reconciliation anomalies

Hi there @leigh2. I appreciate that you’ve provided us with a detailed overview of your current situation in QuickBooks Online. I'll assist you and help fix the reconciliation anomalies to ensure your records remain accurate.

This discrepancy, where a later month shows as reconciled but an earlier month remains open, is usually caused by manual reconciliation. This happens when transactions are marked with an R in the register individually instead of through the official Reconciliation tool.

To identify the manually reconciled transactions in QuickBooks Online (QBO), you'll want to review the account register in your Chart of Accounts. Here's how:

 

1. Go to My apps and then the Accounting tab.
2. Select Chart of accounts.
3. Find the account and click View register.
4. In the Date column, look for transactions in January. If they have an R in the checkmark column but December transactions have a C or are blank, that is the source of the anomaly.

You can also review the Reconciliation report and compare it with the history or current status of transactions in your account register. These are the steps:
 

1. Go to the My apps and then the Accounting tab.
2. Select Reconcile.
3. In the Reconciliation page, click the History by account button.

If January shows as reconciled but December does not, the Last Statement Ending Date often reverts to the last consecutively finished month. Because skipping December prevents QuickBooks from accurately calculating January's beginning balance, you will likely see a Beginning Balance is off error.

To fix this, you can un-reconcile those out of order data in your account. For more details, please see this page: Undo or remove transactions from reconciliations in QuickBooks Online.

After returning to the Reconcile tool, the undoing of the manual 'R' from January should align your beginning balance with the end of November. Once you complete and save the December reconciliation, the Last Date Reconciled will update to Dec 31, allowing you to proceed with January.

To protect your books moving forward, always check the Reconciliation Discrepancy report if the beginning balance doesn't match your bank statement. It will list exactly which transaction was changed after it was reconciled.

If you're unsure of the steps provided, you can work with an accountant as they can also provide other ways to help troubleshoot the errors within your reconciliation. 

In need of assistance streamlining the reconciliation process of your business? Our QuickBooks Live Expert Assisted service provides the tips and guidance to speed up this process.

Feel free to click the Reply button if you have other questions or concerns about QuickBooks.