--- title: "Free Bank Reconciliation Template | Ledgerbrook" source: https://ledgerbrook.com/templates/bank-reconciliation-template/ description: "Free bank reconciliation template. Reconcile online or in Excel: deposits in transit, outstanding checks, fees, and the difference to find." --- Free template # Bank Reconciliation Template A bank reconciliation template has two columns. The **bank side** starts at the statement balance and adjusts for deposits in transit and outstanding checks. The **book side** starts at your recorded balance and adjusts for fees, interest and returned checks. When both reach the same adjusted balance, the account reconciles. Fill it in below or download it for Excel. [Use it on this page](#br-app)[Download Excel (.xlsx)](/downloads/ledgerbrook-bank-reconciliation-template.xlsx) No sign-up. What you type stays in your browser. Load the worked exampleStart blank Print or save as PDF ## Bank reconciliation Account Statement ending date Adjusted for timing ### Bank side Balance per bank statement Add: deposits in transit Add: deposits in transit In the books, not yet credited by the bank \+ Add a line Less: outstanding checks and payments Less: outstanding checks and payments In the books, not yet cleared. Enter as positive amounts \+ Add a line Add or less: bank errors Add or less: bank errors Negative if the bank overstated your balance \+ Add a line Adjusted bank balance$0.00 Adjusted for information ### Book side Balance per books Add: interest and other bank credits Add: interest and other bank credits On the statement, not yet in the books \+ Add a line Less: bank fees and service charges Less: bank fees and service charges On the statement, not yet in the books. Enter as positive amounts \+ Add a line Less: customer checks returned unpaid Less: customer checks returned unpaid Reverse the deposit and rebill the customer \+ Add a line Add or less: errors in the books Add or less: errors in the books Negative if the books overstate cash \+ Add a line Adjusted book balance$0.00 Difference Enter both balances to start. $0.00 Prepared by, date Reviewed by, date Saved in this browser only. Print it, or download the Excel file, to keep a copy with the statement. Ledgerbrook The books behind these numbers, kept for you. US small business bookkeeping in QuickBooks Online. Fixed prices, agreed before any work starts. [Get a free file review](/contact/?from=templates%2Fbank-reconciliation-template) Bookkeeping or CPA firm? [We work under your name](/for-bookkeeping-firms/). - [Behind on the booksCleanup and catch-up$99per month of backlog20% off 6+ monthsSee what's included](/quickbooks-cleanup/) - [Every monthMonthly bookkeeping$149a month and upReconciled and closed every monthSee what's included](/monthly-bookkeeping/) - [At year endCPA handoff pack$199a client, one-timeA file your CPA can file fromSee what's included](/for-cpas/) How to fill it in ## Five steps, once a month For the full method with two worked examples, read [bank reconciliation explained](/blog/bank-reconciliation-explained/). 1. 01 Use one date for both balances The ending balance printed on the statement, and your book balance on that same day. 2. 02 Tick off what matches Every deposit and payment that appears on both the statement and in your books. 3. 03 List what the bank hasn't seen yet Deposits in transit and outstanding checks go on the bank side. 4. 04 List what you haven't recorded yet Fees, interest and returned checks go on the book side. Each one needs an entry in your books. 5. 05 Get the difference to zero Whatever is left is an error. Find it before you sign off, then file the reconciliation with the statement. Reconciling items ## Where each item goes, and whether it needs an entry | Item | Goes on | Journal entry? | What to do | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Deposit in transit | Bank side, add | No | You recorded it; the bank credits it in a day or two. | | Outstanding check | Bank side, subtract | No | Written and recorded, not yet cashed. | | Bank fee or service charge | Book side, subtract | Yes | Record it as a bank charges expense. | | Interest earned | Book side, add | Yes | Record it as interest income. | | Returned customer check (NSF) | Book side, subtract | Yes | Reverse the deposit and put the amount back on the customer's balance. | | Error in the books | Book side, add or subtract | Yes | Correct the original transaction, not with a new one. | | Bank error | Bank side, add or subtract | No | Ask the bank to correct it. Nothing changes in your books. | Months behind? ## Rather have someone else reconcile them? Ledgerbrook reconciles every bank and card account in QuickBooks Online each month, and catches up the months you've missed at a fixed price per month. [See catch-up bookkeeping](/quickbooks-catch-up-bookkeeping/)[Monthly bookkeeping](/monthly-bookkeeping/) Frequently asked ## Bank reconciliation template FAQ ### How do I do a bank reconciliation in Excel? Put the statement balance at the top of one column and the book balance at the top of a second. Under the bank balance, add deposits in transit and subtract outstanding checks. Under the book balance, add interest and subtract fees and returned checks the bank recorded first. Sum both columns; when the totals match and the difference is zero, the account reconciles. The Excel file on this page has those formulas built in. ### What is the simplest format for a bank reconciliation statement? Two columns that end on the same number. The bank column starts at the statement balance and adjusts for timing. The book column starts at the balance in your books and adjusts for things the bank knew first. Both finish on the adjusted balance, which is the real cash figure for that date. ### What is the journal entry for a bank reconciliation? Only the book side needs entries. Bank fees go to a bank charges expense, interest to interest income, a returned check back to accounts receivable, and an error gets fixed in the original transaction. Deposits in transit and outstanding checks need no entry; they clear on next month's statement. [The entries are worked through here](/blog/bank-reconciliation-explained/#the-journal-entries-for-a-bank-reconciliation). ### How often should a bank reconciliation be done? Every month, for every bank and credit card account, as soon as the statement arrives. A month-old difference takes minutes to trace. A year-old one can take days, because each unexplained item is buried under eleven more statements. ### What if my reconciliation doesn't balance? Look at the size of the difference first. If it matches one transaction, that item is missing from one side. If it divides evenly by 9, two digits were probably swapped. If it is twice an amount, something was entered as a deposit instead of a payment. Our guide to [common QuickBooks fixes](/fixes/) covers the usual causes. ### Is this bank reconciliation template free, and does it work in Google Sheets? Yes to both. There is no sign-up. Use the online version here, or download the Excel file and open it in Google Sheets with File, Import, Upload. The Excel file has a blank tab and the worked example filled in.