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I own an accounting firm where we do work cyclically. I have three tables:
CLIENTS (where I identify the assigned bookkeeper)
EEs (lists the bookkeepers)
RECURRING TASKS: (For example, Payroll for Hourly Employees)
ITEM FREQUENCY:
This includes Client, Task, and Frequency.
EG
Client A, Payroll for Hourly Employees, Bi-weekly
Client B, Payroll for Hourly Employees, Weekly

Based on this, I’d like to create a table (or view) that shows the bookkeeper her work within a specified time period. And, ideally, I’d like each instance of the task to be able to get ticked off (so each instance is a new record).

Which is to say:
Week one, the bookkeeper can see that she should run payroll for client B. Once she does, she checks it off (maybe includes the completion date and attaches the payroll report)
Week two, she sees that she needs to run the payroll for Client A and B. Again, she adds the completion date and the payroll report for each.

Do you have ideas about how to do this?

Thank you, community!

  • mary

I run an accounting firm myself and we face the same cyclical workflow challenges. What you’re describing is essentially a task management structure tied to client assignments and recurring frequencies, which is very common in payroll and bookkeeping operations.

One way to approach this is to create a recurring task generation system:

  • Use your CLIENTS, EEs, and RECURRING TASKS tables as the base.

  • Then build a “task instances” table or view that automatically expands each recurring task into its scheduled occurrences (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.).

  • Each occurrence would then be a unique record with fields for completion date, status (open/complete), and any file attachment (e.g., payroll report).

This way, the bookkeeper doesn’t just see the template of the recurring task — she sees the actual instance for that week, which can be checked off and documented.

Depending on your system, you can implement this with:

  • A database query or view that generates upcoming tasks within the selected time period.

  • A simple interface (could be built in Airtable, Notion, or even a custom app) that allows check-off, date stamping, and file upload.

In my firm, this has been extremely helpful in maintaining accountability and ensuring no deadlines slip through the cracks. I’d definitely recommend looking at tools or platforms that allow for recurring task expansion and record-by-record tracking, since that seems to be the missing piece in your setup.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Henry David
Owner, Regnskapsfirmaet

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