Bank Reconciliation: Purpose, Example, Process

All of this can be done by using online accounting software like QuickBooks, but if you are not using accounting software, you can use Excel to record these items. These debits made by the bank directly from your bank account will lead to a difference between balances. After adjusting all the above items what you’ll get is the adjusted balance of the cash book. However, there can be situations where your business has overdrafts at the bank, which is when a bank account goes into the negative as a result of excess withdrawals. Cash management software allows for scalability, making it easy to streamline the reconciliation process as the business grows.

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This is especially common in cases where the check is deposited at a different bank branch than the one at which your account is maintained, which can lead to the difference between the balances. After adjusting all the above items, you’ll end up with the adjusted balance as per the cash book, which must match the balance as per the passbook. If you find any bank adjustments, record them in your personal records and adjust the balance accordingly. Next, prepare the business records, which can be maintained on a software tool or manually on a spreadsheet. Compare the balance sheet’s ending balance with the bank statement’s ending balance.

Common errors and how to avoid them

1. Accountants spend a lot of time on this step to ensure the checks are thorough and even minute errors are spotted.
2. This way, the number of items that can cause the difference between the passbook and the cash book balance is reduced.
3. A bank reconciliation statement is a document that compares the cash balance on a company’s balance sheet to the corresponding amount on its bank statement.

Solutions such as HighRadius’s cash management software can auto-reconcile transactions based on standard and user-defined tagging rules, saving time and reducing the risk of errors. The reconciliation statement allows the accountant to catch these errors each month. Let’s take a look at a hypothetical company’s bank and financial statements to see how to conduct a bank reconciliation. To do this, businesses need to take into account bank charges, NSF checks, and errors in accounting. After adjusting the balance as per the cash book, you’ll need record all adjustments in your company’s general ledger accounts. Ideally, you should run a reconciliation each time you receive the statement from your bank.

Preparing a Bank Reconciliation Statement

Bank reconciliation is a subset of the monthly, quarterly, and yearly close process and is not generally done on its own. Accountants spend a lot of time on this step to ensure the checks are thorough and even minute errors are spotted. When done frequently, reconciliation statements help companies identify cash flow asset definition and meaning errors, present accurate information to investors, and plan and pay taxes correctly.

An outstanding check refers to a check payment that has been recorded in the books of accounts of the issuing company, but has not yet been cleared by the bank as a deduction from the company’s cash balance. The balance recorded in the passbook or the bank statement must match the balance reflected in the customer’s cash book. It is up to you, the customer, to reconcile the cash book with the bank statement and report any errors to the bank. You should perform monthly bank reconciliations so you can better manage your cash flow and understand your true cash position. Read on to learn about bank reconciliations, use cases, and common errors to look for. Ensure that the income and expenses on the balance sheet match the bank statements to identify any unaccounted expenses or deposits.

While reconciling your books of accounts with the bank statements at the end of the accounting period, you might observe certain differences between bank statements and ledger accounts. If this occurs, you simply need to make a note indicating the reasons for the discrepancy between your bank statement and cash book. Consider performing this monthly task shortly after your bank statement arrives so you can manage any errors or improper transactions as quickly as possible. After recording the journal entries for the company’s book adjustments, a bank reconciliation statement should be produced to reflect all the changes to cash balances for each month.

First, make sure that all of the deposits listed on your bank statement are recorded in your personal record. It’s important to perform a bank reconciliation periodically to identify fraudulent activities or bookkeeping and accounting errors. This way, you can ensure your business is in solid standing and never be caught off-guard. If your beginning balance in your accounting software isn’t correct, the bank account won’t reconcile. This can happen if you’re reconciling an account for the first time or if it wasn’t properly reconciled last month. The Substantiation software automates the reconciliation of general ledger and supporting balances.

If a company is unaware of the exact amount of these fees, they may not be included in the company’s financial records and will only be seen when they receive their bank statement. Conducting regular bank reconciliation helps you catch any fraud risks or financial errors before they become a larger problem. This includes everything from major fraud and theft to accounting miscalculations, insufficient funds, and incomplete or duplicated payments.

Greg’s January financial statement for the company shows $100,000 in cash, but the bank statement shows only $88,000. Adjust the cash balances in the business account by adding interest or deducting monthly charges and overdraft fees. It’s recommended for a company to perform a bank reconciliation at least once a month. If your company receives bank statements more frequently, for example, every week, you may also choose to do a bank reconciliation for every statement you receive.