Bank Reconciliation Review Checklist for Bookkeepers

Bank reconciliation review is where many bookkeeping errors become visible. Duplicate imports, missing statement periods, stale uncleared transactions, and misclassified transfers can all survive categorization review if nobody inspects the reconciliation state.

Quick answer

Review bank reconciliations by checking source statements, beginning and ending balances, uncleared items, duplicate imports, transfer matching, manual adjustments, and unresolved client questions.

Who this is for

This checklist is for bookkeepers, senior reviewers, and firm managers who want a practical review gate before financials are delivered.

The operating problem

A reconciliation can appear complete while still carrying operational risk. The review checklist should answer two questions: does the account tie to source, and would a reviewer understand the exceptions without reopening the entire month?

The workflow

Move from source to balance to exceptions. Do not start by scanning transaction rows randomly.

1. Open the statement and confirm the account and period.
2. Check the beginning balance against the prior reconciled ending balance.
3. Check the ending balance against the current statement.
4. Scan uncleared transactions by age and amount.
5. Review transfers, loan payments, payroll withdrawals, and merchant deposits.
6. Look for duplicate imports from PDF, CSV, bank feed, or manual entry.
7. Document open questions before approving the reconciliation.

Checklist

• Statement period matches the review period.
• No statement gap exists between prior and current periods.
• Ending balance matches exactly.
• Any reconciliation adjustment is explained.
• Uncleared items older than the firm's threshold are reviewed.
• Transfers are matched across accounts.
• PDF or CSV import rows are not duplicated by bank feed rows.
• Open items are routed to the right owner.

What to document before handoff

• Statement source location.
• Import method used.
• Reconciliation date.
• Exceptions by type.
• Client questions.
• Reviewer approval status.

Review signals that matter

• Fewer last-minute balance surprises.
• Clearer audit trail from source statement to ledger.
• Less duplicate cleanup after imports.
• Review notes are tied to account-level risk.
• Client questions are sent before financial statements are prepared.

Where Wesley fits

If your reconciliation work starts from PDF statements, use bank statement to CSV or import bank statements into QuickBooks to get cleaner source data before review. Wesley's broader workflow keeps statement conversion connected to bookkeeping review.

FAQ

What is the most common reconciliation review issue?

Duplicate or missing source activity is common, especially when teams mix bank feeds, PDF conversion, CSV imports, and manual entries.

Should every uncleared transaction be cleared before close?

No, but old or material uncleared items should be reviewed and explained.

Can a junior bookkeeper review reconciliations?

They can complete a first pass using the checklist. Final review should match the risk level of the client and account.