Bank Transaction Categorisation Sheet

Who this is for

Code a bank statement before it goes into the books. Every line gets a category code, a receipt or invoice reference and a business or personal mark, and anything you cannot place is flagged as a query. The checklist confirms the statement is fully dealt with before it is entered.

Sole traders and freelancers who work through printed or downloaded bank statements each month, especially where one account carries both business and personal spending.

What this helps you track

• Each statement line with its money in or out
• The category code you give it, from your own list
• The receipt or invoice that supports it
• Which lines are business and which are personal
• Queries still to resolve before the statement is entered

How to use it

1. Write the account, the statement number and the dates it covers.
2. Copy each statement line: the date, the description and the amount in or out.
3. Give each line a category code from your own chart, and the reference of the receipt or invoice that supports it.
4. Mark each line business, personal or mixed, and flag anything you cannot explain as a query.
5. Resolve the queries, then work through the checklist and enter the lines in your cashbook.
6. Fill it in on paper beside the statement or in the browser version, which saves in your own browser.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Where do the category codes come from?

Your own list, ideally the same headings as your expenses spreadsheet or cashbook. Short codes such as a few letters per heading are quicker to write than full names and easier to sort later.

What do I do with a mixed transaction?

Mark it mixed and note the split in the query column or notes, then record only the business part in the books. A split log is useful if this happens often.

Why code on paper before entering the books?

It separates deciding from typing. Working through the statement first shows every line that needs a receipt or an answer, so the books are entered once rather than corrected afterwards.

Should transfers between my own accounts be coded?

Yes, with a code of their own, so they are not mistaken for income or spending. The matching line on the other account should carry the same code.