Client Document Request Generator for Bookkeepers

Bookkeepers lose hours every month chasing clients for documents. The fix is not a sterner email. The fix is a tailored, industry-specific request list that tells the client exactly what to pull and where to find it.

This generator builds that list in two clicks. Pick the client's business type, pick what you need it for, and get a complete checklist with every doc named, every nuance flagged, and every CPA-only line item tagged separately. 32 checklists across 8 industries. Free.

How to use this checklist

Send the checklist to the client as a PDF attachment or paste it as text in your client portal or email. Each item is named the way the document actually appears in the source system (so "POS end-of-month report" not "sales summary"), with the path noted where it matters (so "Amazon > Payments > Date Range Reports").

The Required tag flags items the return cannot be filed without. The CPA needs this tag flags items the bookkeeper does not need to gather for the books to close, but that the CPA will ask for at tax time. If you are handing off to a CPA, send the CPA-tagged items along with the financials. If you are filing the return yourself, gather both.

What is in each checklist

Each checklist is built around the workflow it serves, not a generic doc-dump list.

• Monthly Close: bank and credit card statements, revenue source reports, vendor invoices, and the payroll summary. The items you need every month to reconcile and produce a P&L.
• Year-End Close: everything monthly plus inventory counts, asset purchase summaries, 1099 prep data, sales tax filings, loan year-end statements, and insurance audit data.
• Tax Prep Handoff: the package a CPA needs to file the return. P&L, balance sheet, reconciled books, depreciation schedule, owner compensation, estimated tax payments, and industry-specific items like FICA tip credit data for restaurants or real estate professional hours logs.
• New Client Onboarding: the intake list. Entity details, system logins, banking, current vendors, payroll setup, and existing tax relationships.

Why generic templates fail

A generic "send me your receipts and bank statements" email leads to a back-and-forth that costs both sides time. Your client sends a screenshot of their banking app instead of a PDF statement. They send the Amazon dashboard view instead of the settlement report (which has actual deposits, fees, and refunds). They forget the gift card liability for the restaurant or the 1031 exchange documents for the rental sale.

Industry-specific lists prevent this. A restaurant gets asked for tip distribution reports, Form 8027 data, and food vendor invoices by name (Sysco, US Foods, Restaurant Depot). An ecommerce client gets asked for marketplace settlement reports with the exact path to download them. A real estate client gets asked for HUD-1 closing statements, Form 1098 from each lender, and a hours log if they claim real estate professional status. The list does the explaining.

Need a CPA partner who handles the filing once you have the docs? hello@valim.ai.