Built from inside practice. Built by Mr H Hammad FCCA, ACA, ICAEW Chartered Accountant with over 20 years in practice.
ProductFor ClientsClient PortalResourcesWhy BalansixPricingSupportBook a demoLogin
BalansixBanking

Why does my bank reconciliation show a difference?

Find the cause of a Balansix bank reconciliation difference by checking statement balances, imported rows, duplicates, missing transactions and posting status.

Banking
Short answerWhat to checkWhy it happensStepsFAQs

Short answer

A reconciliation difference means the statement position and the accounting bank position do not yet prove to the same amount. Work from the statement opening and closing balance and transaction completeness before posting a balancing journal.

What to check first

Work through these before changing the accounting recordConfirm the correct bank account and statement period.Check the statement opening and closing balances.Look for missing lines, duplicated imports or rows imported with the wrong sign.Check whether all relevant bank rows have been posted.Check for transactions outside the visible date filter that affect the accounting balance.

Why this happens

A bank reconciliation is a proof, not a plug. The difference can come from source completeness, posting status, duplicates, timing or an incorrect opening position. Balansix keeps the reconciliation difference visible so it is resolved rather than hidden.

Steps to resolve it

  1. Compare the number and total of imported statement lines with the source statement.
  2. Review duplicate warnings and repeated amounts carefully.
  3. Search for the largest unexplained amount first, then work down to smaller differences.
  4. Check opening bank balance where the client began in Balansix part-way through its history.
  5. Only finalise/lock the reconciliation after the difference is zero and the statement position is supported.

What to avoid

Keep the audit trail intact. Do not post a journal directly to the bank merely to force the reconciliation to zero unless there is a real accounting transaction supporting that entry.

Frequently asked questions

Can I finalise a bank reconciliation with a difference?

The reconciliation should be brought to a supported zero difference before it is treated as complete.

Could a duplicate bank import cause the difference?

Yes. Review duplicate warnings and compare imported rows to the original statement before deleting anything.

Could the opening balance be wrong?

Yes. For migrated clients, an incorrect opening bank position can create a persistent difference even when the current statement rows are complete.

Still need help?

Contact Balansix Support with the client, module, period, what you expected and what happened. Avoid sending passwords or unrelated client secrets.