Short answer. Send your accountant bank statements for every account, all sales and purchase invoices, receipts and claims, payroll and statutory payment proofs, and details of loans, assets and director transactions, by a fixed cut-off date each month. Complete, timely documents are the single biggest factor in accurate books and low fees.
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In this article
- Bank statements
- Sales and income documents
- Purchase and expense documents
- Payroll and statutory proofs
- Loans, assets and director transactions
- Tools to share documents securely
- A monthly cut-off routine
- Document retention and e-invoice notes
- A folder structure that works
- A cut-off message you can reuse
- Frequently asked questions
Bank statements
- Statements for every company bank account, including savings, foreign currency and credit cards.
- Statements for loan and hire-purchase accounts.
- Payment-gateway or e-wallet statements if you receive money through them.
Sales and income documents
- Copies of all sales invoices issued, and credit notes.
- Validated e-invoices if you use MyInvois. See the SME e-invoice guide.
- Cash sales summaries and point-of-sale reports.
- Receipts for deposits and advance payments.
Purchase and expense documents
Need this done for you? Axecta’s outsourced accounting and bookkeeping team can handle this for your company. See the outsourced accounting and bookkeeping service.
- Supplier invoices and statements.
- Receipts for expenses paid by the company.
- Staff claims with receipts and a note of the business purpose.
- Utilities, rent and subscription bills.
Payroll and statutory proofs
- Payroll summary and payslips.
- Proof of EPF, SOCSO, EIS and PCB payments. See the monthly payroll checklist.
- Details of new joiners and leavers.
Loans, assets and director transactions
- Loan agreements and repayment schedules.
- Invoices for purchases of equipment, vehicles and other fixed assets.
- Any money paid in or out of the company by directors or shareholders, with a note of what it was for.
- Contracts or agreements for significant new commitments.
Tools to share documents securely
Use a shared drive or the accounting software’s document upload, with a clear folder for each month. Avoid sending sensitive documents through general messaging apps. Photographs of receipts can work if they are readable and complete, and your accountant accepts them.
A monthly cut-off routine
- Agree a date each month for sending documents.
- Collect documents continuously, not at the end.
- Name files clearly: date, supplier, amount.
- Reply promptly to your accountant’s queries.
- Review the monthly report and flag anything unexpected.
Keep original records for the period LHDN and the Companies Act require. See also what business expenses are tax-deductible.
Document retention and e-invoice notes
If your business is in scope for e-invoicing, send the validated e-invoice documents, not just PDF copies. LHDN’s timeline lists the phase dates, and the guideline explains the documents. For SST-registered businesses, include the SST return and payment proof (see MySST).
A folder structure that works
- 01-Bank
- 02-Sales
- 03-Purchases
- 04-Expense-claims
- 05-Payroll-and-statutory
- 06-Loans-assets-directors
- 07-Tax-and-SST
Create a subfolder per month. Name files with date, party and amount.
A cut-off message you can reuse
“Please upload all documents for [month] by the 5th. If something is missing, tell us what it is and why, so we can mark it as pending instead of leaving it out.”
Frequently asked questions
What records does my accountant need?
Bank statements, sales and purchase documents, receipts, payroll proofs and records of loans, assets and director transactions.
How long should I keep records?
For the period required by the Companies Act 2016 and LHDN. Check the current requirement.
Can I send photos of receipts?
Often yes, if legible and complete. Confirm with your accountant.
What is a monthly cut-off?
The agreed date by which all of the month’s documents are sent. Axecta sets this up with every client.
Should I send validated e-invoices or PDFs?
If you are in scope for e-invoicing, send the validated documents or the export from MyInvois or your software.
Do I send SST documents?
Yes, if registered: returns and payment proof.
How should I organise the folder?
By category and month, with clear file names.
Want a ready-made monthly document checklist?
Axecta Management Services is a full-suite accounting, company secretarial and consulting firm in Kuala Lumpur, serving companies from SMEs to MNCs.
Download the monthly checklist
Keep reading
- Monthly Bookkeeping vs Annual Accounts
- How to Prepare Your Accounting Records for e-Invoice
- Monthly Payroll Processing Checklist
- Tax Record-Keeping Requirements in Malaysia
- What Business Expenses Are Tax-Deductible in Malaysia?
- Signs Your Business Needs an Outsourced Accountant
- Accounting Introduction: the full guide
Official sources to check
This article is general information and not legal, tax or accounting advice for your company. Rates, thresholds, deadlines and procedures change, so confirm current requirements with the sources above or with Axecta.