Plan the work; verify the dates

A short personal checklist can surface missing receipts, incomplete descriptions, and invoices that need follow-up. Month-end dates vary by organization and period, so check your current finance calendar rather than assuming a universal deadline.

A practical month-end review

Work through outstanding items and capture the next action.

  1. 1

    Review outstanding transactions

    Look for expense and card transactions that still need a receipt, description, or other supporting detail.

  2. 2

    Collect receipts and invoices

    Match available supporting records to the relevant transaction, purchase, or invoice.

  3. 3

    Complete descriptions

    Add the work purpose and context needed to explain each record.

  4. 4

    List missing information

    Write down each unresolved item, what is missing, and who owns the next follow-up.

  5. 5

    Check applicable dates

    Review the organization's current finance calendar and submission process for dates that apply to this period.

Sample follow-up list

Fictional entries for planning; no deadline is implied.

Task Status Missing information Follow-up owner
Project workshop expense In progress Receipt not yet matched Submitting employee
Project supplies invoice Needs review Purchase reference to confirm Request owner
Card transaction description Ready to check Work purpose needs a specific activity Card user

Before you finish

Confirm dates and submission route

Check the current organization finance calendar for applicable dates and confirm the submission route for each item.

Leave a clear note on anything incomplete

If something remains incomplete, leave a clear note of what is missing and the next follow-up owner.