Bank Reconciliation Checklist Prompt for Any AI Chat Tool
Short answer
Paste this free checklist prompt into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Grok with your statement and book balances, and it ties the two, flags stale outstanding items and lists the support to keep with the reconciliation each month.
What the source describes
Xero's US guide on how to do a bank reconciliation says you compare your business records to the bank statement so every recorded transaction appears on the statement and every bank line appears in the books. It walks through gathering the statement and the ledger, matching deposits and withdrawals, and finishing when the ending balances match. The FAQ gives the formula: bank statement balance plus deposits in transit minus outstanding checks equals the adjusted bank balance, which should match the adjusted book balance after timing differences.
Result or outcome
According to the source, after you have checked all deposits and withdrawals, the business bank balance should match the totals in your business accounts, and that matching balance is the starting point for the next reconciliation. Discrepancies are normal; the guide lists timing differences, undeposited income, bank fees and missing entries as common causes.
How to run it
- Download the bank statement for the month and run the account register or reconciliation report from your books for the same end date.
- List deposits in transit, outstanding payments and statement-only items such as fees and interest, leaving out full account numbers.
- Paste the prompt on this page into the AI chat tool you use, with the balances and lists filled in.
- Check the arithmetic and the flagged stale items, then record the statement-only items in your books.
- Save the statement, the reconciliation and the support checklist together for the month.
Try it yourself
Copyable prompt
Help me reconcile [business name]'s [bank name] checking account for [month]. Statement ending balance: [amount]. Book balance for the account on the same date: [amount]. Deposits in the books but not on the statement: [list date, description, amount]. Payments in the books but not on the statement: [list date, payee, amount]. Items on the statement but not in the books, such as fees or interest: [list]. 1) Build the reconciliation: statement balance, plus deposits in transit, minus outstanding payments, equals adjusted bank balance; book balance, plus or minus statement-only items, equals adjusted book balance. 2) Show the difference between the two adjusted balances. 3) Flag outstanding payments older than [60] days and deposits in transit older than [5] business days. 4) Give me a checklist of the support to save with this reconciliation. Do the arithmetic step by step. Do not invent items, and do not give tax advice.
Replace the [bracketed] placeholders. Remove client names, account numbers, and personal data before pasting into any AI tool.
What to review
The adjusted bank and book balances must match to the cent; if they do not, find the difference before you close the month. Confirm every listed item against the statement and the books rather than the AI's summary, and keep the statement, the reconciliation and the support together for the month.
Related free download: Bank Reconciliation Cheat Sheet (Printable cheat sheet (PDF))
Source: Xero US (How to do a bank reconciliation)
Not professional advice. This is general information, not accounting, tax, legal or financial advice. Check AI output yourself and consult a licensed professional for your situation. See our Terms of Use.
This entry summarizes a public source. Features, plans, and availability change, so confirm details with the vendor. Tool names are trademarks of their respective owners.
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