To reconcile printed checks with a bank statement, list every check you issued, mark each one that appears on the statement as cleared, and treat the rest as outstanding. Then take the statement ending balance, add deposits in transit, and subtract the outstanding checks. The result should equal your book balance. A gap means a missing, duplicate or wrong-amount check, or an unrecorded deposit or fee.
What do you need before you start?
- The bank statement for the period, with its ending balance.
- A list of every check you issued for that account, with check number, date, payee and amount. A register export or CSV from your check printing tool is ideal.
- The list of checks still outstanding from the previous reconciliation.
- Any voided checks, with their numbers, so you can confirm they did not clear.
- The book balance from the client's accounting file for the same date.
- Deposits and bank fees from the statement that are not yet in the books.
If you print checks outside the client's accounting software, your check printing register is the proof of what was issued. Keep it complete, including voids. How to keep a digital record of printed checks explains what each row should hold.
How do you reconcile printed checks, step by step?
- Export the register for the account and the statement period, plus any older checks that were outstanding. Filter to the single bank account so other clients do not appear.
- Add a Cleared column in a spreadsheet next to the check numbers, and a Cleared Date column.
- Go down the statement's check list in number order and mark each check cleared. Confirm the amount matches the register, not only the number.
- Every check you cannot find on the statement is outstanding. List its number, payee and amount.
- Confirm any voided checks are marked void in your records and did not clear.
- Total the outstanding checks and the deposits in transit.
- Calculate the adjusted bank balance: statement ending balance plus deposits in transit minus outstanding checks.
- Compare the adjusted bank balance with the book balance. If they match, you are done. If not, work through the mismatch list below.
- Save the reconciliation and carry the outstanding list forward to next month.
What does a worked example look like?
A client's June statement shows an ending balance of $18,420.65. Three checks you issued have not cleared, and a $1,500.00 deposit made on the last day of the month is not on the statement yet.
| Item | Detail | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Statement ending balance | From the bank | $18,420.65 |
| Plus deposit in transit | Deposited on the last day | $1,500.00 |
| Less outstanding check 1042 | Plumbing supply | $385.00 |
| Less outstanding check 1045 | Equipment rental | $1,200.00 |
| Less outstanding check 1047 | Office supplies | $642.50 |
| Adjusted bank balance | 18,420.65 + 1,500.00 - 2,227.50 | $17,693.15 |
The outstanding checks add up to $2,227.50. If the book balance at the same date is $17,693.15, the account reconciles. If the books say $17,793.15, you are off by exactly $100.00, so look first for a single item entered at a figure $100.00 different from the register, such as a mistyped check amount or deposit.
Why do printed checks fail to match the statement?
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A check on the statement is not in your register | A hand-written check from the client's checkbook, or a check you printed on another account by mistake. | Ask the client; add the check to the books if it is real; if it is unfamiliar, tell the client and the bank promptly. |
| The amount on the statement differs from the register | A keying difference in your record, or an encoding error at the bank. | Compare against the check image. Correct your record if you were wrong; otherwise ask the bank to correct its error. |
| The same check number appears twice | A reprinted paper copy was also cashed, or a payee deposited it twice. | Contact the bank right away. See how to reprint a check for avoiding duplicates. |
| A voided check cleared | The void was never recorded, or the original paper was still in circulation. | Check with the client and the bank, record the payment correctly, and tighten the void routine. |
| An old check is still outstanding | The payee never deposited it or lost it. | Contact the payee, then void and reissue if appropriate. Ask the bank about its policy for old checks. |
How do reprints and voids affect reconciliation?
A reprint of a jammed or smudged check keeps the same check number, so it is still one check and should appear once in your records. Make sure the first paper copy is destroyed, or two physical checks carry the same number and one of them could still be presented.
A void is different. The voided number should be marked VOID in the register, and any replacement check gets a new number. When you reconcile, a voided check should never appear as cleared. If your register excludes voids from its running total, as the Check Writer 123 report does, use that total as your starting point, and still list the voids so you can match numbers. For the procedure, see how to void a printed check.
A month-end routine for bookkeepers with several clients
- Keep one reconciliation workbook per client, with a tab per month, and carry the outstanding checks forward by copying the list.
- Export each client's register separately, filtered to the right bank account, so numbers from one client never appear in another's file.
- Reconcile as soon as the statement arrives. A check that has been outstanding for a month is easier to chase than one outstanding for six.
- Record the date each check cleared, not just that it cleared. It helps if a payee says they were never paid.
- Note any adjusting entries, such as bank fees, for the client's accountant. Which entries to book and how is accounting advice that belongs to the client's accountant.
If the client's books live in QuickBooks or another system, the same logic applies; the only change is where the book balance comes from. How to print checks without accounting software covers a spreadsheet-based approach, and how to print checks without QuickBooks covers keeping both in step.
Putting it together
Reconciliation is only as good as the list of checks you started with. Print through a tool that numbers checks automatically and keeps a register, filter that register to the right account, mark cleared checks against the statement, and carry the outstanding list forward. The workflow before this step is in how bookkeepers can print checks for clients, and check printing for bookkeepers and accountants shows how the register fits a practice.
The Check Writer 123 register report (number, date, payee, account, amount, status) can be filtered by bank account and period and downloaded as CSV, which gives you the issued-check list to reconcile against. Mark each line against the statement as you go, and what remains unmarked is your outstanding list.