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gorejs
Level 2

eCheck cleared, then bank stopped payment

QB Desktop Pro Plus 2024: A little over 3 months ago, I paid a vendor with a paper eCheck, which the bank clears as soon as they mail out the check. Unfortunately, the vendor never cashed the check, so after 90 days, the bank stopped payment on the eCheck and refunded the amount to our checking account. The check is already cleared and reconciled in QB, but now I have to void that cleared, reconciled check and record the refund deposit. How do I do this without screwing up my past reports and next reconciliation, please?

5 Comments 5
MirriamM
Moderator

eCheck cleared, then bank stopped payment

I can assist you with your reconciliation issue, gorejs. 

 

In case the check was not cashed out by the payee, you can create a journal entry to void it. Here's what you need to do:

 

  1. Select Make General Journal Entries. from the Company menu.
  2. Choose your bank in the Account column.
  3. Enter the amount under the Debit section.
  4. Pick the account you used to enter the refund and put in the amount in the Credit section. 

 

Alternatively, you can create a bank deposit to move the amount back to your account. This will ensure that the funds are not lost and the transaction gets cleared out during reconciliation.

 

However, before performing the above steps, it's advisable to consult your accountant for advice to ensure that this won't have implications on the previously reconciled period.

 

If you encounter any trouble while reconciling, I suggest visiting this article: Fix issues when you're reconciling in QuickBooks Desktop. It provides a helpful guide on how to address such issues. Furthermore, it features a section that showcases different report options to help you identify the root cause of the problem and how to resolve it.

 

If you have other reconciliation concerns or questions about managing transactions in Qu8ickBooks Desktop (QBDT), please don't hesitate to comment below. I'm always ready to help, gorejs.

gorejs
Level 2

eCheck cleared, then bank stopped payment

Thank you for these instructions. Will this actually void the original check so that the associated invoice will show as unpaid, please? I still have to pay that pesky invoice.

Rea_M
Moderator

eCheck cleared, then bank stopped payment

Creating a journal entry won't actually void the original check, gorejs. I'll provide you with step-by-step instructions on how you can show the associated invoice (vendor bill) as unpaid and record your business transactions based on real-life activities.

 

Since the check is already cleared and reconciled in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT), you'll only need to unlink the payment so you won't screw up past reports and reconciliation. Before doing so, make sure to track the refunded amount to your checking account by making a bank deposit. To do this, here's how:

 

  1. Go to the Banking menu and select Make Deposits.
  2. Close the Payments to Deposit window.
  3. In the Make Deposits window, select the account you want to put the deposit into from the Deposit to dropdown.
  4. Check the deposit total. Make sure the account and selected payments match the deposit slip from your bank.
  5. Add a memo as needed and all other necessary details.
  6. Select Save & Close.

 

After that, you don't need to void the payment check. You'll only have to disconnect it from your bill so you won't mess up your previous reconciliation. Here's how:

 

  1. Go to the Vendor Center from the Vendors menu.
  2. Find your vendor and select their name to view their list of transactions.
  3. Locate the bill payment check and double-click it to open its details.
  4. Uncheck the bill in the Bills Paid In This Transaction section.
  5. Click the Save & Close button when you're done.

 

Now that the invoice (bill) and check payment are unlinked, record a Pay Bills transaction any time you need to.

 

Additionally, we recommend reconciling your checking account regularly so it matches your monthly statements and tracks your expenses accordingly.

 

You can always leave a comment below if you have additional questions about managing vendor transactions in QBDT. We in the Community are here to help you out.

gorejs
Level 2

eCheck cleared, then bank stopped payment

Thank you, Rea_M. This solution looked more complete than the suggestion by the other moderator, so I followed your instructions. This happened with 2 different eChecks, so I did it for both checks. I just tried to reconcile my bank statement from last month (this statement was affected by the first refunded eCheck; the second refunded eCheck affected the next & most recent statement), but my ending balance is now off by the amount of the 2 refunded & redeposited checks. The "deposits and other credits" total matches my statement, but the "checks and payments" total is over by the amount of the 2 checks. I've searched "checks and payments," but neither check is in the list. Hope this makes sense.

 

So how do I reconcile my bank account, please? Once I finish this one, I can do the next one & be up to date.

Clark_B
QuickBooks Team

eCheck cleared, then bank stopped payment

Hello there, @gorejs.

 

Allow me to chime in and provide additional information to help you properly reconcile your bank account in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT).

 

After following the steps provided by my colleague @Rea_M, you'll need to perform a special reconciliation instead of a regular one. It's important to note that sometimes transactions that were previously reconciled may appear as unreconciled. This could be due to various reasons such as:

 

  • Someone undo the last reconciliation and changed or deleted the reconciled transactions
  • Cleared transactions were unchecked (uncleared) in the account register.
  • Funds were transferred from a previously reconciled bank account to a sub-account.
  • Company file conversions can cause issues (from QuickBooks for Mac to Windows or QuickBooks Online to Desktop) (US only).
  • The transactions were never reconciled in the company file. This might be because the file was restored from a backup, which can overwrite data and reconciliations.

 

Performing a mini-reconciliation, also known as a special reconciliation, involves using an off-cycle date to make necessary corrections. It's important to note that when you enter an off-cycle date, QuickBooks will remind you that you are performing a mini-reconciliation. By doing this, previously unreconciled transactions can be included without affecting the regular reconciliation cycle. 

 

To fix transactions in a bank account:

 

  1. Go to the Banking menu and select Reconcile.
  2. Select the bank account for which you want to reconcile transactions
  3. Enter an off-cycle date (which can be any date between your last reconciliation and the next scheduled one) in the Date of Statement field.
  4. Enter the balance of your last successful reconciliation in the Ending Balance field and click Continue.
  5. In the Reconcile window, check off the transactions you are fixing and re-reconciling.
  6. Ensure that the Difference field shows $0.00.
  7. When everything looks good, select Reconcile Now.

 

After you select Reconcile Now, QuickBooks will ask if you want to create a payment check or create a bill to pay later.

 

  1. Select Create a Bill to Pay later.
  2. If you need to, print your Reconciliation Report for your records.
  3. After you print the report, a bill appears on the screen. The bill amount will be the balance you just reconciled.
  4. Select Clear. This removes all info from the bill.
  5. Close the bill

 

For more detailed information, refer to this article: Reconcile previously deleted and re-entered checking or credit card transactions.

 

In addition, you can also check this article to help you review your past reconciliation: Get reports for previous reconciliations

 

I hope this helps you reconcile your bank account successfully, @gorejs. Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns about the special reconciliation or anything else related to QuickBooks.

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