Bank Reconciliation Statement

What is a Bank Reconciliation Statement?

A bank reconciliation statement is a document that compares the bank statement balance provided by a financial institution with the balance in the company's own records. This process is used to ensure that the two balances match and to identify any discrepancies or errors that may have occurred during the course of the month.

The process of reconciling a bank statement involves comparing the transactions recorded in the company's records with those listed on the bank statement. This includes comparing the amounts of deposits, withdrawals, and other transactions, as well as the dates of these transactions. Any discrepancies between the two sets of records must be investigated and corrected.

One of the most common causes of discrepancies is a delay in the recording of transactions. This can happen when a deposit or withdrawal is made but is not recorded in the company's records until several days later. Another common cause of discrepancies is errors in the recording of transactions, such as transposing numbers or entering the wrong amount.

To correct these discrepancies, the company must first determine the cause of the error and then make the necessary adjustments to their records. For example, if a deposit was recorded incorrectly in the company's records, the correct amount must be entered and the bank statement must be adjusted accordingly.

Another important aspect of bank reconciliation is the identification of any outstanding checks or transactions. This includes checks that have been written but not yet cleared by the bank, as well as any other transactions that have not yet been recorded in the company's records. These outstanding items must be investigated and recorded in order to ensure that the bank statement balance matches the company's records.

Overall, a bank reconciliation statement is an important tool for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of a company's financial records. By regularly comparing the bank statement with the company's own records, discrepancies can be identified and corrected, ensuring that the company's financial position is accurately reflected at all times.

Example of Bank Reconciliation Statement:

A company's bank statement shows a balance of $10,000 on the last day of the month. The company's own records show a balance of $9,500. The company's bank reconciliation statement for the month includes the following transactions:

Date	Description	Debit	Credit
1/1	Opening Balance	-	9,500
1/5	Check #123	-500	-
1/8	Deposit	-	500
1/15	Check #124	-200	-
1/20	Service Charge	-25	-
1/30	Bank Interest	-	50

To reconcile the bank statement, we need to compare the company's records with the bank statement and identify any discrepancies. We can start by creating a table that lists the transactions from the bank statement and the company's records side by side.

Date	Description	Debit	Credit	Bank Statement
1/1	Opening Balance	-	9,500	9,500
1/5	Check #123	-500	-	9,000
1/8	Deposit	-	500	9,500
1/15	Check #124	-200	-	9,300
1/20	Service Charge	-25	-	9,275
1/30	Bank Interest	-	50	9,325

As we can see, the company's records and the bank statement match, and the final balance is $9,325 which is the same as the bank statement. Therefore, the bank reconciliation is complete, and no discrepancies were found.

In this example, the company's balance was $9,500, but the bank statement showed a balance of $10,000. Through the process of reconciling the bank statement, we were able to identify that the bank had made an error and had not recorded a service charge of $25 and an interest of $50 that the company was supposed to receive.

By comparing the company's records with the bank statement, we were able to correct the error and ensure that the company's financial position was accurately reflected.