Year-end document request schedule for bookkeepers

Year-end goes badly when the first request goes out in February. Clients are busy in December and forget in January, so the schedule below starts in November, asks for a few things at a time, and sets your client deadline well before your own. Adjust the dates to your calendar and the size of the client.

Early November: the heads-up

Email every client one short note: year-end is coming, here is what you will ask for and roughly when
Ask for changes now: new accounts, new loans, new contractors, large purchases, a change of entity
Ask whether any contractor has been paid without a W-9 on file, so you can fix it before payments are made in December

Early December: the first full request

Send the full checklist with one private upload link per client and a due date of mid-January
Split it into what exists today (statements to date, payroll reports, loan balances) and what only exists after year end (December statements, W-2s, 1099s)
Ask business clients for a list of fixed-asset purchases and owner draws
Tell clients what you will do with the documents and by when, so the deadline has a reason

Stop chasing clients for documents by hand.

DocNag sends the secure upload link and the reminders for you. Free plan: 3 active requests, no card, no client accounts.

Try it free or see the 1-minute demo

Mid-December: one nudge, then pause

Send one reminder to anyone who has not opened or started the request, then stop until the new year. Messages sent in the last week of December mostly go unread. A single message early in the month does most of the work.

First week of January: the second request

Send the items that only now exist: December statements and year-end payroll reports
Remind clients that employers and payers generally have to send W-2s and most 1099s by the end of January, so tell them which forms to expect and not to file or send anything until the list is complete
Give a client deadline about two weeks before your own working deadline

Late January to early February: follow up on a rhythm

Chase every 3 days with a short message that names the specific missing items
Make the third message firmer: say which of your deadlines is at risk
Keep a tracker per client: asked, received, still missing
Move clients who are still silent to a phone call or a text, since email may be going to spam

Copy-paste first email

Subject: Year-end documents: please send by [date]
Hi [name], year-end is coming up. To get your books and return done on time I need the items on the list below. Please upload them with this private link: [upload link] by [date]. Anything that does not apply, tell me and I will cross it off. If something has not arrived yet, such as a W-2 or 1099, send the rest first and the late items when they come. Thanks, [your name]

Keep a record of what you asked and when

If a client later says they never got the request, a dated log of what you sent and what came back settles it. A tool that records opens, uploads and reminders makes this automatic. DocNag gives each client a private upload link, sends reminders every 3 days, and shows who is still missing. It is free for up to 3 active requests.

Want a ready-made version? See the free tax organizer template and the tax documents checklists by occupation, or the plain-language guide to documents needed to file taxes.

Frequently asked questions

When should a bookkeeper start year-end document requests?

In early November with a short heads-up, then the full request in early December with a due date of mid-January. Starting in February is too late.

Should I send reminders in late December?

Send one reminder early in the month, then pause. Messages sent in the last week of December mostly go unread.

How long before my own deadline should the client deadline be?

About two weeks before your own working deadline, so late items do not put your deadline at risk.

Skip the copy-paste

Turn this into a request in two minutes. DocNag sends your client one private upload link, tracks what's missing and sends the reminders for you.

Use the "Individual tax return documents" checklist in DocNag

Free plan, no card needed. Or see a live demo first.

Comparing tools? See the Financial Cents alternative and Content Snare alternative comparisons, or all comparisons.