Year-end records are easier to prepare when the routine records, supporting evidence and open questions are collected before the deadline is close. This checklist helps organise that work; it does not decide the accounting or tax treatment.
Core small-business records
- Sales records, invoices, credit notes, customer balances and supporting evidence.
- Purchases, supplier bills, recurring commitments and unpaid supplier balances.
- Bank, cash, card, borrowing and finance records reconciled to the available statements.
- Payroll and staffing records, where relevant, together with outstanding questions.
- Stock or work-in-progress records where relevant, supported by a dated count or valuation method.
- Asset-purchase and disposal records, with one clear entry for each transaction.
- Owner or director transactions, drawings, loans, dividends and amounts due to or from the business, where relevant.
Prepare a clear query list
Keep estimates, unusual transactions, missing evidence and decisions needing advice separate from routine documents. Record who owns each query and when it needs an answer.
Construction and trades: specialist additions where applicable
Where relevant, add project records, retentions, construction invoicing evidence and CIS working papers. These are specialist additions to the standard customer, supplier, cash, borrowing, staffing, stock and owner/director records.
Related FoxSums resources
- Self Assessment Preparation Checklist
- Monthly Finance Checklist for Small Businesses
- Taking Money from a Limited Company: Records to Keep
Next step
Start the record list early and flag missing evidence or decisions that need professional advice.
Important
General information only. Check the facts and current official guidance for the business’s circumstances.
Sources and review
- Evidence check date: 3 November 2026.
- GOV.UK - Business records if you are self-employed
- GOV.UK - Company and accounting records