TALLVERA — MONTHLY BOOKKEEPING CHECKLIST
https://tallvera.com/resources/monthly-bookkeeping-checklist

A general working checklist for small businesses and self-employed owners. Adapt it to your accounting method, records and agreed responsibilities. Not tax advice or a substitute for professional review.

GATHER THE MONTH
[ ] Map the accounts and period.
    List the business bank, card, loan and payment accounts in scope. Note accounts opened or closed, and confirm which month you are working on.
[ ] Collect source records.
    Keep statements, sales records, invoices and purchase support together by period. A bank feed can help find activity; it is not a substitute for the records explaining it.
[ ] Mark what is missing.
    Maintain a short list of missing statements and unanswered questions. Do not fill a gap with a guessed figure just to finish the month.

EXPLAIN AND RECONCILE
[ ] Review how activity was recorded.
    Check unfamiliar categories, duplicates and transfers. Distinguish owner activity, loan movements and business expenses rather than treating every bank withdrawal alike.
[ ] Compare the books with statements.
    Reconcile each agreed account and investigate differences. Keep the explanation for a supported correction; avoid unexplained entries made only to force agreement.
[ ] Account for records outside the bank feed.
    Where relevant, review unpaid customer invoices, supplier bills, payment processor fees, payroll reports and asset purchases. Scope these with the person responsible for the books.

REVIEW AND HAND OVER
[ ] Read the reports in context.
    Review profit and loss for the period and the balance sheet at month-end. Note the accounting basis, unusual changes and balances that still need explanation. Profit and available cash are different measures.
[ ] Record open decisions.
    Separate completed checks from unresolved issues. Give each question a responsible person and an agreed next step; an unfinished list is more useful than a falsely finished close.
[ ] Keep a reliable record of the close.
    Save the reviewed reports, reconciliations and supporting records in the agreed access-controlled location. Confirm who can access them. This website does not provide storage or document uploads.
[ ] Set up the next month.
    Agree who supplies records, who resolves questions and when the next review happens. Flag tax matters for a qualified tax professional without assuming bookkeeping determines tax treatment.

Questions to keep with your records: period in scope; missing information; unresolved differences; responsible person; agreed next step.
Keep account numbers, identification numbers and private records out of public forms. This checklist needs no email signup and sends no answers.

Further reading: IRS Recordkeeping — https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/recordkeeping
IRS business records — https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/what-kind-of-records-should-i-keep

For missing months, explore https://tallvera.com/bookkeeping/catch-up. For a recurring routine, explore https://tallvera.com/bookkeeping/monthly.
Inquiries and scheduling are not open. https://tallvera.com/book-a-consultation creates only an unsent outline.