Use this interactive month-end reconciliation checklist while comparing your bank statement, checkbook and accounting records. Mark each step only after completing the underlying comparison. The progress display counts completed steps; it does not certify the account or verify any documents. Print or export the checklist with the finished worksheet so the record shows what you reviewed. The sequence follows the checking-account reconciliation guidance in IRS Publication 583.
Worked example: IRS bank reconciliation
| Item | Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Bank statement balance | 1,458.12 |
| Add deposit 1/28 | 701.33 |
| Add deposit 1/31 | 516.08 |
| Subtract outstanding checks | 526.50 |
| Adjusted bank balance | 2,149.03 |
| Checkbook balance | 2,153.03 |
| Add book correction | 6.00 |
| Subtract bank service charge | 10.00 |
| Adjusted book balance | 2,149.03 |
Published amounts from IRS Publication 583, Recordkeeping System Example. The original table is shown separately from editable inputs.
How it works
Remaining steps = total steps - completed steps.
Method source: IRS Publication 583. The checklist count is a tool feature; the review sequence follows the IRS guidance.
Begin with a consistent set of records
Gather the bank statement and the checkbook or cash ledger for the same period. IRS Publication 583 says to check your own figures before reconciling the monthly bank statement. Recalculate the deposits and disbursements using the underlying entries. Mark the starting-figures step complete only when you have made that comparison, rather than when you have merely opened the documents.
The checklist stores a checked or unchecked state for each task. It does not inspect a statement or calculate the account balance. Use the linked worksheet to perform the arithmetic and use this page to track the supporting review. If you later discover an unresolved issue in a step, uncheck it so the progress display reflects the work still needed.
Compare deposits and checks
Compare deposits listed on the statement with deposits in your records and note amount differences. Then compare the canceled checks with the checkbook using both the check number and dollar amount, following the IRS steps. Mark cleared items in your own records and identify the deposits and checks that remain reconciling items for the statement cutoff.
The supporting deposit and outstanding-check registers can help total those lists. Their cleared checkboxes describe whether an item belongs to the statement under review. Keep a record of why each uncleared item remains in the schedule. Completing this checklist step means you performed the comparison; it does not mean every deposit or check has necessarily cleared.
Prepare the worksheet and update the books
Enter the ending bank and book balances into the main worksheet and add the supported adjustments on the appropriate side. The IRS worked example illustrates a service charge missing from the checkbook and an error in a deposit amount. Review your own records for unposted items and corrections rather than assuming that the example amounts apply to your account.
The IRS guidance calls for updating the checkbook and journals for reconciliation items that were not recorded or were recorded incorrectly. A calculation in this website does not perform that update. Mark the records step complete only after making or reviewing the applicable changes in your recordkeeping system. Preserve a reference to the documents that explain the entries.
Close the review with the evidence
Confirm that the adjusted bank and book balances agree, then retain the worksheet and supporting schedules. If a difference remains, return to the earlier comparisons and keep the relevant step unchecked. A completed progress display reflects your selections; it is not an independent approval or an audit result. Review the evidence as well as the status message before treating the reconciliation as finished.
Print the checklist or export its step names and completion states as CSV. Keep that copy with the finished worksheet if it helps your own review process. Entries are saved in this browser only, so no other device receives the progress. Clear the checkboxes when you start the next month to avoid carrying an earlier completion state into a new reconciliation.
Questions about this tool
Does completed mean the account is reconciled?
The display counts the boxes you have checked. Use the worksheet and supporting records to verify the balances.
How do I start a new month?
Export or print the completed checklist, then clear entries to reset the saved progress.
Official sources
Data as of 2026-10-05. Published illustrations are static teaching cases, not live account data.