Get ready for the Christmas break and the new year ahead
As the year winds down, it’s the perfect time to make sure everything is in order before your office (and ours!) closes for the holidays.
Use this checklist to tick off the key financial and administrative tasks that will help you start 2026 calm, organised, and ready for success.
📘 2025 Annual Accounts
☐ Are your 2025 annual accounts completed and filed with Inland Revenue?
☐ If your accountant is waiting on information from you, try to respond to any outstanding queries as soon as possible.
💡 Don’t leave this until the new year — finalising things now means a clean start to 2026.
💰 GST Period Ending 30 November 2025
☐ Once November has ended, reconcile your Xero file and ensure all transactions are coded correctly.
☐ Send your GST information through to your accountant promptly.
💡 Preparing your return early gives you better visibility over upcoming tax payments and cash flow.
🧾 Provisional Tax – Second Instalment
☐ Do you have a second provisional tax payment due to IRD on 15 January 2026?
☐ Check that you have funds available and that your payment is scheduled in advance.
💡 If you’d like to review or adjust your payment amount, contact your accountant as soon as possible to allow time for any changes before their office closes for the holidays.
👩💼 Payroll & the Christmas Break
☐ Remind staff to submit annual leave requests early so you can plan ahead.
☐ Confirm payroll processing dates over the Christmas period — especially if public holidays or early closures affect pay runs.
☐ If your accountant manages payroll, ensure they have all the information they need in advance (many firms have their own cut-off dates for processing).
☐ If you process payroll yourself, set up pays in your software ahead of time to ensure smooth, stress-free payments.
💳 Debtor Follow-Ups
☐ Review your outstanding customer invoices and follow up on any overdue payments before the Christmas break.
☐ Sending reminders early increases the likelihood of receiving payments before offices close for the holidays.
☐ Clearing up debtors now will improve your cash flow heading into the shutdown period, when funds can often be tighter.
🏢 Office & Holiday Preparation
☐ Let your clients and suppliers know your holiday closing dates.
☐ Set up automatic email replies and update voicemail messages.
☐ Schedule any essential bill payments before your office closes.
🎄 Before You Switch Off for the Holidays
If you need help with any of the items above — or would like to review your accounts or tax position before the break — please get in touch with us as soon as possible.
Our team is here to make sure everything is wrapped up neatly so you can enjoy a well-deserved, stress-free Christmas break.
