Month-end review: check a month, send the reports, close it

Before you call a month done, the Month-end review shows what still needs looking at. Owners, admins and accountants can use it; accountants see each client's progress on their Clients list.

1. 1Open Month-end review (Accountant tools, or Accounting › Month-end review). It opens on last month; choose another month if you like.
2. 2Work down the list. Each item says what's left and links to where you fix it. Most tick themselves once the books are right.
3. 3For the rest, press Mark done once you've looked, or set it aside (for example Receipts not needed or They're all real). Undo takes a tick back.
4. 4Press Send the reports to email the month's profit and loss and balance sheet (Excel) to the business. Replies come to you.
5. 5Press Close through … to close the books through the month's last day.
6. 6When everything is done or set aside, press Finish the review.

What it checks

• Sort bank transactions: any from the month still waiting for review.
• Match uploaded receipts: receipts uploaded but not matched to a transaction.
• Spending without a receipt: payments of $75 or more with no receipt attached.
• Expenses without a payee: expenses with no vendor.
• Possible duplicates: the same amount and payee a few days apart, or an expense typed in by hand that a bank transaction also put in the books.
• Payments waiting to be deposited, unused credits, and every bank and card account reconciled through the month's end.
• Unusual amounts: income and expense accounts far from their average over the 6 months before.

Changed something after finishing? Press Reopen the review. The checks always follow the books, so a fixed item ticks itself.

Accountants: send many clients their reports at once

1. 1On Clients, choose the Send reports tab at the top.
2. 2Choose the month (last month to start with). Every client you look after is listed with that month's review (Done, Started or Not started) and when its reports were last sent, and to whom.
3. 3Clients whose review is done and who haven't had their reports yet are ticked. Tick or untick others (or use Reviewed, not sent yet, All or None), and check Send to: it starts with each business's owner.
4. 4Add a note for every email if you like, and press Send reports to ….

Each client gets its own email from its books, just like Send the reports in its review: that month's profit and loss and balance sheet (Excel), with replies coming to you. Each one is ticked off in that client's review. You'll see which went and why any didn't (for example, a client whose books are read-only can't send anything). Up to 50 clients at a time.