Month-end close
A documented close checklist with reconciliations, accruals and review steps, finished on a timetable agreed with you.
Roles · Finance & Accounting
A remote accountant to close your books every month and keep them audit-ready
Reconciliations done, accruals booked and statements drafted on a set timetable, with workpapers your CPA or auditor can follow without a string of questions.
A close that finishes on time, every month
Once a business outgrows basic bookkeeping, the gaps show up at month-end. Accruals get missed, balance sheet accounts drift, and the numbers your leadership sees arrive weeks late. An accountant runs a proper close, reconciles every balance, prepares statements you can make decisions from, and has the schedules ready when tax season or an audit comes around.
What they do for you
- Run the month-end close to a checklist and timetable
- Reconcile bank, credit card, intercompany and balance sheet accounts
- Book accruals, prepayments, depreciation and revenue adjustments
- Prepare monthly income statements, balance sheets and cash flow reports
- Analyze variances against budget and last year, with short explanations
- Prepare tax schedules and supporting files for your tax adviser
- Build audit and review packs with workpapers and supporting documents
- Document accounting processes and keep the chart of accounts tidy
What to expect from a capable accountant
Tools they work in
QuickBooks OnlineXeroNetSuiteSage IntacctMicrosoft DynamicsFloQastBlackLineExcelGoogle SheetsBill.comExpensifyGustoDextFathomCasewareMany more
A good fit if:
- Month-end takes weeks, or doesn't happen properly at all
- Your bookkeeper is stretched by accruals, reconciliations and reporting
- Leadership wants accurate monthly numbers to plan with
- Tax season or your first audit is coming and the files aren't ready
- You're an accounting firm that needs more capacity for client work
Not the right fit if:
- You mainly need transactions recorded, bills paid and invoices sent; see Bookkeeper
- You need forecasting, modeling and investor reporting. Financial Analyst covers this, with its own page coming after launch
- You need a finance leader to run the whole function; see Executive Search
Interview questions
01
"Walk me through your month-end close checklist."
Strong answer: cutoff, bank and card reconciliations, accruals and prepayments, fixed assets, balance sheet reconciliations, review, then reporting, with dates for each.
02
"A balance sheet account doesn't reconcile by a small amount. What do you do?"
Strong answer: trace the difference to its source, find the cause, correct it properly and note it, instead of booking a plug entry.
03
"How do you explain a large variance to a non-finance manager?"
Strong answer: what moved, why, whether it will happen again, and what it means for the business, in plain words.
04
"What would you prepare before our tax adviser starts the return?"
Strong answer: a trial balance, reconciled accounts, fixed asset and depreciation schedules, and supporting documents for key items, organized the way the adviser wants.
05
"How do you set up workpapers so an auditor can follow them?"
Strong answer: tie every schedule to the ledger, link evidence, note judgments, and keep a consistent format and file naming.
Signs of a strong accountant:
- Closes to a timetable and flags delays early
- Reconciles every balance sheet account, every month
- Explains numbers clearly to people outside finance
- Leaves a trail an auditor can follow
Signs of a weak accountant:
- Books suspense entries to make things balance
- Skips reconciliations when time is tight
- Delivers reports with no commentary
Financial statements
Monthly and year-end statements, management reports and variance commentary your leadership and lenders can rely on.
Tax preparation support
Schedules, reconciliations and supporting documents prepared for your tax adviser. Filing and sign-off stay with your licensed adviser.
Audit preparation
Audit and review packs, workpapers, request lists and answers to auditor questions, ready before fieldwork starts.
Support for CPA firms
Extra capacity for accounting firms on client bookkeeping review, close work, workpapers and tax prep, under the firm's review. See also accounting firms.
How we find your accountant
- 1
Talk it through
We agree the work, the tools, the hours you share and who they report to. For this role: your accounting platform, the reporting standards you follow, any qualification the role needs (CPA, CA(SA) or ACCA), close deadlines, your entity count, and whether audit or tax support is part of the job.
- 2
Meet a shortlist and choose
We screen a wide pool for every role and introduce only the few who fit your brief. We source, screen and test candidates against your brief, and run background and reference checks. You interview and decide.
- 3
Start with support in place
They start on the work in the brief, and we stay in contact once they've begun.
Generalist accountants are usually found within the normal range. US GAAP experience, multiple entities or a specific industry can lengthen the search. South Africa is the starting point, and we look further when your standards or software call for it.
How pricing works
An accountant can join through any option below. It's your decision, and accounting firms adding client capacity can compare them with us first. Compare the arrangements on ways to hire.
Who does what
Swipe to see more →
| Task | You | JiveTalent |
|---|---|---|
| Financial decisions, approvals and tax or audit sign-off | Own | – |
| Close, reconciliations, statements and prep files | Review | Prepared by your accountant; we follow up on the close timetable and how reviews are going |
Hiring an accountant: common questions
Do you have accountants for our software?
Yes. We source accountants for whichever platform you use, from QuickBooks and Xero to NetSuite and Sage Intacct, and screen for it.
Will they work during our business hours?
The brief sets the hours and the overlap with your team before the search starts, so every candidate is hired for them.
Can you find a qualified accountant?
Yes. Where the role needs it, we screen candidates for a CPA, CA(SA) or ACCA qualification. Note the one you need in your brief.
Can they file our tax returns?
They prepare the schedules and support your tax adviser. Filing and signing returns stays with your licensed adviser.
How is an accountant different from a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper records the day-to-day transactions. An accountant closes the books, reconciles balances, prepares statements and gets files ready for tax and audit.
What if it isn't working out?
Talk to your account lead. We go through it with you and agree a way forward.
How is access to our financial data handled?
Background and reference checks are run before they start, and you control their user permissions in each system, so you can limit or remove access at any time.
How do we see what our accountant is working on?
Their hours are tracked in the client app and reported there for you to see.
Get monthly numbers you can plan with
Book a call. We'll agree the brief for your accountant and talk you through the ways to hire.