Admin & operations checklist pack
Three administration cadences — monthly, quarterly and annual — plus a compliance date tracker and a vendor register. Everything on one printable set of pages, with owner and cadence columns.
Monthly administration
Roughly two hours of work, ideally in one sitting near the start of the month. Assign an owner before you start using the list.
- Reconcile bank accounts against the ledger
- Raise and send all outstanding invoices
- Chase invoices older than 30 days
- File the month's purchase bills and receipts
- Record petty cash and reimbursements
- Back up documents to the secondary location
- Confirm payroll and statutory deductions are scheduled
- Review the vendor register for renewals due next month
- Check the compliance tracker for the following month
- Update the fixed asset list if anything was bought
- Archive the previous month's working files
- Note one administrative improvement to make
Quarterly administration
Ninety minutes per quarter. This is where small administrative problems get corrected before they become expensive.
- Review vendor contracts and pricing for renewal risk
- Verify insurance policies are current and adequate
- Reconcile the asset register against what is physically present
- Confirm subscription list and remove unused tools
- Check filing convention is still being followed
- Review any outstanding statutory notices or queries
- Confirm delegated authorities and signatories are current
- Test that a backup can actually be restored
- Review office access, keys and passwords
- Update procedures that changed during the quarter
Annual administration
Plan this as a half-day, scheduled at the same point each year. Statutory requirements vary by entity type — confirm your specific dates with a qualified professional.
- Compile the full statutory filing calendar for the year
- Verify registration certificates and entity details
- Renew licences, trade permissions and memberships
- Complete the annual document archive and retention review
- Review insurance cover against the year's growth
- Confirm accounting records are closed and signed off
- Update the vendor and contract register end to end
- Review storage, retention and destruction policy
- Refresh written procedures for all recurring tasks
- Set the next year's administration calendar
Compliance date tracker
Fill the dates that apply to your entity, then add a lead time — the number of days before the deadline when preparation must start.
| Obligation | Frequency | Owner | Lead time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GST returns | Monthly / quarterly | 7 days | ||
| Tax deducted at source deposit | Monthly | 5 days | ||
| Payroll and provident fund | Monthly | 7 days | ||
| Advance tax instalments | Quarterly | 15 days | ||
| Annual income tax return | Annual | 45 days | ||
| Entity annual filings | Annual | 45 days | ||
| Shop and establishment renewal | Annual / as applicable | 30 days | ||
| Professional tax | As applicable | 10 days |
Vendor register
One row per supplier. Review it quarterly — the goal is to catch renewals and price drift before they renew themselves.
| Vendor | Service | Monthly cost | Contract end | Review date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Admin checklist FAQ
How often should administrative tasks be reviewed?
Monthly for cash, invoices and records; quarterly for vendors, insurance and renewals; annually for registrations, statutory filings and document archives. Three cadences is enough for most small businesses.
What is the single most important administrative habit?
A written list of recurring dates with an owner and a lead time. Most administrative failures are missed dates rather than difficult tasks.
Do these checklists replace an accountant or compliance professional?
No. They are a working structure to help you prepare, track and hand over information. Statutory obligations vary by entity type and state, and should be confirmed with a qualified professional.
Not sure which cadence you need?
Describe the administrative problem in a sentence and we will tell you whether it is a monthly habit, a quarterly review or a one-off setup task.