Governance and Compliance Due Diligence Preparation
Governance and compliance due diligence checklist for bankability before you complete the Online Governance and Compliance Due Diligence Intake.
Governance and compliance due diligence is a documentation-first review that helps validate your bank profile and confirm that ownership, authority, and records match reality before banking, underwriting, licensing, or compliance reviews.
First, gather the records in this checklist. Next, complete the Online Governance and Compliance Due Diligence Intake with fewer follow-up questions and less back-and-forth.
Hot topics covered: corporate records audit, compliance binder checklist, governance binder setup, bylaws or operating agreement review, resolutions and minutes, ownership ledger and certificates, signatory matrix, DBA and licensing matrix, compliance calendar, KYC readiness, underwriting inputs.
Plain-English goal: Build a clear snapshot of who controls the entity, who owns the entity, who can sign, and what records exist today. Then we can identify gaps and draft what is missing with clean supporting evidence.
Why organized records improve bankability
Many business owners feel stuck because documents are scattered across email, bank portals, and old folders. However, once your binder is organized, you gain a reusable due diligence file that supports onboarding, renewals, audits, and future growth.
Clarity and confidence
When ownership and authority are organized, you reduce confusion and avoid last-minute scrambling. In addition, you can answer common KYC questions quickly because your proof is already grouped and labeled.
Fewer delays during reviews
Banks and processors often pause onboarding when the legal name, address, EIN proof, and signatory authority do not match. Therefore, collecting those items now helps you close gaps before the review begins.
Helpful outbound resources
Educational note: DSCEU provides education and due diligence intake support. Engage qualified counsel and tax professionals for jurisdiction-specific legal or tax advice.
What the Online Intake collects
What this Online Governance and Compliance Due Diligence Intake does (plain English):
- Collects facts needed to draft or update governance documents and binder schedules.
- Organizes owners, officers, and authority so KYC and compliance documents match reality.
- Supports bankability checks by confirming entity name, address, EIN proof, ownership evidence, and signatory authority.
- Creates an audit trail using electronic signature, date/time, and IP capture.
- Supports document uploads at the right step, so records stay attached to the correct section.
Before you click “Start Intake,” do this first (10 minutes):
- Set aside 30 to 60 minutes (longer if you have multiple entities, multiple owners, or licensing items).
- Create one folder on your computer called: Governance_Compliance_Due_Diligence
- Create subfolders (copy and paste from the list below).
- Then place every file you plan to upload into one of those folders first.
Folder names (copy and paste):
Governance_Compliance_Due_Diligence 1_Entity_Filings 2_Governance_Documents 3_Ownership_Ledger 4_Banking_KYC 5_Tax 6_DBA_Licensing 7_Financials_Underwriting 8_SOPs_Disclosures_Scripts 9_Other
Simple file naming (copy and paste format):
- Format: EntityName_DocumentType_YYYY-MM
- Security rule: do not include SSNs or full account numbers in file names.
Examples (copy and paste and edit):
EntityName_ArticlesOrCertificate_YYYY-MM.pdf EntityName_AnnualReport_YYYY.pdf EntityName_GoodStanding_YYYY-MM.pdf EntityName_EIN_CP575_or_147C.pdf EntityName_Bylaws_or_OperatingAgreement.pdf EntityName_Resolutions_Minutes.pdf EntityName_OwnershipLedger.xlsx EntityName_BankResolution_SignatoryMatrix.pdf EntityName_DBA_Filing.pdf EntityName_License_Approval_or_Receipt.pdf EntityName_BankStatements_12Months.pdf EntityName_MerchantStatements_12Months.pdf EntityName_PL_YTD.pdf EntityName_CashFlow_Monthly.pdf
Quick tip: If a document is paper-only, scan it into a PDF before you start. Also combine multi-page papers into one PDF whenever possible.
Fast reality check: In governance and compliance due diligence, if you can answer these 5 questions, you are already organized:
- What is the exact legal name, entity type, and formation state?
