Month-end close SOP template
A month-end close SOP template gives you a ready structure to document the close: purpose, scope, roles, the ordered close checklist, exceptions, and records. The close is a long set of dependent tasks, so the order and the sign-offs matter as much as the steps. Recording a real close lets Ledgerium generate the SOP from the actual sequence, so the dependencies and reviews are captured rather than reconstructed from memory.
Who uses this SOP and when
Staff and senior accountants, the controller who owns the close calendar, and the CFO who signs off. Auditors reference it when testing the close.
Use it to onboard accountants, standardize the close, or document the close process for an audit.
Editable SOP structure
- Purpose
- Why the procedure exists and the accuracy it ensures.
- Scope
- Which entities and accounts the close covers.
- Roles
- Who reconciles, who reviews, and who signs off and locks the period.
- Close checklist
- The ordered tasks from reconciliations to locking the period.
- Exceptions
- How to handle reconciliation breaks and late adjustments.
- Records
- What evidence is retained for each close task.
Example procedure
- 1
Reconcile accounts
Reconcile bank, cash, and key balance-sheet accounts.
- 2
Post journal entries
Record accruals, prepaids, and adjustments.
- 3
Review variances
Compare to budget and prior period and investigate.
- 4
Run and review reports
Generate the statements and review them for errors.
- 5
Lock the period
Sign off and lock so no further changes post.
Common mistakes
- Documenting the close as a flat list instead of ordered dependencies
- Leaving reconciliation sources and sign-off owners undocumented
- Not capturing which tasks run late
How Ledgerium generates this SOP
Record one real close as the accountant runs it. Ledgerium generates this SOP from the actual sequence, and you re-record to keep it current as the close evolves.
How Ledgerium captures this
1. Install the extension
Add the Ledgerium recorder to Chrome. No screenshots and no keystrokes are ever captured.
2. Record the real workflow
Perform the process once. Ledgerium captures the structured steps, timing, and system context.
3. Get the output
Receive an SOP, a process map, and a workflow intelligence report generated from the real work.
Worth knowing
A template is a starting structure. The real order, reconciliations, and sign-offs are captured best by recording an actual close.
Frequently asked questions
- Purpose, scope, roles, the ordered close checklist, exceptions, and records. The checklist should cover reconciliations, journal entries, variance review, reporting, and locking the period.
- Yes. Use the structure here as a starting point, or record a real close and have Ledgerium generate a complete SOP from the actual steps.
- The close is full of dependencies where one task cannot start until another finishes. Recording a real close captures the order, so the SOP shows the true sequence.
- The Roles and checklist sections name the reviewers and approvers. A recorded close captures the sign-offs as they happen.
- Re-record the close after a change and regenerate the SOP, rather than maintaining a checklist by hand.
Generate this SOP from real work
Record the process once and Ledgerium writes the SOP from the actual steps, so it matches how your team really works.
Free plan includes 5 documented workflows per month. No screenshots ever captured.