Year-End Closing Tips for Small Businesses

No matter how successful or easy your year was, the year-end close is always prone to be busy. During the year-end close process, accountants and bookkeepers are highly occupied. In addition to performing numerous tasks, accountants must adhere to all legal conditions. Small businesses have a lot to do at the year-end close.  Completing various tasks, closing the books without errors, hitting deadlines, and so on. However, a systematic approach to the year-end close process can make it easier for small business owners.

In this blog, we'll discuss several key strategies that will help small businesses successfully complete the fiscal year while avoiding the frantic work schedule. These valuable tips will reduce stress and the chances of errors.

Year-end closing tips for small businesses

Follow the tips mentioned below and have a smoother year-end close.

Start early:

If you own a small business and don't want to deal with the stress of a hurried and hectic year-end close, begin the year-end close procedure as soon as possible. You'll get plenty of extra time to accomplish multiple tasks. By starting the year-end close process, you can have ample time to compile your financial records and ensure everything is in order.

Follow the guidelines

You must be aware of the official guidelines before you start working on the year-end close. For small businesses, failing to follow the latest regulations can be very problematic. Ensure you are up to date on the most recent laws and regulations to keep your business out of trouble with the law. The small business's accounting department must keep meticulous records of all receipts and payments. It is crucial because it enables business owners to track and manage their resources efficiently.

During the year-end close, the account team must be cautious while making journal entries and preparing financial statements. Because when you close your accounts, you validate that you adhered to the regulations of accounting. These reports reflect your company's financial position throughout a defined accounting period.

Create a closing schedule

During the busy year-end close, you must accomplish everything in a systematic manner. You run the risk of completely messing up your work if you don't keep it structured. Create a closing schedule to avoid being cluttered. This will allow you to stay on schedule and never miss an essential deadline. Your closing schedules may include numerous tasks, but the most important ones are listed here.

• Gathering all financial documents:
  ‍This includes bills, receipts, bank statements, and credit card statements. Check that you have all of the documents for the whole year, not just the most recent ones.

• Reconciling your accounts:
  ‍This entails comparing your bank and credit card bills to your accounting records to ensure the figures match. If there are any differences, you must identify and correct them.

• Preparing financial statements:
  ‍These statements reflect your company's financial performance for the year. They're crucial for tax purposes, yet they can also help you track your company's success and make informed decisions about the future.

• Filing taxes:
  ‍This is the most significant aspect of year-end closing. Make sure that you file your taxes on time and appropriately. If you need assistance, you can approach a tax professional.

In addition to these, small business owners can do the following to make year-end closing easier:

• Use accounting software: This will help you keep track of your finances and automate some of the closing tasks. QuickBooks and Xero are widely used accounting software.

• Get organized: This includes putting a system in place for preserving financial papers and keeping track of deadlines.

• Delegate tasks: If you have a team of accountants and bookkeepers, you can delegate the closing tasks to them according to their skill set.

This guidance can help small business owners close their books properly and on schedule. By following this, you can avoid IRS fines and ensure the financial records are accurate for the future year.

Update Your Fiscal Year-End Log

We know that year-end close is a busy and hectic time for businesses of all sizes. With so many tasks to manage, it's obvious for account teams to overlook any important tasks. However, it's crucial to make sure that your logs are updated at year-end. This is because your logs provide a detailed record of your financial transactions, which can be essential for tax purposes. You can update your logs using accounting software like QuickBooks.

Distinguish between personal & business expense

Sometimes, small business owners do not have separate bank accounts for the business. It can create chaos while managing accounting expenses and filing taxes. 

• Keeping track of spending becomes easier: You can simply track how much money you spend on your business and where it is going when you have a separate business bank account. This can help you in making sensible financial assessments and ensure that you aren't overspending.
• Tax filing becomes simpler: When you have a separate bank account for your business, tracking your business costs will be considerably simpler during tax filing. You can make sure you're claiming all the deductions and credits to which you're entitled by doing this.
• It safeguards your personal assets: If you mix personal and business funds and your company is sued, your personal assets may be at risk. Protecting your personal assets from creditors can be facilitated by opening a separate company bank account.
  

3 tips to save hundreds of hours during the year-end close

• Use cloud-based review and close tool
• Automate closing process
• Get help from tax professionals‍

These tips can greatly simplify the year-end close process and save you hundreds of hours. When it comes to accurately reviewing and closing books, Xenett is a highly recommended tool. It autodetects errors in your books using 50+ AI-based checks, assists you in reconciling accounts, and helps you close the books quickly and accurately.

Year-end closing can be a difficult chore, but it is important to get it right. Small business owners can make the process easier and ensure that they have accurate financial information for the forthcoming year by following these tips.

The bottom line:

Year-end closing is a challenging task for small businesses that demands rigorous attention to detail, an in-depth understanding of tax legislation, and strategic thinking. By following these thorough year-end closing tips, you can empower your clients to traverse the year-end confidently and lay the groundwork for a profitable future.

Remember, the year-end closing process is a time to add value, create trust, and solidify your role as a trusted business partner. You can take this trust to the next level by using advanced tools like Xenett. Book your demo call now and reclaim your time.

Simplify your small business’s accounting close with these valuable Year-End Closing Tips and have a stress-free process. Enhance your year-end close with insights to save time and ensure accuracy.