AIWorkDex
Finance Practice

Investigate a statement difference and preserve the evidence

Find a supported cause or give the accountant a clear unresolved exception.

Preparation
One statement review followed by accountant review if unresolved.
Difficulty
Advanced
Task
Investigate a reconciliation difference
Back to the Task: Investigate a reconciliation difference

Before you start

Get what you need before you start

  • Gather the complete statement, current books, prior reconciliation report, and supporting transaction records.
  • Identify the accountant who can approve corrections and prior-period changes.

Steps

Work through the method

Use the listed inputs and tools. Check the evidence when you need to verify a step.

  1. Enter the statement facts

    Select the correct account and enter the statement ending date and balance exactly as shown.

    Why it matters: The reconciliation needs a fixed source boundary before matching begins.

    Input
    The complete statement and account record.
    Output
    A reconciliation tied to the statement period and balance.
    Tools in this stepQuickBooks Online

    Evidence for this step

  2. Match transactions one by one

    Match each supported transaction. For the remainder, test dates, duplicates, missing entries, fees, and account mappings without editing uncertain records.

    Why it matters: A systematic match narrows the difference without guessing a correction.

    Input
    The statement and recorded transactions.
    Output
    Matched items and a tested remainder.
    Tools in this stepQuickBooks Online

    Evidence for this step

  3. Save the evidence and escalate uncertainty

    Save the reconciliation report, remaining difference, tests, and source links. Ask the accountant to decide uncertain edits or prior-period changes.

    Why it matters: The accountant can review the real exception without reconstructing the investigation.

    Input
    The tested remainder and supporting evidence.
    Output
    A resolved cause or an accountant-ready exception package.
    Tools in this stepQuickBooks Online

    Evidence for this step

Success checks

Check the result before you finish

  • The period and ending balance match the statement.
  • Each remaining item has a recorded test and evidence.
  • An accountant decides every uncertain correction.

Failure modes

Watch for these problems

  • A difference is forced to zero. Restore the exception and evidence.
  • A prior period is edited without review. Stop and ask the accountant.
  • The proposed cause lacks support. Label it as a hypothesis.

Tools

Choose the tools you need

Sources

Read the sources behind this practice

Check what each source supports and where the advice has limits.