# Year-end group checklist

> This free Excel checklist sets out the tasks for closing a group of companies at a 31 December year-end under IFRS, from six weeks before to eight weeks after. Each task has an owner, a company, the evidence to keep and a due date that follows the year-end date you enter. A progress sheet shows the percentage done by week and by owner.

Source: https://finconsol.com/blog/resources/year-end-group-checklist/ (updated 28 October 2026)

| Week | Task | Owner | Evidence |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Week 1 before | Complete the intercompany pairs reconciliation and clear the differences | Group controller | Reconciliation with no open differences |
| Week 1 after | Receive signed intercompany balance confirmations from both sides of every pair | Group controller | Signed confirmations, filed by pair |
| Week 4 after | Eliminate intercompany balances, sales, purchases and unrealised profit in stock | Group controller | Elimination journals with support |

*Three of the 46 tasks, as they appear in the checklist*

## How to use it

1. **Enter the year-end date.** Every due date follows from it.
2. **Rename the owners and companies** on the Lists sheet, and add your own tasks in the spare rows.
3. **Move a task** by changing its Week: negative numbers are weeks before the year-end.
4. **Set the status** as work finishes and keep the evidence in your audit folder. Late tasks show in red.
5. **Read the Progress sheet** for the percentage done by week and by owner.

## Who is it for?

Group controllers and finance heads closing a group of companies at a December year-end, and the accountants who work for them. The order follows [the five-day group close](/blog/five-day-group-close/) scaled up to a year. The IFRS references suit most groups; where a group follows US GAAP the order is much the same and the matching topics apply. When the same year-end repeats every year, [Finconsol's close controls keep the steps and the lock in one place](https://finconsol.com/close-controls/).

## Questions

**Can I use it for a year-end that is not 31 December?**

Yes. Enter the year-end date and every due date moves with it.

**Does it allow for public holidays?**

No. It skips weekends only. Check the dates around the end of December and the start of January.

**Is it a complete list?**

It covers the tasks most groups share. Add your own for local requirements, lenders and auditors.

**Do I need Excel?**

The file uses standard formulas and opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets.