Essential QuickBooks® Tasks for Year-End 2025

As the year draws to a close, the final quarter provides a vital window for businesses and accounting professionals to prepare for the upcoming fiscal year. Ensuring you wrap up 2025 correctly will set a strong foundation for a smooth transition into 2026. To assist in this intricate process, here are seven pivotal QuickBooks® Online tasks to focus on before January begins.

1. Reconcile Your Financial Accounts

Leave no stone unturned at year-end. Access Settings > Chart of Accounts > Reconcile to ensure all bank and credit card accounts are accurate and complete. Confirm ending balances, and resolve any discrepancies in the Undeposited Funds or Uncategorized transactions categories, allowing QuickBooks® new features to flag unresolved entries efficiently.

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2. Audit Customer and Vendor Accounts

Run detailed Accounts Receivable Aging and Accounts Payable Aging reports. Forward statements to customers with outstanding balances and address any overdue payables. Consider the need to record write-offs, using prudent accounting judgments, and verify vendor entries for any discrepancies.

3. Complete Year-End Financial Reports

With year-end approaching, generate comprehensive Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, and Trial Balance reports covering the entire calendar year. Analyze these documents for anomalies such as negative balances or irregular entries. Utilize filters such as class or location to identify unexpected variances.

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4. Streamline Contractor Payments for 1099s

Ensure contractors are correctly categorized for 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC forms. Navigate to Expenses → Vendors → Prepare 1099s in QuickBooks® to confirm essential details such as addresses, completed W-9s, and accurate payment recording—key steps to avoiding future IRS complications.

5. Make Final Book Adjustments

Prepare for year-end closure by resolving depreciation, amortization, bad debt adjustments, and finalizing owner draws and retained earnings. Verify fiscal year settings in Settings → Advanced to close books correctly and prevent unauthorized modifications following the year-end.

6. Update Payroll Records

Vital for QuickBooks® Online Payroll users, it’s crucial to conduct a final payroll run encompassing bonuses and commissions. Verify the recording of benefits, fringe payments, and retirement contributions, and ensure employee information such as addresses and tax withholdings are accurate before preparing W-2 forms for distribution.

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7. Enhance Processes with QuickBooks® Updates

The 2025 updates to QuickBooks® include advanced automation capabilities and improved user interfaces. If your accounting practice uses QuickBooks® Online Accountant for client management, now is the time to integrate these features to enhance efficiency.

Pro tip: Utilize QuickBooks® cash-flow forecasting tools or conduct a "budget vs. actual" analysis to anticipate upcoming financial gaps. Addressing 2025's unexpected costs or lower-than-anticipated revenues now can aid in better financial planning.

Approach the year-end with intention and precision. Through diligent account reconciliation, balance verification, and leveraging QuickBooks®' latest tools, position your business to start 2026 on firm ground. A dedication to these details now pays considerable dividends later.

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