Monthly close checklist for solo bookkeepers

Phased Day 0 / 3 / 7 / 10 asks. Pull what you can. Chase only what’s left.

A single 12-item “please send everything” email is how month-end turns into non-billable chase. Solo practices win when the ask is staged: one clean Day 0 list, then only unchecked line items on Day 3, 7, and 10 — named with the period every time.

Day 0 — send once

Bank / CC statements (or online access confirmed) for accounts you can’t pull
Loan / LOC statements if in scope
Payroll summary / journal if not already connected
Confirm QBO/Xero (or read-only bank) access still works

Day 3 — only what’s still missing

Sales tax filings / payments this month (if applicable)
New vendor W-9s for anyone paid $600+ YTD who is new
Fixed asset purchases over your capitalization threshold

Day 7 — close blockers only

Owner draws / contributions notes
Unusual transfers between accounts (what for?)
Inventory / COGS notes if inventory business

Day 10 — final nudge, item-specific

List only unchecked lines
One sentence: “Close starts when these arrive; reply with files or a date.”
Never re-send the full bomb list

Rules that save hours

Pull first (feeds / read-only); mark pullable accounts N/A for chase
Track status per line item, not per client blob
Billable work starts when every required line is Received or N/A

Grab the free phased monthly-close checklist, or join the CloseReady early-access waitlist for the full intake + monthly ask kit.