Monthly bookkeeping workflow and close-handoff workbook

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How to use this resource

Describe the recurring workflow using system names, record categories, approximate volumes, timing, and responsibility owners. Keep credentials, account numbers, tax identifiers, employee or customer details, and private financial records off this worksheet. Ask each provider to propose a secure exchange process, confirm the monthly tasks and reconciliation scope, explain the question and correction workflow, and describe reports and handoff files. Give every provider the same brief so proposals address the same recurring work.

Open the PDF in a form-capable viewer, save a copy, then fill it in. Reopen your saved copy to check your answers. You can also print the blank pages and write by hand. Your answers are not submitted to PickYourPro.ai.

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Monthly Bookkeeping preparation checklist

• Describe the business, entities or locations, accounting periods, current workflow stage, and desired monthly outcome.
• List bank, card, payment, sales, payroll, inventory, billing, and other system categories by name only—never add credentials, account numbers, identifiers, or private records.
• Estimate monthly transaction or document volumes as ranges and note seasonality, unusual timing, or expected changes.
• Identify which source-record categories are routinely ready, which arrive late, and which need a provider-led intake conversation.
• Map who collects records, records activity, answers questions, reviews exceptions, approves corrections, and receives reports.
• Write the expected cutoffs, close milestones, response timing, review rhythm, and escalation contacts.
• Ask the provider to confirm reconciliation scope, recurring reports, correction handling, secure exchange, and handoff support.
• Compare proposals against the same periods, systems, volumes, responsibilities, deadlines, deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, and complete fee structure.

Questions to ask a monthly bookkeeper

1. Which entities, locations, accounting periods, systems, record categories, and recurring tasks are included in your monthly scope?
2. How will you confirm source-record readiness, approximate volumes, cutoffs, dependencies, and the first recurring close plan?
3. Who collects records, records activity, performs each reconciliation, reviews exceptions, answers questions, and approves corrections?
4. What secure process will you propose for records and access, and what information should never be sent by ordinary email or entered here?
5. What close milestones, response expectations, recurring reports, review meetings, corrections, and handoff files are included?
6. What is the complete fee structure, billing basis, assumptions, client tasks, exclusions, change process, term, ending process, and transition support?

Write down the answers and any exclusions. If two proposals describe different work, clarify the difference before comparing their totals. Leave unanswered points blank until the professional confirms them.

Official references and scope

These are original planning prompts, with AI assistance, prepared by PickYourPro.ai. Official links checked October 13, 2026. This pack has not been independently reviewed by a licensed specialist.

• Internal Revenue Service: Recordkeeping ↗

  The IRS explains that business transactions generate supporting documents and that a business may choose a recordkeeping system suited to it. This workbook uses only broad record-category and workflow prompts; it does not prescribe a system, retention period, account, reconciliation method, statement, filing position, or tax treatment.

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