How do I delete or undo a reconciliation in QuickBooks Online, and in what order?

There's no delete button for a reconciliation in QuickBooks Online, but you can undo one. Undoing just changes each transaction's reconciled status back to unreconciled, it doesn't delete any transactions. If you have several reconciliations to redo, the order matters: undo starting with the most recent and work backward, then redo starting with the oldest and work forward.

Step 1: Undo the reconciliation

You have two ways to do this in QuickBooks Online, depending on your access:

Option A: Undo it yourself, transaction by transaction (works for anyone, no accountant needed)

1. Go to Settings (gear icon), then Chart of accounts.
2. Find the account, then select View register.
3. Select a reconciled transaction (shows an R in the checkmark column) to expand it.
4. Select the checkmark box repeatedly until it's blank.
5. Select Save, and repeat for each transaction in the reconciliation.

Option B: Undo the whole period at once (if you're signed in as the primary admin, or you work with an accountant on QuickBooks Online Accountant)

1. Go to All apps, then Accounting, then Reconcile.
2. Select History by account.
3. Find the reconciliation you want to undo (change the report period if needed).
4. In the Action column, select the dropdown, then Undo.
5. Review the warning, check the box, then select Undo reconciliation, then Done.

Undoing an entire period this way is permanent and deletes the reconciliation report and any attachments for that period, so download anything you need first.

Step 2: Yes, you can repeat this for several reconciliations, but the order matters

If you're using Option B, undoing one period automatically undoes every period after it too, so you'll naturally end up undoing from your most recent reconciliation backward to the oldest one you need to fix. There's no need to undo each one individually, undoing the oldest period in your range takes care of everything after it in one step.

If you're using Option A instead, work through your reconciliations from most recent to oldest as well, so your register stays consistent and easy to follow while you're making changes.

Step 3: Fix your beginning balance before you redo anything

Once you've undone reconciliations, a beginning balance discrepancy is expected. Clear it before you start redoing:

1. Make sure every transaction for the period is matched, categorized, posted, or excluded in Bank transactions.
2. Go to All apps, then Accounting, then Reconcile, and select the account. You'll see an alert that your beginning balance is off.
3. Select We can help you fix it to open the Reconcile Discrepancy Report, which lists what changed and how to fix each item.

You're ready to move on once the total discrepancy shows $0.00.

Step 4: Redo the reconciliations, oldest to newest

Now flip the direction: start with your earliest reconciliation and work forward to the current period.

1. Go to All apps, then Accounting, then Reconcile.
2. Choose the account, then enter the ending balance and ending date from that period's statement.
3. Match each transaction against your statement until the difference shows $0.00.
4. Select Finish now, then Done, and move to the next period.

To help prevent this next time

Once a period is reconciled and correct, locking your books stops those transactions from being changed by accident. In Settings, then Account and settings, then the Advanced tab, turn on Close the books and set a closing date. Anyone trying to edit a transaction on or before that date will see a warning, or need a password if you choose that option.

Let us know how many reconciliations you're working through and which period was last correct, and we can help you map out the order.