Monthly Bookkeeping Document Checklist
To close a client's books for the month, a bookkeeper needs every source document behind the transactions: statements for each account, payroll, the invoices billed and bills paid, and supporting receipts. The fastest closes happen when the client sends the whole packet at once instead of one file at a time. Use the checklist below as the standard monthly request and adjust it per client.
For Bookkeepers and CAS firms collecting the monthly-close packet from each client. Last updated June 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
- What documents does a bookkeeper need from a client each month?
- A monthly close needs the source documents behind every transaction: bank statements for each account, all business credit card statements, loan and line-of-credit statements (to split principal and interest), payroll reports, the invoices the client issued, the bills they paid, and receipts for larger expenses. Collecting the full packet at once is far faster than chasing one file at a time.
- How do I get bookkeeping clients to send documents on time?
- Send one structured request with every item listed, on a fixed monthly cadence, with automatic reminders so you are not the one nagging. Make uploading frictionless — a link the client clicks with no account to create — so the task takes a minute instead of feeling like homework. The recurring nature of the close means a reusable monthly template saves hours.
- What is the fastest way to collect monthly documents from clients?
- A reusable request template plus a no-login upload link. The client gets the same checklist each month, uploads from their phone, and you see which accounts are still outstanding without opening an email thread. Reminders run automatically until the packet is complete.
Sources
This is a general checklist. Confirm the exact documents for your client's specific situation.