Getting ready for year-end: a simple checklist
A tidy year-end is a cheaper year-end — the less untangling required, the less time it takes. Here’s a short checklist to run through before you hand things over.
Before 31 March
- Reconcile your bank accounts up to date, so the closing balances are right.
- Chase overdue invoices — or at least note which are genuinely unlikely to be paid.
- Do a stocktake if you carry inventory, and record the count.
- Note any assets bought or sold during the year (equipment, vehicles).
Gather the paperwork
- Bank and credit card statements to 31 March
- Loan and hire-purchase statements
- Details of any new finance or leases
- Records of home-office or vehicle use, if you claim them
- Anything unusual — a one-off sale, an insurance payout, a grant
Questions worth asking yourself
- Did anything change in how the business is structured or owned?
- Are there expenses sitting on your personal accounts that belong to the business?
- Is there a large bill you could sensibly bring forward, or income you can cleanly defer?
Then hand it over
Once that’s together, the financial statements and tax return are far quicker to prepare — which usually means a smaller bill and fewer back-and-forth questions.
If you’d like the full checklist tailored to your situation, or want to talk through a decision before year-end, book a consultation and we’ll make a plan.
Year-endBusiness