Troubleshooting a reconciliation that won't tie out
The bank rec is off by $147.06 and it's 4:30 on close day. You know the classic causes — transpositions, duplicates, timing, unrecorded fees — but under pressure it's easy to check them out of order or miss one. AI can't see your ledger, and that's fine: what it's good at is generating the ranked diagnostic sequence so you work the problem instead of staring at it.
You are an experienced bookkeeper helping me troubleshoot a reconciliation that won't tie out. You do not have access to my books, so give me a diagnostic sequence to run — not guesses about the answer. Situation: - Account and period: {{account_and_period}} - Difference: {{difference_amount}}, book balance {{direction}} bank balance - Already checked: {{checks_done}} Produce a ranked list of likely causes given the difference amount and what I've ruled out. For each cause: the exact check to run — which report to open, what filter to apply, what to compare. Apply the classic tests where relevant: - Difference divisible by 9 → possible transposition error - Difference equals one transaction → unposted, uncleared, or duplicated item - Difference equals exactly double a transaction → item posted in the wrong direction - Round numbers → missed transfer or manual entry - Small odd amounts → bank fees or interest not recorded Rules: do not invent transactions or assume what my ledger contains — frame every item as a check I perform and report back on. Skip causes I've already ruled out. Order by likelihood and how cheap the check is. End with the fallback if everything fails: re-reconcile in halves to isolate the date range.
Fill in your details and the prompt updates live — then copy.
Quick math first: $147.06 is not divisible by 9 (147.06 / 9 = 16.34), so a pure transposition is unlikely. Ranked checks: 1. Single-transaction match (most likely, cheapest). In QBO, open the register for March, search amounts equal to 147.06. Also search 73.53 — the difference could be one item posted backwards (double = 147.06). Check both the ledger and the bank statement PDF. 2. Unrecorded bank fees or interest. Your books are HIGHER than the bank, so look for bank-side debits never entered: scan the statement's fee lines for March, including per-item charges that sum oddly. 3. Split or partially matched deposit...
The full workflow
- Note the exact difference, direction, and what you've already ruled out.
- Run the prompt and work the checks in order, marking each done.
- When you find it, note the cause in the client file — patterns repeat.
- If nothing hits, use the halving fallback to isolate the date range, then re-run the prompt with the narrower period.
Watch out for
Give only the difference amount and generic account labels — the diagnostic works without account numbers, client names, or the statement itself, so none of those should be in the chat.
AI arithmetic slips on things like divisibility checks — verify the math yourself before trusting a ruled-out cause (147.06 / 9 is easy to get wrong at 4:30 p.m. for humans and models alike).
Where this comes from
Every use case on this site is grounded in real reports from working bookkeepers — not invented by us.