Balancing checking account with bank statement

[Derek Atkins]

Hi,

"Diann" <dhayes at hornelaw.us> writes:

> My records go back to January 1, 2011, with the beginning balances provided
> by our accountant.  By computerized, I meant the GNCash general bank
> checking account data I entered on the computer.  
>
> Normally with a bank - checkbook reconciliation, the ending balance on the
> previous bank statement is the beginning balance of the current month's
> reconciliation process.   I find this is not the case with Gncash.  I
> "unreconciled" February, because the opening balance in the GNCash reconcile
> window did not match the ending balance on the previous month's bank
> statement, thereby creating an imbalance with an attempted reconciliation.
> The difference was between the beginning balance on the bank statement, and
> the grayed-out beginning balance shown in the GNCash reconciliation window.
> It appeared to be the running total of the balance in GNCash.  I find this
> confusing to work with.

GnuCash does indeed use the last ending reconciled balance as the
starting reconciled balance for the starting balance in the next
reconciliation.  HOWEVER, that "ending balance" is computed, not
stored.  This means that if you accidentally unreconcile a transaction
then the starting balance will be "off".  If you do this then you will
need to know to re-reconcile it again at the next process.

GnuCash *does* use the ending balance of the register on the ending date
as your proposed ending reconciliation balance.  You are expected to
change this number to the actual ending balance on your statement.

If your beginning balance does not match your statement then either:

 1) you incorrectly set the ending balance in the previous
    reconciliation, or

 2) you accidentally unreconciled some transactions

Just to make it clear:  GnuCash *DOES NOT* use the *REGISTER* balance as
the *STARTING* balance of the reconciliation process.

> Diann I. Hayes
> Legal Assistant
> Horne Law Firm, PLLC
> 2315 Market Street
> Wilmington, NC 28403
> Tel:  910.254.7901   Fax: 910.254.7903

> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
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-derek

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available