Bank reconciliation template
Set the closing balance on your bank statement beside the balance in your books for the same date, then list each uncleared deposit, uncleared payment and error that explains the gap. Anything you can't yet explain stays visible on the last line.
- By Book Keeping Pros
- Sources checked 15 Oct 2026
business.gov.au's glossary describes a bank reconciliation as a cross-check of the amounts in your cash book against the bank statements they relate to. This template lays that check out for one account at one date. The statement side starts from the bank's closing balance and adjusts it for deposits and payments the bank hasn't processed yet and for any mistake the bank has made. The books side starts from your own balance and corrects it for fees and interest you haven't recorded yet and for any errors in your own entries.
The two adjusted figures are then compared, and the last line shows any difference that remains. The template doesn't plug that gap with a balancing figure. A difference that isn't zero means an item is still unaccounted for, and it is easier to find now than after another month of transactions.
The download is a CSV file you can open in a spreadsheet program, with one row per item. The ATO's record-keeping tips include reconciling cash and EFTPOS sales on a regular cycle, which may be daily, weekly or monthly depending on the business, and looking for mistakes when the figures don't add up.
Download the template
The template as a CSV file, which opens in any spreadsheet program.
Download the CSV fileWhat's in the template
| Date | Type | Details | Add (AUD) | Less (AUD) | Balance (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2026 | Balance | Closing balance on the bank statement | 18,640.00 | ||
| 31 Mar 2026 | Uncleared deposit | Takings deposited late on 31 Mar, not yet on the statement | 2,150.00 | 20,790.00 | |
| 30 Mar 2026 | Uncleared payment | Transfer to Supplier B, reference PO-118 | 960.00 | 19,830.00 | |
| 31 Mar 2026 | Uncleared payment | Cheque 000412 to Supplier C | 1,425.00 | 18,405.00 | |
| 18 Mar 2026 | Bank error | Fee charged in error, raised with the bank | 25.00 | 18,430.00 | |
| 31 Mar 2026 | Balance | Statement balance adjusted for the items above | 18,430.00 | ||
| 31 Mar 2026 | Balance | Balance in the books before corrections | 18,512.40 | ||
| 31 Mar 2026 | Missing entry | Monthly account fee on the statement, not yet recorded | 32.40 | 18,480.00 | |
| 31 Mar 2026 | Missing entry | Interest on the statement, not yet recorded | 12.00 | 18,492.00 | |
| 12 Mar 2026 | Error in the books | Payment from Customer D entered twice | 62.00 | 18,430.00 | |
| 31 Mar 2026 | Balance | Corrected balance in the books | 18,430.00 | ||
| 31 Mar 2026 | Difference | Adjusted statement balance less corrected balance in the books | 0.00 |
Illustrative example only: these rows show the method and are not sourced data.
What goes in each column
- Date: The date the item appears in your books or on the statement, or the reconciliation date for a balance.
- Type: What the line is: a balance, an uncleared deposit or payment, a bank error, a missing entry, an error in the books, or the difference left over.
- Details: A short description with a reference, such as a cheque or transfer number, so you can trace the item later.
- Add (AUD): An amount that increases the running figure on that side.
- Less (AUD): An amount that reduces the running figure on that side.
- Balance (AUD): The running figure on each side, which ends at the adjusted statement balance, the corrected book balance and, on the last line, the difference between those two.
How to use it
- Choose the reconciliation date, usually the last day of a statement period, and enter the statement's closing balance and your book balance for that account at that date.
- Tick off each deposit and payment that appears both on the statement and in your books.
- On the statement side, list what is in your books but not yet on the statement, and any amount the bank has got wrong. Raise a bank error with the bank instead of changing a correct entry in your books.
- On the books side, list fees, interest and other statement items you haven't recorded, and any mistake in your own entries, then make those entries or corrections in your books as well.
- The CSV contains example values, not formulas. Calculate each running balance from your own entries, then enter the adjusted statement balance less the corrected book balance on the last line. Zero means the listed items explain the gap; otherwise, keep looking instead of posting an entry to clear it.
- At the next reconciliation, check that each uncleared item from this one has reached the statement. One that is still outstanding weeks later may be an error rather than timing.
Related terms
Sources
- Key financial terms
business.gov.au, Australian Government. Current at 15 October 2026, released 9 July 2024. Checked 15 October 2026.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2020, licensed under CC BY 3.0 AU. Licence: CC BY 3.0 AU.
- Record-keeping tips
Australian Taxation Office. Current at 25 October 2022 (QC70730), released 25 October 2022. Checked 15 October 2026.
© Australian Taxation Office for the Commonwealth of Australia Licence: ATO website copyright notice (copy, adapt and distribute, without implying ATO endorsement).
Related guides
How to do a bank reconciliation
A step-by-step guide to reconciling a business bank account: what to compare, why the balances differ and how to deal with each difference.
Monthly bookkeeping checklist
A month-end bookkeeping checklist: get every transaction in, reconcile each account, review who owes what, read the reports and file the records.
How to catch up on bookkeeping
How to bring overdue books up to date: size the backlog, gather statements and documents, work from the oldest month, reconcile and stay current.