the client a single list of open questions. One list, one email, one deadline. Drip questions all week and you will lose days. While you wait for answers, the bookkeeper starts on the next steps.
Days 4 and 5: reconcile and tie out
On day 4 the bookkeeper reconciles every bank and credit card account to its statement. Intuit lists what you need: the statement, and all transactions for that period entered and categorized. You enter the ending balance and ending date, check off the items that match, and keep going until the Difference shows $0.00. QuickBooks saves a reconciliation report when you finish. (Intuit guide to reconciling an account in QuickBooks Online)
Here is the part that matters for a handoff. Intuit says you can finish and accept a difference, and QuickBooks then creates an adjusting journal entry for that amount. It also advises talking to your accountant first and says it is usually best to resolve differences within the reconciliation. In our method, a reconciliation with an accepted difference never goes to the reviewer without a written note.
On day 5 the bookkeeper ties out the other balance sheet items. That means payroll liability balances against deposits actually made, accounts receivable and payable for old or duplicate items, and anything that looks like owner spending sitting in an expense account.
Day 6: run the reports and write the notes
The bookkeeper runs the profit and loss and the balance sheet for the month. Intuit describes the balance sheet as a snapshot of the company as of a specific date, where Assets minus Liabilities equals Equity. (Intuit guide to the Balance Sheet report) Then the bookkeeper writes short notes on anything that moved a lot or looks odd. Two lines per item is plenty.
Day 7: the package goes to the reviewer
This is the handoff. The bookkeeper sends one package and marks the task done only when everything below is in it.
- Reconciliation reports for every bank and credit card account, each ending at the statement date.
- The count of uncategorized items, which should be zero, plus the open question list with the client’s answers.
- Profit and loss and balance sheet for the month.
- Bookkeeper notes on unusual movements, accepted differences and anything posted by journal entry.
- A short list of any new bank rules added this month.
Days 8 and 9: review and fix
The reviewer works from the package, not from memory. Questions go back as a single list. The bookkeeper fixes items and replies in the same file. Plan for one round of questions. If you regularly need three rounds, the problem is upstream, usually in days 1 to 5.
Day 10: partner sign off and release
The partner reads a one page summary, handles judgment calls and decides what the client sees. Then the books are released. Record the release date in your close log so the next month starts from a known point.
The handoff table
Use this table as your internal checklist. Each row has an owner, the evidence the reviewer sees and a plain “done when” test.
| Task | Owner | Evidence the reviewer sees | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm bank and credit card feeds are current | Bookkeeper | Feed status for each account and a list of any missing statements | Every account covers the full month, or a statement is on file |
| Categorize bank transactions | Bookkeeper | Pending tab empty and the list of new bank rules | Zero uncategorized items remain, except those on the question list |
| Send the client question list | Bookkeeper | The sent list with a reply date | Client answers are in the file |
| Reconcile every account | Bookkeeper | Reconciliation report for each account | Difference is $0.00, or the note explains the accepted difference |
| Tie out payroll liabilities, receivables and payables | Bookkeeper | Balances next to deposits and aging lists | Each balance has an explanation |
| Run reports and write notes | Bookkeeper | Profit and loss, balance sheet and written notes | Every large movement has a note |
| Review the package | Reviewer | Package, plus reviewer questions sent back | All questions are answered in the file |
| Spot check transactions and rules | Reviewer | A sample of postings and the bank rules list | Reviewer is satisfied or has sent corrections |
| Final read and release | Partner | One page summary | Partner approves and the release date is logged |
Where firms usually trip
- Late bank feeds. A feed that stopped last week is found on day 4. Check on day 1, not day 4.
- Uncategorized items. They pile up in the Pending tab and in a catch all account. The reviewer then spends day 8 doing categorization.
- Unreconciled accounts. One account left for later means the whole package is not ready. Our audit found unreconciled historical months in many files. Start with the oldest one.
- No documented rules. If bank rules live in one person’s head, the close breaks the day that person is out. Keep a short rules list and update it every month.
- Review by chat. Questions scattered across messages get lost. Keep them in one list in one place.
If you inherit books that are months behind, do not try to run this workflow first. Fix the backlog in order. Our retroactive bookkeeping guide covers how. For year end prep, see our QuickBooks Online cleanup checklist before year end.
Making the handoff work for your firm
Run the workflow on one client for two months. Time how long each day really takes at your firm and move days around. Some firms merge days 8 and 9. Some give the partner more days. The point is that everyone knows who has the file and what done means.
Teams that hand off work to an outside bookkeeper should share the same table. That way the outside bookkeeper and your reviewer use one definition of done. If you are weighing that route before your own busy season, read outsourcing bookkeeping before busy season.
Frequently asked questions
How many business days should a month end close take?
There is no set number. Senvora recommends planning for 10 business days as a starting point for handing off client books, then adjusting after you have run it on a real client for a month or two.
Who should review the books, the bookkeeper or someone else?
Someone else. The person who prepares the books should not be the only person who checks them. At a small firm, the reviewer can be a manager or a senior accountant who did not do the bookkeeping.
What should a reviewer get on day 7?
Reconciliation reports for every account, zero uncategorized items, the profit and loss and balance sheet, written notes on anything unusual and the open question list with answers.
Is it okay to accept a reconciliation difference?
Intuit says QuickBooks Online will create an adjusting journal entry if you finish with a difference. It also says to talk to your accountant first and that it is usually best to resolve differences within the reconciliation. In our method, an accepted difference always comes with a written note.
Can an outside bookkeeper run this workflow for my CPA firm?
Yes, if you share the roles and the handoff table. The outside bookkeeper prepares, your team reviews, and a partner signs off. Senvora supports CPA firms this way and can work in your existing software.
Sources
- Intuit guide to reconciling an account in QuickBooks Online (intuit.com)
- Intuit guide to categorizing online bank transactions (intuit.com)
- Intuit guide to connecting bank and credit card accounts (intuit.com)
- Intuit guide to the Balance Sheet report (intuit.com)
- Senvora Group, 5 QuickBooks setup errors we see most
- Senvora Group, quarter end close checklist
Want a close workflow your reviewer can trust?
Senvora Group supports CPA firms with monthly bookkeeping that arrives with reconciliations, notes and a clear handoff. Learn more about our CPA firm support, or DM Aryan. Which day of your close slows your team down the most?
