Timing bank confirmations for Japanese fiscal year-ends

Bank confirmations remain a slow-moving part of many Japanese statutory audits. The procedure itself is simple; the calendar is not.

Authorise early

Most banks need a signed authorisation from the account holder before they will reply to auditors. Preparing that letter in the planning phase — not after fieldwork starts — avoids idle days while cash remains unconfirmed.

List every account

Dormant accounts, foreign-currency deposits, and safe-deposit arrangements are easy to omit from the request list. Incomplete lists produce incomplete replies and rework.

Track courier and portal responses

Some institutions still reply by post; others use secure portals. Assign someone on the client side to monitor both. Auditors can follow up, but the account holder’s chase often moves faster.

Build confirmation timing into the close calendar the same way you schedule the inventory count. Cash is rarely the hardest balance — but it is often the last open point on the clearance checklist.