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24 Oct Year-End Success: How to Partner with Your Accounting Team for a Smooth Close

Posted at 14:14h in Blog by

As the calendar year ends, business owners across industries are presented with one of the most critical financial opportunities of the year; the annual year-end close. This process is far more than just a compliance exercise or tax-prep requirement. When done thoughtfully and collaboratively, it’s a strategic moment to reflect on performance, identify trends, assess your financial health, and lay a strong foundation for the year ahead.

At Siegel Solutions, we recognize that the success of a year-end close is not just about reconciling numbers—it’s about partnership. Whether you rely on our firm for outsourced bookkeeping and accounting services or manage these functions internally, a clear and organized year-end process minimizes risk, prevents costly mistakes, and enhances your ability to make informed business decisions. We see ourselves not only as your service provider but as a key part of your extended financial team.

Partner with Siegel Solutions today and we’ll help ensure that you have a successful year-end close!

This guide outlines what every business owner should know and do in collaboration with their accounting team—whether in-house or outsourced—to navigate the year-end smoothly. We’ll walk through best practices, explain the why behind each step, and share what can happen if these tasks are not completed. By taking a proactive approach, you can close out the current year with confidence and step into the new one with momentum.

Clarify Roles and Responsibilities

What it means: Define each participant’s role in the year-end process, including owners, internal staff, outsourced bookkeepers, and tax preparers.

How to get it done:

  • Schedule a kickoff meeting.
  • Outline tasks like data entry, reconciliations, tax document prep, and owner reviews.
  • Document responsibilities in a shared checklist or project management tool.

What happens if it’s not done:

  • Missed tasks and miscommunication.
  • Potential delays and confusion at a critical time.
  • Increased likelihood of financial reporting errors.
Set a Detailed Year-End Timeline

What it means: Develop a calendar that includes all key deadlines and milestones leading up to and following year-end.

How to get it done:

  • Collaborate with your accounting team to establish internal deadlines.
  • Include dates for reconciliations, inventory counts, W-2/1099 prep, and final financial statement delivery.
  • Use tools like Google Calendar or Asana to track tasks.

What happens if it’s not done:

  • Tasks may fall behind schedule.
  • Incomplete reports could delay tax filings.
  • Added stress and last-minute work for all parties.
Ensure Your Books Are Up to Date

What it means: All business transactions through the end of the year should be entered, categorized, and reconciled.

How to get it done:

  • Provide missing receipts and documents.
  • Review transaction categories with your bookkeeper.
  • Address uncategorized or duplicate entries.

What happens if it’s not done:

  • Financials will be inaccurate.
  • Potential for under- or over-reporting income and expenses.
  • Risk of audit issues or misinformed decision-making.
Reconcile All Financial Accounts

What it means: Match the balances in your books to the balances in your bank, credit card, and loan statements.

How to get it done:

  • Collect all year-end statements.
  • Work with your bookkeeper to identify discrepancies.
  • Record adjustments for outstanding items.

What happens if it’s not done:

  • Cash flow statements may be inaccurate.
  • Errors in liabilities or assets.
  • Can complicate tax filing and financial analysis.
Review Accounts Receivable and Payable

What it means: Ensure open invoices and bills are legitimate, collect what’s due, and record what you owe.

How to get it done:

  • Run A/R and A/P aging reports.
  • Contact overdue customers.
  • Reconcile vendor balances.

What happens if it’s not done:

  • May overstate income or understate liabilities.
  • Poor cash flow visibility.
  • Potential tax implications due to incorrect accruals.
Conduct a Physical Inventory and Asset Review

What it means: Physically verify inventory and review fixed assets for accuracy.

How to get it done:

  • Perform a year-end inventory count.
  • Update asset registers for purchases/disposals.
  • Recalculate depreciation where necessary.

What happens if it’s not done:

  • Cost of goods sold and profits may be misreported.
  • Risk of misstated asset values.
  • Can impact tax deductions and compliance.
Generate and Review Financial Statements

What it means: Finalize and analyze your Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Report.

How to get it done:

  • Schedule a review meeting with your accounting partner.
  • Compare with prior year results and budget.
  • Flag and investigate unusual trends.

What happens if it’s not done:

  • Missed opportunities to spot errors or insights.
  • Hinders planning, forecasting, and loan applications.
  • Reduces confidence in the financial health of the business.
Finalize Compliance Requirements

What it means: Submit required payroll filings, W-2s, and 1099s accurately and on time.

