Close & reporting
Month-end close
A monthly close for your UK limited company that reconciles every account to source records, books the accruals and prepayments for the period, and hands you finished management accounts on a set date each month, so nothing carries into the next period as a guess or a placeholder figure.
Management report
Illustrative client · August 2026
GBP
| Line | Aug | Jul | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 142,380 | 131,904 | +10,476 |
| Cost of sales | (51,260) | (48,115) | (3,145) |
| Gross profit | 91,120 | 83,789 | +7,331 |
| Payroll | (46,300) | (45,900) | (400) |
| SoftwareNoted | (6,480) | (5,490) | (990) |
| Rent | (8,000) | (8,000) | 0 |
| Other operating | (9,215) | (9,870) | +655 |
| Net income | 21,125 | 14,529 | +6,596 |
Reviewer's note
Software is up on last month after two seats were added mid-month. Revenue includes one milestone invoice that will not repeat next month.
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
A close built around the UK reporting calendar
Corporation Tax is due 9 months and 1 day after your accounting period ends, and the Company Tax Return (CT600) itself is due 12 months after that. A close that drags on past month five or six leaves too little runway to prepare calmly for either deadline. We agree a close date with you and hold to it.
What happens each month
Bank, card and loan accounts are reconciled to their statements. Accruals and prepayments for the period are booked. Fixed asset and depreciation schedules are updated, and intercompany balances between related entities are agreed. The trial balance is then reviewed line by line, rather than only totalled, before the period is marked final.
- Bank, card and loan accounts reconciled to statement balances
- Accrual, prepayment and fixed asset entries recorded for the period
- Intercompany balances agreed where the business runs more than one entity
- Trial balance reviewed line by line before the close is marked final
- A close checklist showing what ran and when
Software and delivery
The close runs inside Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage or FreeAgent, whichever file you already use, with Dext or Hubdoc handling receipt capture where you have it. The work goes through a senior principal review before it reaches you, so the close date holds reliably each month.
As the business grows
The close date can move earlier once source documents such as bank feeds, supplier bills and payroll runs start arriving on a predictable schedule. The close lands by business day five once source documents like bank feeds, supplier bills and payroll runs settle into a predictable schedule.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: Month-end close
What does 'closed' actually mean for our books?
Every account is reconciled, every accrual and prepayment is booked, and the trial balance has been reviewed line by line before the period is marked final.
Does a faster close change our Corporation Tax deadline?
No. The statutory deadlines stay fixed at 9 months and 1 day after your accounting period end for payment and 12 months for the CT600 filing, but a faster close gives your accountant more time before either one lands.
Can the close cover more than one UK entity?
Yes. Where entities are related we agree intercompany balances as part of the monthly close, and full consolidation across entities is available as a separate service.
What triggers a delay in an otherwise on-time close?
The most common cause is a missing bank statement, an unreconciled payment processor, or a supplier bill that has not arrived yet. We flag any open item as soon as it is identified during the month, rather than discovering it only once the close deadline has already passed.
Do you produce a close checklist we can see?
Yes, each month's close runs against a written checklist covering reconciliations, accruals and review steps, and you can see which items are complete at any point rather than only receiving a finished set of reports with no visibility into what was checked along the way.
What counts as the books being closed?
Every account is reconciled, every accrual and prepaid entry is booked, and the trial balance has been reviewed line by line before the period is marked final.
Can the close date move earlier as the business grows?
Yes. The close calendar is set with you and can be tightened once source documents such as bank feeds, bills and payroll runs arrive on a consistent schedule.
What is included in month-end close?
Month-end close covers bank, card and loan accounts reconciled to statement balances and accrual and prepaid entries recorded for the period. The exact scope is agreed and set out in writing before work starts, so you know precisely what is and is not covered before the first deliverable arrives.
How is month-end close priced?
Pricing for month-end close depends on your transaction volume, the software you use, and how much cleanup is needed before ongoing work starts. Current ranges are published on the pricing page, and your exact fee is confirmed in writing before anything begins.
Related services
- Close & reportingAccrualsExpenses and revenue recorded in the period they actually happen, even when the invoice or cash has not moved yet, so the month's numbers reflect that month's activity.
- Close & reportingManagement reportsMonthly profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow packaged with a plain-English narrative so the numbers explain themselves before anyone has to ask a question.
- BookkeepingMonthly bookkeepingOngoing monthly bookkeeping: transactions sorted into categories, accounts reconciled and month-end reports delivered in the software you already use.
Industries
- SaaSBookkeeping and reporting for subscription software businesses tracking recurring revenue, deferred revenue and burn.
- Ecommerce (Amazon and Shopify)Bookkeeping for online sellers on Amazon, Shopify, Etsy and their own storefronts, built around clean payout and sales tax data.
- Professional servicesBookkeeping for professional service firms such as engineering, architecture and IT consulting billing clients by project or retainer.
Next step
Talk to the team that would run your books
A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.