How to Handle Audit Season When You're Short Staffed

Audit season is stressful enough when everything goes smoothly.

But when you’re down a team member—or flying solo—it’s a different level of pressure.

You’re juggling:

• Year-end close

• Document prep

• Auditor questions

• Regular daily responsibilities

 

And there’s no backup. No breathing room.
Just you, the deadlines, and the blinking cursor in your inbox.

If you’re heading into audit season short-staffed, you’re not alone—and you’re not out of options.

Here’s how to make it through with more control, fewer surprises, and a little more sanity.

1. Prioritize What Actually Matters to the Audit

When time and resources are limited, focus beats hustle every time.

Start by identifying what your auditor truly needs to start—and finish—the audit.

✅ Core areas to prioritize:

• Final trial balance

• Bank reconciliations

• Federal grant tracking (SEFA)

• Payroll reports and schedules

• Capital asset additions/disposals

• Debt confirmations and amortization schedules

Ask your auditor for a list of “must-have” items and clarify what's essential vs. nice-to-have.

2. Use a Master Checklist to Stay Focused

Even if you’re short on people, you can still stay organized.

Create a simple checklist with:

• Key documents by audit area

• Internal due dates

• Who is responsible (even if it’s just you)

• A column to track status (Not Started, In Progress, Complete)

Use the checklist to avoid letting any one area fall through the cracks.

3. Save Time with Templates and Last Year’s Files

Don’t reinvent the wheel—reuse it.

✅ Save time by:

• Using last year’s audit folder as your starting point

• Rolling forward workpapers with tie-outs already built in

• Copying disclosure notes and updating only the necessary amounts and dates

• Using naming conventions so files are easy to locate (e.g., FY24_BankRec_June)

Templates = less thinking, faster execution.

4. Communicate Early with Your Auditor

When you’re short-staffed, transparency is key.

Let your auditor know:

• You’re down a person

• What might take longer than usual

• Where you’re ahead and where you’re behind

• What kind of help (or patience) you might need

Most auditors would rather adjust timelines early than scramble at the end.

5. Automate What You Can (Even If It’s Small)

You don’t need a new system—just a few smarter steps.

✅ Quick automations:

• Set reminders for upload deadlines

• Use email templates for recurring auditor requests

• Store documents in shared folders to avoid version confusion

• Create reusable SEFA and AJE logs with formulas already built in

Little wins save big time when you’re stretched thin.

6. Ask for Help Where It Counts Most

Even if you can’t hire, see if you can:

• Ask another department for short-term support

• Pull in seasonal or part-time help for data entry or organizing files

• Request that the auditor assist with formatting schedules (as long as it doesn’t impact independence)

• Use your state association or peer network to outsource specific tasks

Strategic help is better than burnout.

7. Keep Notes to Make Next Year Easier

You may be short-staffed this year, but that doesn’t have to be permanent.

✅ Keep a short post-audit log:

• What worked

• What caused delays

• What should be automated

• What role you wish you had help with

Use it to build a stronger case for support—and a better plan for next year.

You Can’t Do It All—So Do What Matters Most

When your team is short, you have to lead with focus, not fear.

✅ Prioritize what the audit needs
✅ Use systems and templates to speed things up
✅ Communicate early and often
✅ Ask for help where it makes the biggest difference
✅ Document as you go to make the next time easier

Audit season with a full team is a challenge.
But audit season with a lean team? That’s where smart systems shine.

You don’t need more hands—you need the right habits.