Compliance
Building an Audit-Ready Close
A monthly close routine that means the notice never surprises you.
The notice should never be the first you hear of it
An audit-ready close is not a heroic year-end sprint. It is a monthly rhythm that leaves nothing to reconstruct later. The goal is simple: at any given moment, the books could be handed to a reviewer without a scramble.
A close that holds
Reconcile cash and inventory every month while the detail is still fresh. Tie the 280E allocation to the same drivers you documented at the start of the year, and note any change the month it happens. Keep the supporting workpapers attached to the numbers, not scattered across inboxes.
- Bank and cash counts reconciled by the tenth.
- Inventory tied to seed-to-sale, variances explained in writing.
- Allocation drivers reviewed, not assumed.
Calm is a control
When the close is boring, the audit is boring. That is the entire objective: a routine steady enough that a regulator’s letter changes your week, not your quarter.
