Why you need a month-end process
If you manage bookkeeping for multiple clients, month-end can get chaotic fast. Invoices arrive by email, get buried in inboxes, and pile up until the last minute. Without a consistent process, things get missed, entered twice, or posted to the wrong period.
This checklist gives you a repeatable workflow you can follow for every client, every month.
The checklist
1. Gather all invoices
Before you start processing, collect everything in one place.
- Check the client's email inbox (or forwarding address) for PDF invoices
- Download invoices from supplier portals the client uses
- Ask the client if they have any physical invoices or receipts to scan
- Check for recurring invoices that might not have arrived yet
Tip: Set a cut-off date with each client. "Send me everything by the 3rd" gives you a clean window to work in.
2. Sort by client and period
Group invoices by client (if you manage multiple) and check that each invoice belongs to the current accounting period. Watch for:
- Invoices dated in the previous month that arrived late
- Credit notes that need matching to the original invoice
- Duplicate invoices (same vendor, same amount, same date)
3. Convert PDFs to CSV
This is where the bulk of the time savings come from. Instead of typing each invoice into the accounting software manually:
- Upload your PDF invoices to InvoiceCSV
- Review the extracted data for each one: vendor, dates, line items, amounts, VAT
- Select the right accounting software for that client (QuickBooks, Xero, or Sage)
- Download the CSV
For clients with 10-20 invoices per month, this step takes a few minutes instead of an hour or more.
4. Import into accounting software
Upload each CSV into the client's accounting platform:
- QuickBooks: Get paid & pay > Bills > Import bills
- Xero: Business > Bills to pay > Import
- Sage: Purchases > Quick Entries > Import
Check that the import completes without errors. Common issues to watch for: - Vendor names that don't match existing contacts (the software will create new ones) - Account codes that don't exist in the chart of accounts - Date format mismatches
5. Reconcile and review
After importing, do a quick sanity check:
- Does the total of imported invoices roughly match what you expected?
- Are there any obvious duplicates?
- Do the VAT totals look right for the period?
- Cross-reference against bank statements for any invoices already paid
6. File and archive
Keep a copy of the original PDFs and the generated CSVs. This gives you an audit trail and makes it easy to re-import if something goes wrong.
Organise by client and month: /Client Name/2026-01/ with both the PDFs and CSVs inside.
How long should this take?
For a client with 20-30 invoices per month:
| Step | Manual approach | With InvoiceCSV |
|---|---|---|
| Gather invoices | 15 min | 15 min |
| Sort and check | 10 min | 10 min |
| Data entry / conversion | 60-90 min | 10-15 min |
| Import and reconcile | 15 min | 15 min |
| Total | 100-130 min | 50-55 min |
The conversion step is where you save the most time. Everything else stays roughly the same.
Make it repeatable
The key to efficient month-end processing is consistency. Use the same steps, in the same order, for every client. Over time it becomes automatic and you stop missing things.
Try InvoiceCSV free - 5 invoice conversions per month, no credit card required.