How to get it done:

  • Verify employee and contractor information.
  • Confirm amounts paid.
  • Submit filings through payroll provider or IRS systems.

What happens if it’s not done:

  • IRS fines and penalties.
  • Compliance issues that could affect business credibility.
  • Frustrated employees or vendors.
Archive Financial Records and Backup Data

What it means: Securely store year-end data for future reference and compliance.

How to get it done:

  • Back up your accounting software.
  • Store digital files in secure cloud or external drives.
  • Organize physical records by category and year.

What happens if it’s not done:

  • Risk of data loss in audits or system failures.
  • Difficulty accessing prior year data.
  • Legal or tax issues from lack of documentation.

 

Year-end closing is one of the most impactful financial periods of your business year. It is not just about tying up loose ends—it’s about understanding the story your numbers tell and using that insight to move your business forward. When you partner effectively with your accounting professionals, you gain far more than compliance—you gain clarity, foresight, and a strategic advantage.

At Siegel Solutions, we take pride in helping our clients finish the year with confidence. Whether you’re a long-time client or exploring outsourced accounting for the first time, we’re here to help you implement best practices, reduce stress, and improve results.

Let’s make this year-end not just a conclusion, but a strong springboard into the new year. If you’re ready to streamline your close and set your business up for success, reach out—we’d love to partner with you!

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Antonio Tony Martinez
Senior Partner Development Manager

Tony brings over 15 years of QuickBooks knowledge with him and has been recognized as a top performer year over year. Tony will play a critical role in helping our team grow your QB business by managing the relationship between Siegel Solutions and the QuickBooks Solution Provider Program. Tony is focused on optimizing results for strategic partners of all shapes and sizes.

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Noah Raney
Senior Account Payroll Manager

Noah is our dedicated Intuit Senior Account Payroll Manager who can help you find the right payroll solution for you and your business. He is well versed in all of the QuickBooks platforms being desktop/online/standalone and payroll has been his world since joining Intuit 13 years ago. Whether you are looking for ways to save on time, reduce inflated payroll costs or just get set up with the best discounts, he is here to help. Your success and satisfaction are of utmost importance!

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Sean McCaffery
Global Channel Sales Partnerships and Alliances Leader

Sean McCaffery has more than 15 years of experience leading channel sales and cloud solutions in the US and Internationally. Sean has held leadership positions with Avaya in Europe growing the channel business with resellers and distributors in key countries driving double-digit growth. He then joined Rackspace Technology and was instrumental in developing sales growth strategies in cloud adoption for customers and partners. Most recently, he ran channels at Dizzion responsible for dynamically growing and expanding the partner ecosystem through SaaS-based VDI solutions before joining Intuit. Currently, he runs the QuickBooks Solution Provider Program supporting the strong business that solution providers and ISV partners have established as well as finding new opportunities to drive emerging mid-market growth together!

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Gabor Terebesi
Payments Account Manager

Gabor Terebesi is an Account Manager with the Payments Team of Intuit for over 15 years. He works in the partner division for Intuit payments to ensure Intuit partners along with any clients of theirs are in the most suitable and financially cost-effective solution accepting payments through eCommerce, QuickBooks, mobile payments, or any other options necessary for their business.

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Aimee Garneau
Manager of Accounting Services

Aimee joined Siegel in 2022 as the Accounting Manager overseeing the accounting and bookkeeping team. Aimee brings 18 years of experience with increased responsibility with privately and publicly held companies. Her experience lies with SaaS-based companies as well as in healthcare, consulting, education and nonprofits. Prior to joining Siegel, she held accounting leadership positions with Waban Projects, Elastic Path, Moltin, and Ned Davis Research. Aimee loves partnering with business owners to establish financial reporting and results that promote growth and expansion. When Aimee is not working, she loves spending time with her family and friends and exploring all New England has to offer. She is also an avid Red Sox fan and enjoys going to Fenway Park when she can.

