Typical 5-Day Close Calendar (+1)
Typical 5-Day Close Calendar
| Day | Key Activities | Responsible |
|---|---|---|
| T+1 | Cash entries, payroll, AP accruals, depreciation, prepaid amortization, intercompany posting | Staff accountants, payroll |
| T+2 | Revenue recognition, remaining accruals, subledger reconciliations (AR, AP, FA), FX revaluation | Revenue accountant, AP/AR, treasury |
| T+3 | Balance sheet reconciliations, intercompany reconciliation, eliminations, preliminary trial balance, preliminary flux | Accounting team, consolidation |
| T+4 | Tax provision, equity roll-forward, draft financial statements, detailed flux analysis, management review | Tax, controller, FP&A |
| T+5 | Final adjustments, hard close, period lock, reporting package distribution, forecast update, retrospective | Controller, FP&A, finance leadership |
Accelerated Close (3-Day Target)
For organizations targeting a faster close:
| Day | Key Activities |
|---|---|
| T+1 | All JEs posted (automated + manual), all subledger reconciliations, bank reconciliation, intercompany reconciliation, preliminary trial balance |
| T+2 | All balance sheet reconciliations, tax provision, consolidation, draft financial statements, flux analysis, management review |
| T+3 | Final adjustments, hard close, reporting package, forecast update |
Prerequisites for a 3-day close:
- Automated recurring journal entries (depreciation, amortization, standard accruals)
- Continuous reconciliation during the month (not all at month-end)
- Automated intercompany elimination
- Pre-close activities completed before month-end (cut-off, accrual estimates)
- Empowered team with clear ownership and minimal handoffs
- Real-time or near-real-time sub-system integration