The 10-Q Filing Readiness Checklist walks you through everything a quarterly report needs — in plain English — and tells you where you're ready and where you're exposed before you hit EDGAR. This guide shows you exactly how to use it, and what it looks like for four very different filers.
What this tool does
It turns the 10-Q into a structured checklist scoped to your situation. Instead of re-reading Regulation S-X and S-K every quarter, you answer plain questions — "Have you tagged your financial statements in Inline XBRL?" — and the tool tracks what's done, what's missing, and what doesn't apply to you. At the end you get a readiness assessment grouped by section and severity, so you know where to spend your last 48 hours before filing.
Who it's for
Controllers, CFOs, and finance teams at small US-listed companies — especially first-time filers, thinly-staffed teams, and anyone inheriting a close that isn't documented. If you've ever filed a 10-Q wondering what you forgot, this is for you.
How to use it — step by step
- Set your company profile. Choose your filer status, exchange, filer category (e.g. Smaller Reporting Company), and industry. This scopes the checklist so you only see items that apply to you.
- Work through each item. Mark every item Yes, No, or N/A, and drop a one-line note where it helps ("waiting on legal for the subsequent-events memo"). Your progress saves in your browser as you go.
- Read your readiness assessment. The tool groups your gaps by section — financial statements, MD&A, controls, disclosures, exhibits — and flags which ones are filing-blockers versus polish.
- Close the gaps — or get a second read. Knock out the flagged items. If you want a senior set of eyes before you file, generate the report and reach out.
How to read your result
Think of the assessment in three buckets. Blockers are things that will draw an SEC comment or a restatement if you file as-is — fix these first. Gaps are missing but lower-risk items — close what you can. Ready is everything you've already got covered. A clean 10-Q isn't about a perfect score; it's about no blockers and a documented reason for every N/A.
Worked examples — four different filers
The same checklist behaves very differently depending on your profile. Here's what four real-world situations look like.
1. First 10-Q after an IPO — Smaller Reporting Company, Nasdaq
Inputs: Filer status Yes, exchange Nasdaq, category Smaller Reporting Company, industry Tech.
What the tool surfaces: Your biggest risks are the first-time items — Inline XBRL tagging, the transition-period comparatives, and the "controls" language in Item 4 when you haven't completed a full quarter as a public company. It flags the SRC scaled-disclosure accommodations you're entitled to (so you don't over-disclose).
What to do: Prioritize XBRL and the Item 4 controls statement. Use the SRC scaling to keep the filing lean.
2. Late filer with a going-concern question — micro-cap, NYSE American
Inputs: category Smaller Reporting Company, plus you've flagged liquidity pressure in your notes.
What the tool surfaces: It elevates the going-concern (ASC 205-40) assessment, the MD&A liquidity and capital-resources discussion, subsequent-events disclosure, and — because you're late — the Form 12b-25 / NT path. These become blockers, not polish.
What to do: Get the going-concern memo and the liquidity MD&A squared away first. If you can't file on time, the checklist points you to the late-filing decision.
3. Profitable, clean-history filer — SRC, third 10-Q of the year
Inputs: steady operator, no restatements, no material weaknesses.
What the tool surfaces: Very few blockers. The value here is the consistency checks — non-GAAP definitions matching last quarter, segment reporting, and making sure your Q3 numbers reconcile to the year-to-date figures. It's a fast confirmation run.
What to do: Use it as a 30-minute pre-file sweep to catch the small drift that creates comment letters.
4. Complex capital structure — warrants and convertible debt
Inputs: you note outstanding warrants and a convertible note.
What the tool surfaces: It raises the ASC 815-40 warrant classification question, EPS dilution mechanics, and the related disclosures — the exact area that caused the 2021 SPAC restatement wave.
What to do: Pair this with the warrant classification tool to confirm liability-vs-equity treatment before you file.
Common questions
Is it really free? Yes — the checklist and your on-screen assessment are free, no signup, and nothing leaves your browser. An optional self-signed PDF report is a small paid add-on, and a senior-partner expert review is available separately.
Will my data be stored? No. Everything runs locally in your browser unless you choose to buy the report.
How long does it take? A clean filer can run it in about 30 minutes; a first-timer should budget an hour and treat it as a working session with the team.