- Who are the current owners and what are the percentages or units?
- Who are the current officers, managers, or directors, and who has signing authority?
- Do you have EIN confirmation and a current annual report or good standing proof?
- Do you have bylaws or an operating agreement, plus basic resolutions and minutes?
Records to gather
1) Entity formation and status
- Articles of incorporation, certificate of organization, or equivalent formation filing.
- Current annual report filing, statement of information, or proof of good standing (if available).
- Registered agent details and principal business address.
- EIN assignment letter (CP 575 or IRS 147C confirmation).
2) Governance records
- Bylaws (corporation) or operating agreement (LLC).
- Organizational resolutions, banking resolutions, and ongoing resolutions (if any).
- Minutes (if any) and any appointment letters for officers or managers.
- Records retention policy (if any).
3) Ownership evidence
- Share ledger and certificates (corporation) or membership ledger and certificates (LLC).
- Cap table (if maintained), subscription documents, investor schedules, or unit allocation records.
- Any buy-sell agreements, transfer restrictions, or redemption agreements (if applicable).
4) Bank profile validation (bankability)
- Confirm the legal entity name, address, and formation state match filings and bank records.
- Confirm ownership percentages or units match your ledger and any subscription or transfer records.
- Confirm officer or manager appointments match what you represent to banks and processors.
- Confirm signatory authority is documented (bank resolution and signatory matrix).
- Prepare owner and officer IDs if requested by the bank (driver license or passport).
- Upload any KYC requests already received from a bank or processor.
5) Tax and filing support
- IRS notices related to EIN, account status, or filings.
- EFTPS enrollment confirmation (if available).
- Any back-filing or penalty notices (if applicable).
6) DBA and licensing (if applicable)
- DBA filings (fictitious name filings) and local business tax receipts (if any).
- License approvals, renewals, agency receipts, or correspondence.
- Disclosures, scripts, marketing compliance checklist, complaint handling SOP, and do-not-call procedures (if applicable).
7) Underwriting inputs (only if requested)
- 12 months of bank statements (operating and reserve, if applicable).
- 12 months of merchant processor statements (if applicable).
- YTD and prior-year P&L and a monthly cash flow summary.
Uploads and file size guidance
Upload size guidance: scan at about 150 DPI, use black-and-white when possible, and combine multi-page documents into one PDF.
- Upload Step A: Entity records
- Formation filing, annual report or good standing, EIN letter, bylaws or operating agreement, existing resolutions and minutes
- Upload Step B: Ownership evidence
- Share or membership ledger, cap table, certificates, subscription documents (optional but helpful)
- Upload Step C: Supporting compliance records
- Licenses, DBA filings, banking requests, tax notices, disclosure templates, scripts, SOPs, and related records (optional)
If a PDF is too large to upload (a common limit is 20MB on DSCEU upload fields), compress or split the PDF.
If the upload still fails: email the PDF to sirmalcolm@dsceu.com with a clear subject that includes the page name and upload step.
Subject line format (copy and paste):
Governance and Compliance Due Diligence Preparation | Upload Step A | EntityName
Important: Do not email sensitive identifiers or unredacted government IDs. Use the secure form for sensitive information.
Recommended upload settings: Max 10 files per upload field, Max 20MB per file, types: pdf, doc, docx, xls, xlsx, csv, jpg, jpeg, png. If your WordPress maximum upload is lower, match WordPress.
Start the Online Governance and Compliance Due Diligence Intake
When you are ready, complete the secure form below. If you need time to gather documents, use the “Save and Continue Later” option.
Download Tools
Download these tools first. Then complete the intake with fewer delays.
Governance and compliance due diligence helps bankability move faster
Because your filings, EIN proof, ownership evidence, and signatory authority are organized, the intake and follow-up drafting can move forward with fewer delays.
Optional next step: schedule a call if you want help closing bank profile gaps before you start the secure form.
Governance and Compliance Services
A documented binder supports banking, licensing, and clean operations. Use the intake to route your work into the correct workflow.