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Machta
Level 1

Reconciliation starting balance error?

Good afternoon, all.
 
I have a QB problem which is beyond my VERY limited skillset.  My husband and I own our own small commercial real estate company.  I’ve used QB for pretty much the entire time the business has operated, since 1998.  We have switched from Windows to Mac and back to Windows, if that makes any difference.  Also, you need to know that I am a rotten accountant, and every year my CPA has to help me undo tangles I get in to.
 
The current problem is this:  when I go to reconcile my checking account, QB automatically fills in the “starting balance” field, but it’s not the right number.  I’ve tried undoing past reconciliations and starting again, but so far that has only made the problem worse.  The last time I tried to reconcile it said that the starting balance in checking was something like -$20k.  I guarantee to you that we have never, ever, had a $20k deficit in our checking account!
 
It feels to me like a true “bug” in the program, but in searching online I couldn’t find anyone else who had seen this specific problem.  I think it started happening about 18mos or 2 years ago, when I was using QB for Mac.  I don’t know if that makes a difference or not.
 
Thanks in advance for your help . . . and I'm sorry if this is something really obvious.

 

1 Comment 1
CharleneMaeF
QuickBooks Team

Reconciliation starting balance error?

Thanks for providing the details, @Machta.

 

There are several reasons the balance is off. This may be due to one of these:

  • No balance or an incorrect balance was entered when the account was set up.
  • Previously cleared and reconciled transactions were voided, deleted, or modified.
  • The file was converted from a different version of QuickBooks.
  • It could be data damage.

 

We can run several reports to find the transactions causing the discrepancy. We can open the Reconcile Discrepancy report, Audit Trail report, and the Previous Reconciliation report.

 

To correct the discrepancy, you'll want to re-enter or edit the transactions. You can also undo a previous reconciliation, then redo it. Otherwise, ignore the discrepancy and enter an adjustment to offset the balance.

 

For the detailed process on how to fix the incorrect starting balance, you can browse this article: Fix beginning balance issues in QuickBooks Desktop.

 

You may also want to consider running a Previous Reconciliation report. This helps you view your past reconciliations to give you details that can help you find discrepancies and other issues.

 

I'm always here to lend a hand, @Machta. Feel free to tag my name if you have other QuickBooks concerns.

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