Most delays in a financial statement audit start with an incomplete trial balance. When account totals do not agree to supporting ledgers, every subsequent request multiplies.
Before we arrive on site, reconcile cash to bank statements, match sub-ledgers for receivables and payables, and clear suspense accounts that have sat open for months. Unexplained suspense balances almost always become findings.
Inventory is another frequent bottleneck. If you hold stock in more than one warehouse, prepare a location map and a cut-off procedure before the count date. Auditors need to know which shipments were still yours at midnight on the balance-sheet date.
Related-party balances deserve a short memo: who the counterparty is, what the transaction was for, and whether amounts were settled after year-end. This saves hours of follow-up questions during fieldwork.
Finally, freeze the books intentionally. A trial balance that keeps changing after fieldwork begins forces retesting. Agree an official close date with your auditor and route later adjustments through a controlled post-close list.