Bank matching
Month-end > Bank matching does the matching half of a bank reconciliation for you. Upload a checkbook's statement from your bank, and Ledger Doctor matches its lines to the GP checkbook transactions that aren't cleared yet, then proves the statement against GP's book balance. It's part of the Close plan. Nothing in GP changes.
Upload a statement
Pick the checkbook and the file, then choose Upload and match. Ledger Doctor reads three formats:
- CSV: any column order, recognized by the heading row: a date, and either an amount or separate debit and credit columns. A description, check number, reference and running balance are used when they're there.
- OFX or QFX: the Quicken or Money download most banks offer.
- BAI2: the format treasury portals export.
Download one account and one statement period per file. If the file doesn't include the statement's closing balance (a CSV without a balance column), enter it from the statement. Lines already imported on an earlier statement for the same checkbook are left out, so overlapping downloads are safe.
How lines are matched
Only where the answer is clear, strictest first:
- A check number and amount that agree.
- The same amount within a few days. The bank can post a deposit up to a week after GP's date and a check up to 45 days after, but never more than 3 days before. When the same amount appears more than once, they're paired in date order only if there are as many on each side.
- Several GP transactions that add up to one bank line (receipts deposited together), or several bank lines that add up to one GP transaction, when exactly one combination fits.
Everything else is left for you. Select bank lines on the left and GP transactions on the right, check the totals agree, and choose Match selected. A bank line GP doesn't have yet, like a service charge or interest, gets Not in GP with a note; enter it in GP afterwards. Unmatch undoes any match. Match again runs the automatic matching on what's still open.
The proof
At the top of the statement:
- Statement closing balance
- less the bank's lines that aren't in GP's book by the statement end date (not matched, or matched to a GP transaction dated later)
- plus GP's transactions the bank hasn't cleared (outstanding checks and deposits in transit)
- against GP's book balance at the end date.
The difference has to be 0.00. Signs come from GP's transaction type, so a check stored as a negative amount is handled the way GP handles it.
Mark it in GP and sign off
Download Excel gives the proof with live formulas, the bank's lines not in GP, GP's outstanding transactions, and Mark in GP: every matched GP transaction to mark in Transactions > Financial > Reconcile Bank Statements, with the statement ending balance and cutoff date to enter. An approver signs the statement off. If it doesn't tie, or a line isn't matched or explained, a note is needed. A signed-off statement can't be changed until an approver reopens it. The close binder includes each statement ending in its month.