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Jeffrey Siegel
CPA, CEO

Jeff has spent the last twenty years working providing solutions to emerging growth businesses. After graduating from Northeastern University, he spent five years working with two multinational CPA firms in an auditor capacity building a foundation for understanding how business work. He later went on to work in various controller and CFO roles before starting Siegel & Associates (previously Siegel Financial Group) in 2000. In those roles, he sold a company to ADP, raised funds for a major expansion of a large regional IVF clinic, and helped set up accounting and financial structures for dozens of companies. Since starting Siegel & Associates, Jeff has worked with hundreds of clients providing accounting system solutions. Those solutions include setting up QuickBooks in a single-user environment putting in QuickBooks Enterprise in a 30-user environment and integrating various add-ons including inventory, CRM, and e-commerce. He is a Certified Public Accountant, a QuickBooks Pro Advisor, a QuickBooks Advanced Pro Advisor, and an Intuit Solution Provider certified in Enterprise Solutions, Point of Sale & QuickBase. Jeff is also a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer

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Lori Swartz
Client Solutions Advisor & Professional Services

After graduating from Boston University, Lori spent eight years working in various managerial positions for two national companies. In those positions, Lori developed the skills necessary to manage multiple projects, clients, and resources. She later went on to work for a management company that handled over 25 real estate properties with multiple tenants. Lori joined Siegel Solutions in 2003 as a client services manager where she utilized her skills developed to manage multiple clients and multiple staff. She recently moved into the client support manager role where she is responsible for meeting with and onboarding new clients, managing and maintaining our technology stack along with QuickBooks setups, conversions, training, and consulting.

In her free time, Lori enjoys spending time with her family. She loves to travel, music, and theater.

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Janet Jodoin
Bookkeeping Associate

Janet joined Siegel Solutions in May of 2022 as an Associate Bookkeeper. In her younger years, while raising her family, she completed her degree in Business and she spent 20 years in the trades as a custom designer. Janet also has 16 years in corporate management. Her strong team support, training, and development led her to support and manage Human Resources. Janet's desire to change careers has led her to return back to bookkeeping at Siegel Solutions. In Janet's free time she enjoys spending time with her growing family. Her personal favorite is creative landscaping in her yard. She also enjoys working alongside her partner in construction and remodeling.

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Tricia Gullage
Associate

Tricia Joined Siegel Solutions in 2022 as a bookkeeper and works with our clients to keep their day-to-day bookkeeping in order. Tricia has 12 years of bookkeeping experience working for a large construction company for 10 of those years handling all their accounting and Payroll. She met Jeff our CEO while working there and decided she wanted to join our team.

When not working Tricia enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She recently moved up to the lakes region in NH and loves going to concerts, enjoying her time boating and snowmobiling.

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Ed Jaworski
Professional Services

With over 21 years of corporate experience at PeopleSoft Consulting, Sun Life Financial, and KPMG, Ed brings a big business approach to small business solutions. Prior to joining Siegel Solutions in 2022, Ed helped small businesses get the most out of QuickBooks for 21 years as a co-founder of SMB Partners and the founder of Solutions for Office Software.

Ed is an Advanced Certified QuickBooks® ProAdvisor, a Certified QuickBooks® Point of Sale ProAdvisor, a Certified QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions ProAdvisor, and a Certified SOS Inventory Consultant. Ed holds an MS in Computer Information Systems from Bentley University and a BS in Business Administration from Northeastern University.

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Debby Mono
Firm Administrator

Prior to joining Siegel Solutions in March 2023, Debby had been working in administrative and executive assistant roles for many years in various fields. Her extensive background in these positions has provided her with a range of skills and knowledge that are valuable in her new role as a Firm Administrator. She graduated from Suffolk University with a Bachelor's Degree.

Outside of work, Debby can be found at football fields or dojos cheering for her sons. She also enjoys hikes with her dog, Sawyer, reading, sports, and live music. She and her husband also love to entertain family and friends.

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Letitia Cote
Senior Associate

Letitia has an accounting degree and has been working in the Accounting/Bookkeeping industry for over 25 years. Tish is also an Acumatica Business Consultant. Outside of work, Tish has 4 grown children and 5 grandchildren, she loves to ski, hike, bike, and be outdoors. Tish has worked with Jeff for over 10 years.

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Andrea Alencar
Associate

Andrea graduated from Bridgewater State with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting. Andrea joined Siegel Solutions in 2022. Andrea has gained accounting experience working in various industries including a CPA firm, legal, hospitality, and telecommunications. Before coming to Siegel Solutions Andrea previously worked as a bookkeeper and staff accountant.

Andrea has 4 kids which keep her busy. Outside of work, Andrea enjoys spending time with her kids, being outside, cooking, and going to softball/baseball games.

