Flag differences between bank statements and ledger records
Compare bank transactions with ledger entries for the same account and period. Give the accountant a traceable list of unresolved differences.
How this works
Compare bank transactions with ledger entries for the same account and period. Give the accountant a traceable list of unresolved differences. Use this to prepare a reconciliation worksheet for one bank account and reporting period. Preserve unmatched and ambiguous entries rather than forcing all transactions into a neat-looking match.
Normalize signs, dates and references, then apply explicit matching rules from strongest to weakest. Totals and candidate matches should be calculated deterministically. The assistant can explain likely timing differences, but the accountant verifies them before approving adjustments.
Before you start
Complete statement
Obtain opening balance, closing balance and every transaction page for the selected account.
Ledger export
Use the corresponding bank account ledger with transaction IDs and posting dates.
Matching policy
Confirm date windows, permitted aggregation, fee handling and rounding conventions.
Prepare the inputs
- account_scope
- Required
account identifier, currency and period
Statement and ledger must refer to the same account and currency.
- statement_rows
- Required
transaction ID, value date, description and signed amount
Check extracted rows against statement totals.
- ledger_rows
- Required
entry ID, posting date, reference and signed amount
Preserve original debit-credit fields alongside normalized signs.
- match_rules
- Required
ordered rules and numeric tolerances
Do not use approximate matching as an automatic final match.
Implementation, step by step
Validate the statement
- Reconcile opening balance plus signed transactions to closing balance.
- Check page continuity and retain evidence for extraction gaps.
Checkpoint: The statement's arithmetic and completeness are established.
Normalize both sources
- Standardize dates, decimal separators, currencies and sign conventions.
- Keep original values and reference text so normalization can be reversed.
Checkpoint: Comparable rows retain links to their source entries.
Match strongest evidence
- Use unique transaction references and exact amounts first.
- Then propose approved date-window or grouped matches without reusing any transaction.
Checkpoint: A match table records rule and participating IDs.
Investigate differences
- Separate timing items, possible fees, duplicate entries and unexplained amounts.
- Calculate remaining balances and draft questions rather than inventing offset entries.
Checkpoint: Exceptions explain the difference still requiring review.
Prepare accountant review
- Export matches, unmatched rows and reconciliation totals with the rule version.
- Record reviewer changes and keep proposed adjustments separate from posted entries.
Checkpoint: The final worksheet is reproducible from the snapshots.
Decisions along the way
Two ledger entries match one bank amount
Hold unless the approved grouping rule and evidence establish the relationship.
Bank fee appears only on statement
Propose a fee exception; do not create a journal automatically.
Foreign currency movement appears
Keep it outside a single-currency match until the accountant supplies the conversion basis.
What you will produce
bank-reconciliation.xlsx
SpreadsheetA traceable matching worksheet with no reused entries.
Include: bank_id · ledger_ids · rule · amount · status · reviewer
reconciliation-exceptions.csv
CSVUnmatched and ambiguous transactions requiring an accountant's decision.
Include: source · transaction_id · amount · reason · question
Check the result
- Verify opening balance plus activity equals closing balance.
- Confirm every transaction is either matched once or explicitly unmatched.
- Check sign conversion using known debit and credit examples.
- Recalculate residual differences after reviewer changes.
When something goes wrong
Statement page missing
Stop final reconciliation and request the complete statement.
OCR drops minus signs
Re-extract affected rows and compare against running balances.
Ledger changes during review
Preserve the prior snapshot and rerun only affected matches after refresh.
A worked example
SYNTHETIC EXAMPLE · NOT A REPORTED BUSINESS RESULT
Request
Synthetic: reconcile account B3 for one week.
Inputs
Bank starts at 1,000 USD and has +500, -200 and -10, closing at 1,290. Ledger contains +500 and -200 with matching references; no fee entry exists.
Expected result
Synthetic result: match the first two transactions, leave -10 USD as a possible bank-fee exception, and show bank 1,290 versus ledger 1,300. Do not silently insert an adjustment.
Run a small pilot
Start small
Use a previously reconciled period containing fees, timing differences and duplicate amounts.
Record the baseline
Measure manual matching time and errors in accepted versus held matches.
Agree success criteria
Agree acceptable false-match and coverage levels before using the worksheet in close.
Stop or revise
Stop if statement arithmetic or account identity cannot be verified.
Keep the scope clear
- Matching preparation cannot authorize transfers or accounting corrections.
- Account data must stay within the finance workspace and its approved recipients.
Check before using
An accountant confirms matches, checks totals and approves corrections.
Business activities
- Manage finances and accounting
FROM A RECIPE TO YOUR WORKFLOW
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For this recipe: Bank statement · Ledger export · Approved matching rules
Start with one recurring task, agree which sources to use, and review the first result with your team.
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