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Description

Annual Accounts Closing: Organising, Substantiating and Securing Entries

Move through the year-end close with no delays and no unsupported entries, using a proven working method

  • 1 day — 7 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Intermediate
  • Up to 6 participants

The closing period brings the same difficulties year after year: supporting documents arriving late, suspense accounts left unreconciled, provisions rolled forward without review, and repeated exchanges with the external auditors. The timetable tightens and consistency checks end up being done last.

This one-day programme is built around a complete closing file handled from start to finish: cut-off of transactions to the correct period, substantiation of balance sheet accounts, year-end adjusting entries, variance analysis and preparation of the working file. Each participant leaves with a closing plan and a set of controls that can be reused on their own file.

Learning objectives

  • Build a closing timetable with defined control points
  • Substantiate balance sheet accounts using reliable supporting evidence
  • Process adjusting entries and year-end corrections
  • Verify the cut-off of expenses and income to the correct period
  • Prepare the working file expected by the external auditors

What makes this programme different

The day is run on a complete closing file handled from start to finish
Every balance sheet account is substantiated with its corresponding supporting document
The closing plan produced can be applied directly to the participant's own file

Programme

1Preparation and Closing Timetable

Regaining control of the schedule

  • Mapping the tasks involved and allocating responsibilities
  • Collecting documents from other departments ahead of time
  • Clearing suspense accounts and outstanding bank items
  • Interim control points before adjusting entries are posted

2Adjusting Entries and Supporting Evidence

Posting entries you can evidence

  • Cut-off of expenses and income to the correct period
  • Inventory and work in progress and the valuation basis applied
  • Depreciation
  • impairment and provisions subject to review
  • Substantiation of receivable and payable accounts and matching work
  • Foreign currency transactions and treatment of exchange differences

3Final Controls and Reporting

Checking before submission

  • Consistency checks between trial balance
  • balance sheet and income statement
  • Analysis of significant movements and explanation of variances
  • Building the working file and maintaining the audit trail
  • Preparing the notes to the financial statements and required disclosures

Who is it for

Sole accountants · chief accountants · accounting firm staff and accounting managers.

Prerequisites

Practical experience of general accounting and prior involvement in a year-end close.

Dates & locations

24 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.