Year-end closing checklist
Year-end closing checklist for QuickBooks
A year-end close means reconciling the full year, clearing out A/R and A/P, prepping 1099s, handing fixed assets to your CPA, reviewing the trial balance, then packaging the file for a preparer. Work the phases in order and tick items as you go — your progress saves in your browser.
The year-end close, phase by phase
0 of 20 — start anywhere.
Reconcile the full year
Close out A/R and A/P
Prepare 1099s
Fixed assets and adjustments — for your CPA
Review the trial balance
Hand off and lock
The list is print-friendly — to keep a copy, use your browser's print option and choose Save as PDF.
How to use this checklist
Work it top to bottom. Reconciling the full year comes first because every later review reads off those balances — close A/R and A/P, prep your 1099s, and review the trial balance on top of numbers you can trust, not ones you are still fixing. The last two phases move the finished year out of your hands: package it for a preparer, then lock it so the work stays done.
We are bookkeepers, not CPAs. This checklist gets your QuickBooks file reconciled, reviewed, and packaged so your CPA or tax preparer can file the return — we do not file taxes or give tax advice. The fixed-asset and adjusting-entry items are deliberately handed off to your CPA to book. If a phase stalls you, a free QuickBooks review will tell you what your file needs before you spend more time on it. The approach behind each phase is our methodology.
Questions about the year-end closing checklist
Do the phases have to be done in order?
Mostly yes. Reconciling the full year first means every later review reads off numbers you can trust. A/R, A/P, and 1099s depend on that clean base, and the trial-balance review is the last check before anything goes to a preparer. Within a phase the order matters less.
Does closing the year lock the file?
Only when you set a closing date. Working through the list cleans and reviews the year, but the period stays editable until you set a closing date password in QuickBooks. That is the final step — it stops accidental changes to a year you have already handed off.
Can a bookkeeper file my taxes from this?
No. This checklist gets the file reconciled, reviewed, and packaged so your CPA or tax preparer can file. Bookkeepers clean the books; licensed preparers file the return and give tax advice. The two roles hand off to each other — they are not the same.
Does my progress save?
Yes. Each item you tick is stored in your browser on this device, so you can close the tab and come back. Nothing is sent anywhere; clearing your browser data or switching devices starts the list fresh.