A monthly document checklist to send to bookkeeping clients

Written by the team behind Slipnudge, an unbuilt product idea. We are not accountants. This is general process guidance, not accounting, tax or legal advice. Check anything important with the official source or a professional adviser.

Asking for "everything" gets a partial answer. A fixed list, sent on the same day each month, tells the client exactly what to supply and makes gaps visible straight away. Edit the list for each client and delete what does not apply.

The checklist

  • Bank statements for every business account, for the whole month.
  • Statements for every business credit or charge card.
  • Statements or reports from payment platforms the business uses (card readers, online payment accounts, marketplaces).
  • Sales invoices issued, or the sales report from the till or ordering system.
  • Purchase invoices received from suppliers.
  • Receipts for card and cash spending.
  • Loan, lease or hire purchase statements.
  • Payroll reports for the month, if payroll is run outside your firm.
  • Expense claims from directors or staff, with receipts.
  • Mileage or vehicle logs, if the business keeps them.
  • Details of any equipment or large purchases made, with the invoice.
  • Letters or notices received from tax authorities or other official bodies.
  • A list of anything the client does not recognise or wants to ask about.

A client facing message

Subject: [Client name]: documents for [Month]

Hi [Name],

Please send the following for [Month] by [date]:

[ ] Bank statements (all business accounts)
[ ] Card statements
[ ] Payment platform statements or reports
[ ] Sales invoices or sales report
[ ] Supplier invoices
[ ] Receipts for card and cash spending
[ ] Anything else we should know about (new loans, large
    purchases, new staff, new accounts)

Reply to this email with the files attached or a link to the
shared folder. A photo of a receipt is fine.

Thanks,
[Your name]

Making the list work better

  • Send it on the same date each month, so it becomes a habit.
  • Agree a folder structure once, for example one folder per month, and keep using it.
  • Where the client's systems can send documents automatically, such as a forwarding address for supplier invoices, set that up rather than asking each month.
  • Add a line for "no change this month" so that silence does not have to be interpreted.
  • Review the list with the client once a year and remove what no longer applies.

How long to keep what you receive

Retention periods differ by country and by type of record. For HMRC's Self Assessment records, see gov.uk, how long to keep your records. In Ireland, Revenue's page says: "You must keep the original of these documents for six years." See revenue.ie, keeping records. Check the official pages for the rules that apply to your client.

We are considering a tool for this problem and keep an interest list for firms that would want one: see the Slipnudge home page.