Essential Year-End Prep in QuickBooks® Online for 2025

Closing out the fiscal year effectively starts well before December arrives. For savvy business owners leveraging QuickBooks® Online (QBO), it’s crucial to transition from last-minute overhauls to streamlined, tax-efficient bookkeeping and strategic planning. With a host of new features and increased IRS oversight, preparing ahead of time can help you save valuable hours, minimize risks, and set fertile ground for the financial tranquility you seek in 2026.

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1. Reconcile Your Accounts and Clean Up Transactions

Navigate to Settings → Chart of Accounts → Reconcile. Match your ending bank and credit card statements, carefully review Undeposited Funds, and ensure all outstanding items are reconciled. QBO conveniently highlights unreconciled items, preventing unpleasant surprises come April.

2. Review Customer & Vendor Aging Reports

Generate Accounts Receivable Aging and Accounts Payable Aging reports. Addressing any uncollectible receivables and outstanding vendor liabilities now ensures your profit-and-loss and balance sheet statements are accurate, thus avoiding holdups during tax preparation.

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3. Utilize the Enhanced Reporting Features

Experience the expanded “Modern View” of standard reports in QBO, featuring advanced filters, improved load speeds, and greater customization. This enhancement allows more efficient retrieval of reports like Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Forecasts.  

4. Set Up and Track 1099/NEC for Contractors

For businesses utilizing freelancers or independent contractors, proceed to Expenses → Vendors → Prepare 1099s. Ensure W-9s are collected, payment thresholds met, and that QBO correctly identifies vendors. Neglecting this step could result in costly errors and penalties in Q1.

5. Close the Books & Confirm Fiscal Settings

Under Settings → Advanced, verify the “First month of fiscal year”. Then, issue closing balances and lock past transactions to shield your data integrity, ensuring your accountant works with untainted books.

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6. Forecast for 2026 and Cultivate Cash-Flow Resilience

Leverage QBO’s Cash Flow projections to map out January-March 2026: account for anticipated revenue lulls, tax obligations, and seasonal expenses. Being prepared provides the foresight you need—not just tidying up last year's books.

7. Harness Automation and New Tools

Take advantage of QBO’s latest improvements, including simplified pay item clean-up (making inactive payroll items) and accessible e-signatures for payroll documents. These features heighten efficiency and mitigate error risks ahead of the year-end rush. 

Bottom line: By investing 30-60 minutes each week to reconcile accounts, evaluate vendor/customer aging, run updated reports, manage contractor tax forms, and finalize fiscal settings, you’ll march into 2026 with readiness—not regret. QuickBooks® Online transcends mere transaction recording, acting instead as your partner in strategic readiness.

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