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Description

Account Review: Organising Controls, Justifying Balances and Closing the Books

Move from a review carried out under year-end pressure to a working file that withstands external scrutiny

  • 3 days — 21 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Intermediate
  • Up to 6 participants

Account review is often squeezed into the closing rush: balances are ticked off without written evidence, supporting documents remain scattered and the working file is reconstructed after the event. When the external auditor asks how a given account was justified, no one can retrace the reasoning applied.

Three days to put in place a cycle-based review method: work programme, lead schedules and control thresholds defined upfront. Each cycle is addressed with its own specific controls and with the spreadsheet tools that make them repeatable from one financial year to the next.

Learning objectives

  • Build a cycle-based review programme suited to the entity
  • Justify every balance with a documented lead schedule
  • Review the purchases, sales and treasury cycles according to their specific risks
  • Process year-end adjusting entries and accrual accounts
  • Assemble a working file that stands up to external review
  • Automate recurring controls using a spreadsheet

What makes this programme different

Each cycle is reviewed live in the session using a complete trial balance provided to participants
Lead schedules and the work programme are built during the course and taken away in spreadsheet format
Common anomalies are hunted down in a deliberately flawed set of accounts

Programme

1Framing the review assignment

Setting the programme before opening the accounts

  • Position account review between bookkeeping and the preparation of annual financial statements
  • Define a materiality threshold proportionate to the entity
  • Break the balance sheet and income statement down into review cycles
  • Formalise the work programme and the closing timetable

2Reviewing the purchases and payables cycles

Securing operating expenses and trade payables

  • Reconcile the supplier sub-ledger with the control account
  • Check cut-off treatment on invoices and credit notes
  • Analyse debit balances on supplier accounts and advance payments
  • Justify prepaid expenses and accrued invoices not yet received

3Reviewing the sales and treasury cycles

Tracking revenue through to cash collection

  • Validate the allocation of revenue to the correct financial year
  • Assess doubtful receivables and the impairment recognised
  • Check bank reconciliations and long-outstanding items
  • Verify consistency between cash receipts and VAT returns

4Fixed assets, inventory and long-term capital

Handling the cycles with the greatest impact on profit

  • Reconcile the fixed asset register with depreciation accounts
  • Check inventory valuation and the physical stock count
  • Review borrowings and accrued interest
  • Justify provisions and movements in equity

5Working file and control tools

Making the review traceable and repeatable

  • Structure a permanent file and a current-year file
  • Write lead schedules that a third party can follow
  • Build automated consistency checks in a spreadsheet
  • Prepare the points to raise with the external reviewer

Who is it for

Sole accountants, accounting firm staff and finance managers responsible for account review and the preparation of the statutory financial statements.

Prerequisites

Practical experience of bookkeeping and year-end adjusting entries in a professional environment.

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.