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Mike Derrico
IT

I started my career in 1983 when I designed and built a device to share a computer program, written by the president of a local bank and his son, running on an Apple Lisa computer. The device allowed the large and expensive Lisa's computer to be shared with bank employees. With this program, and with my device, we started a company to market this unique solution to banks. At this point, computer networks were just starting to be used in businesses. I transitioned my efforts to providing support for migrating banking terminal/mainframe functions to the emerging Personal Computer networking platform. For the next decade, I worked with, and beta tested, numerous technologies to integrate the banking functions from dumb terminals into the now smart desktop computers. After working with a few small consulting firms, I started my own company focusing on providing I.T. support to SMBs. More recently I am now doing the exact opposite by helping customers migrate their PC applications and data from their local computers to The Cloud. A few years ago, I joined Siegel Solutions to add my years of I.T. experience to their firm.

In my spare time, I like to travel, fly my drone and, most importantly, spend time with my family. I also still enjoy tinkering with technology.

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Pat Jaworski
Associate

After spending most of her corporate career in the insurance industry, Pat joined a QuickBooks consulting firm providing bookkeeping services to several small companies. Late in 2022, that firm merged with Siegel Solutions, Inc., bringing Pat and her clients to the group. She provides services to clients in a variety of industries: fitness, construction, beauty, equine care, and medical billing, to name a few. She enjoys supporting her clients by keeping their financial records in good shape and allowing them to focus on growing their respective businesses.

Pat resides in the 495/MetroWest area with her husband Ed, daughter Abby and Duffy, their lovable, energetic golden retriever.

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John Brakey Campos

Senior Account
Payroll Manager

John has been with Intuit for over 18 years, serving in a variety of roles across the organization. For the past 8+ years, he has focused on payroll and workforce management solutions, helping clients streamline operations and make informed decisions. John is passionate about working directly with customers to understand their unique needs and recommend the best solutions to support their teams.

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DeeAnna Keyes

Sales and Marketing Associate

DeeAnna Keyes, has been our Sales and Marketing Associate since December 2023. She brings a wealth of experience, having worked at Intuit with a focus on Quickbooks Online and Quickbooks Desktop. With a robust sales history and a license as a real estate agent in Virginia, DeeAnna is a versatile professional. Outside of work, she cherishes family moments, indulges in camping with friends, and finds joy in entertaining at home with her husband and four children.

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Janice Kats

Associate

Janice Kats graduated from Carl Sandburg College with an Associate Degree in Accounting in 1992 and has been working in the accounting field ever since in various jobs doing AR, AP, payroll, office management, and bookkeeping before joining Siegel Solutions in late 2023.

In 2022, she made the decision to branch out on her own and started her own bookkeeping business, working from home.

She is a mom to 3 grown children and a grandmother to 5 grandchildren and enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs and following her grandchildren in all of their sports.

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Alyssa Bradford
Firm Manager

Alyssa Bradford joined Siegel Solutions as Firm Manager in March 2025, bringing with her a strong background in operations management and a hands-on, "boots on the ground" leadership style. Known for her excellent communication skills and practical approach to problem-solving, Alyssa plays a key role in driving efficiency and fostering team collaboration at the firm.

She is a graduate of the University of Hartford and lives in Franklin with her husband and son, where they enjoy making the most of nice weather together as a family. In her downtime, Alyssa enjoys HGTV and Food Network shows.

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Cynthia Moncayo-Mena
Associate

Cynthia joined Siegel Solutions in March 2025 as an Associate. She has a Bachelor's in Accounting from New Jersey City University and over 10 years of experience in accounting.
She is married with two children and enjoys reading and exploring new places to visit!

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Jermaine Sanders
Associate

Jermaine began his accounting career in 2017 after earning his Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from Emory & Henry College. With seven years of industry experience, he brings a solid background in financial analysis, business taxation, and small business accounting. Jermaine is a QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor and is currently pursuing his CPA designation. He joined Siegel Solutions in the summer of 2025.

Outside of work, Jermaine leads an active lifestyle. He enjoys attending football and basketball games, hiking, biking, and spending quality time with family and friends. A fan of great music, he also enjoys relaxing to the sounds of jazz and practicing the trombone.

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Miya "Yiting" Guan
Accounting Co-Op

Miya joined Siegel Solutions this summer as a six-month Co-op. She is entering her senior year at Northeastern University and brings prior experience from a previous Co-op. In a short time, Miya has already proven to be a valuable asset to the team, thanks to her strong technical and financial skill set.

Originally from Shanghai, China, Miya has an older sister and a younger brother. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and going to the movies.

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