Worksheet
Small Business Monthly Books Check
Build a monthly books review file, then use it to see whether the month is ready for owner decisions or needs bookkeeping, cash, tax, payroll, or advisor follow-up.
Monthly close file
Build the monthly books map
Start with the monthly packet, then review reconciliation, income, expenses, reports, obligations, cash reserves, and next actions.
Monthly packet
Is the monthly packet gathered?
Start with the records before judging what the month means.
Account reconciliation
Are accounts reconciled?
Reports are only as useful as the account data underneath them.
Income and receivables
Has income been reviewed?
Revenue is clearer when deposits, invoices, refunds, and receivables agree.
Expense categories
Are expenses clean enough to rely on?
Expense categories affect profit, tax support, pricing, and owner-pay decisions.
Financial reports
Have the reports been read together?
The P&L, balance sheet, and cash-flow view answer different questions.
Obligations
Are obligations current?
A bank balance can look comfortable when bills are quietly stacking up.
Cash reserve
Does cash cover the next stretch?
The reserve should protect payroll, taxes, vendors, debt, insurance, and owner-pay needs.
Next-month action list
Did the review produce next actions?
A monthly review should end with decisions, not just reports.
Monthly close checkpoint board
Use this board to separate basic bookkeeping cleanup from report review, obligation pressure, cash-reserve questions, and advisor follow-up.
Open
Monthly packet
Statements, payroll reports, invoices, bills, loan records, tax set-aside notes, and monthly reports.
Answer this section before relying on the monthly books review file.
Open
Account reconciliation
Bank, card, merchant, payroll, and loan accounts tied back to statements and activity.
Answer this section before relying on the monthly books review file.
Open
Income and receivables
Deposits, invoices, refunds, merchant reports, unpaid invoices, and aging balances.
Answer this section before relying on the monthly books review file.
Open
Expense categories
Categories, support, duplicates, mixed personal activity, and spending drift.
Answer this section before relying on the monthly books review file.
Open
Financial reports
The P&L, balance sheet, and cash-flow view read together, not one report in isolation.
Answer this section before relying on the monthly books review file.
Open
Obligations
Payroll, payroll taxes, estimated taxes, vendors, debt, insurance, and near-term bills.
Answer this section before relying on the monthly books review file.
Open
Cash reserve
Available cash compared with payroll, taxes, vendors, debt, insurance, reserves, and owner pay.
Answer this section before relying on the monthly books review file.
Open
Action list
Specific next steps, owners, due dates, and the first person responsible for each item.
Answer this section before relying on the monthly books review file.
- 1Answer monthly packet next.
- 2Use statements, payroll reports, invoices, bills, loan records, tax set-aside notes, and financial reports rather than memory alone.
- 3Pause owner-pay, tax, payroll, vendor, debt, or cash decisions until the review file points to a clear lane.
How to use this books check
Use this review after the month closes and before making owner-pay, tax, payroll, vendor, debt, or cash-reserve decisions.
1
Start with the records
Answer the packet, reconciliation, income, and expense questions before relying on reports or cash conclusions.
2
Separate cleanup from decisions
The result sorts basic bookkeeping work from cash, tax, payroll, vendor, debt, and owner-pay questions.
3
Close with an action list
Use the agenda to decide what belongs with the owner, bookkeeper, CPA, payroll provider, lender, or advisor.
About this tool
What this helps you do
This review file checks whether a closed month is organized enough for owner review, or whether the business needs cleanup before decisions are made.
Why monthly books matter
A clean monthly rhythm makes profitability, cash flow, taxes, payroll, debt, owner pay, and lending questions easier to manage before year-end.
How to interpret results
A lower score does not mean the business is unhealthy. It means the records, obligations, reports, or action list need more work before the month can be relied on.
Limitations
This tool is educational only. It does not reconcile accounts, verify tax deposits, prepare payroll, audit records, classify expenses, or replace bookkeeping, accounting, tax, legal, lending, or financial advice.
Keep learning
Monthly books can affect tax deposits, payroll, lending, cash reserves, pricing, distributions, and owner pay. Confirm those decisions with the right professional before relying on the result.