YEAR-END FREELANCE CHECKLIST ============================ Disclaimer — not legal advice. This template is provided free of charge, as is and with no warranty of any kind, and using it creates no attorney-client relationship. It is jurisdiction-neutral: you are responsible for adapting it, for your own legal and tax compliance, and for having a qualified professional in your jurisdiction review it before you rely on it. Full terms: https://trycolo.co/terms-of-use Business: [YOUR BUSINESS NAME] | Financial / tax year: [START DATE] to [END DATE] Review date: [DATE] | Accountant: [NAME, CONTACT] | Tax filing deadline: [DATE] Start [4–6] weeks before the year ends. Block a half day for sections 1 to 4 and a second half day for 5 to 8. ------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Money in ----------- - [ ] List all unpaid invoices and their age Invoice | Client | Amount | Days overdue | Action | Date ------- | -------- | -------- | ------------ | -------------------------------- | ------ [NO.] | [CLIENT] | [AMOUNT] | [N] | [REMINDER / CALL / FINAL NOTICE] | [DATE] [NO.] | [CLIENT] | [AMOUNT] | [N] | [ACTION] | [DATE] - [ ] Send reminders for everything overdue - [ ] Bill all unbilled work and expenses before year end: [LIST] - [ ] Decide on any balances to write off, and record the reason - [ ] Confirm deposits received for work starting next year, and how your accountant wants them treated - [ ] Total income for the year: [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] 2. Money out ------------ - [ ] All business expenses recorded and categorized - [ ] Receipts gathered for every expense: [ ] email [ ] paper scanned [ ] app - [ ] Business bank statements reconciled to your records - [ ] Personal expenses removed from business records (and vice versa) - [ ] Subscriptions reviewed: Tool | Cost per year | Used in last 3 months? | Keep / cancel ------ | ------------- | ---------------------- | ------------- [TOOL] | [AMOUNT] | [ ] Yes [ ] No | [DECISION] [TOOL] | [AMOUNT] | [ ] Yes [ ] No | [DECISION] - [ ] Planned equipment or software purchases discussed with accountant before year end - [ ] Total expenses for the year: [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] 3. Tax preparation ------------------ - [ ] Income summary exported - [ ] All invoices issued exported (and credit notes) - [ ] Expense report with receipts exported - [ ] Bank statements for the year downloaded - [ ] Tax payments made during the year listed: [DATES, AMOUNTS] - [ ] Sales tax / VAT / GST returns filed for each period, if registered - [ ] Current registration thresholds rechecked on the official source: [SOURCE URL, DATE CHECKED] - [ ] Records for home office, vehicle or travel use gathered, if relevant where you live - [ ] Accountant meeting booked: [DATE] - [ ] Tax savings balance vs estimated tax due: [AMOUNT] vs [ESTIMATE] 4. Client review ---------------- Client | Revenue | Hours (all) | Effective rate | Avg days to pay | Admin load (1–3) | Keep / raise / exit -------- | -------- | ----------- | -------------- | --------------- | ---------------- | ------------------- [CLIENT] | [AMOUNT] | [HOURS] | [RATE] | [DAYS] | [ ] | [DECISION] [CLIENT] | [AMOUNT] | [HOURS] | [RATE] | [DAYS] | [ ] | [DECISION] [CLIENT] | [AMOUNT] | [HOURS] | [RATE] | [DAYS] | [ ] | [DECISION] Effective rate = revenue ÷ all hours, including meetings, revisions, admin and chasing payment. - [ ] Top [3] clients by effective rate: [NAMES] — ask for referrals or testimonials - [ ] Bottom [3] clients by effective rate: [NAMES] — raise, rescope or exit - [ ] Share of income from largest client: [X]% — flag if it feels too concentrated 5. Services review ------------------ Service | Revenue | Effective rate | Enjoyment (1–3) | Grow / keep / drop --------- | -------- | -------------- | --------------- | ------------------ [SERVICE] | [AMOUNT] | [RATE] | [ ] | [DECISION] [SERVICE] | [AMOUNT] | [RATE] | [ ] | [DECISION] 6. Pricing and contracts ------------------------ - [ ] New standard rate from [DATE]: [CURRENCY] [RATE] (was [OLD RATE]) - [ ] Rate increase letters sent to existing clients with [30–60] days' notice: [LIST, DATES] - [ ] Retainers and contracts up for renewal: Client | Contract | Ends | Renew / renegotiate / end | Notice by -------- | ---------- | ------ | ------------------------- | --------- [CLIENT] | [CONTRACT] | [DATE] | [DECISION] | [DATE] - [ ] Contract template reviewed for lessons from this year: [CHANGES] - [ ] Proposal and invoice templates updated with new rates and terms 7. Housekeeping --------------- - [ ] Insurance renewals checked: [POLICY, RENEWAL DATE] - [ ] Equipment inventory updated; replacements planned: [ITEMS] - [ ] Backups tested by restoring a file: [DATE] - [ ] Passwords rotated on key accounts; two-factor authentication on email, bank and payment accounts - [ ] Old client files deleted per your retention policy: [CLIENTS, DATE] - [ ] Portfolio updated with [N] projects from this year - [ ] Testimonials collected this year saved in one place 8. Next year ------------ - [ ] Income target: [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] - [ ] Billable hours available: [N] per week × [N] weeks = [TOTAL] - [ ] Required effective rate = target ÷ billable hours = [RATE] - [ ] Services to grow: [LIST] - [ ] Services or client types to stop: [LIST] - [ ] Time off booked: [DATES] - [ ] One skill or certification to invest in: [NAME, BUDGET] - [ ] Quarterly review dates in calendar: [DATES] Year-end review complete — date: [DATE] ------------------------------------------------------------ How to use this template 1. Time it to your financial or tax year, not the calendar, if they differ. 2. Fill the money sections first; they have deadlines. 3. Calculate effective rate per client using all hours, not just billed hours. 4. Send rate increase notices early enough to meet your notice period. 5. Run a short version every quarter: unpaid invoices, expenses, client review. Template provided by Colo (trycolo.co). Not legal advice — review with a qualified professional in your jurisdiction.