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The close checklist is a shared task list that tracks every step of your period close. Create a checklist from a template, assign tasks to team members, and monitor progress from a single dashboard. After you finish, the period is locked and the checklist is read-only.

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Before you start

Line these up before you open a checklist for the period.
  • A role that can create and assign close checklist tasks. The lock step also needs the period lock permission.
  • The period you are closing has ended. You cannot lock a month that is still in progress.
  • A checklist template if you want the same task list each period. You can start from a blank checklist instead and add tasks by hand.

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Create a close checklist

Start a new checklist for each period you close.
  1. Navigate to Close Management → Checklists.
  2. Choose New Checklist.
  3. Choose the company and period (e.g., April 2026).
  4. Choose a template or start from a blank checklist.
  5. Set the target close date, the date by which all tasks should be complete.
DualEntry creates the checklist and populates it with the template’s tasks. You can add, remove, or reorder tasks after creation. If you start from a blank checklist, add tasks manually and assign each one before the close begins. Most teams maintain at least one template so the checklist structure is consistent period over period; see Use checklist templates for setup details. Each checklist is scoped to a single company and period, so multi-entity organizations create one checklist per entity per close cycle. You can view all active checklists across entities from the Close Management dashboard.

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Standard checklist tasks

A typical month-end checklist includes the tasks listed below. Adjust the list to match your organization’s close process. The order of tasks matters. Bank reconciliation and sub-ledger reviews should complete before balance-sheet reconciliations, because those reconciliations depend on final bank and sub-ledger data. Flux analysis runs after reconciliations so the balances under review are confirmed.

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Assign tasks and track completion

Each task on the checklist can be assigned to a specific user. Open the checklist, choose a task, and choose an assignee from your team. Optionally set a due date for the task; it defaults to the checklist’s target close date if you don’t override it. Assignees receive a notification when a task is assigned and again when the due date approaches. The checklist dashboard shows who owns each task and its current status. Each task moves through three states: Not started, In progress, and Complete. Assignees update the status as they work. The checklist dashboard shows a completion percentage and highlights overdue tasks. Some tasks update automatically. When you finish a reconciliation, the corresponding checklist task marks itself as complete. When flux analysis commentary is submitted for all flagged accounts, that task completes as well.
The checklist dashboard is visible to everyone on the team. Use it in your close status meetings to review progress without asking each person for an update.

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Use checklist templates

Templates save time by pre-loading the same set of tasks every period.
  1. Navigate to Close Management → Templates.
  2. Choose New Template or duplicate an existing one.
  3. Add tasks with default assignees and relative due dates (e.g., “Day three of close”).
  4. Save the template.
When you create a checklist from a template, DualEntry calculates absolute due dates from the period end date and the relative offsets you defined. Update the template between periods to reflect process changes; existing checklists created from a prior version are not affected. You can maintain multiple templates if different entities or close types (monthly vs. quarterly) require different task lists. Assign each template a descriptive name so the team chooses the correct one when opening a new period. Templates also support task dependencies: marking a task as dependent on another ensures it cannot be started until the prerequisite is complete.

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Integration with period locking

The checklist connects to period locking as the final close step. When all tasks are marked complete, the checklist status changes to Ready to Close and prompts the Controller or Admin (or any other role with permission to lock periods) to lock the period. If you lock the period before all tasks are complete, DualEntry shows a warning but does not block the action. After the period is locked, the checklist becomes read-only. You can still view it for audit purposes, but you cannot change task statuses or assignees. If you need to reopen the checklist (for example, because a late adjustment requires re-running reconciliation), unlock the period first, which also reopens the checklist for updates.
Locking the period before completing all checklist tasks leaves incomplete items visible on the dashboard. Auditors may question why tasks were skipped. Complete or explicitly cancel tasks before locking.

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Troubleshooting

Most close-checklist problems come down to lock timing or a task that you expected to complete on its own. After setting up your close checklist, your team has a repeatable, trackable workflow for every period close. Tasks are assigned, progress is visible, and the final lock step confirms the books are protected. For the reconciliation work that feeds into the checklist, see Reconciliation. For the variance review step, see Flux Analysis.
Last modified on October 6, 2026