Solved

How do I undo a past bank reconciliation in QuickBooks Online?

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
August 19, 2023
36 replies
2323 views

QuickBooks Online

Best answer by katelynner

Yes, you can undo a bank reconciliation in QuickBooks Online. You can remove a single transaction from a reconciliation, or undo an entire reconciliation period at once if you're signed in as the Primary Admin.

Before you start

Undoing an entire reconciliation can't be reversed, and it permanently deletes the reconciliation report and any attachments tied to it. Download anything you need before you begin. If you're not sure this is the right fix, check with your accountant first.

Option 1: Remove a single transaction

Use this if only one or two transactions were cleared by mistake.

Go to All apps, then Accounting, then Chart of accounts.
Find the account with the transaction and select View register.
Locate the transaction. Reconciled transactions show an R in the checkmark column.
Select the transaction to expand it.
Select the checkmark box repeatedly until it's blank. This cycles the status from R (Reconciled) to C (Cleared) to blank (Uncleared).
Select Save.

Removing a cleared transaction changes the beginning balance for your next reconciliation, so plan to reconcile the account again afterward.

Option 2: Undo an entire reconciliation

Use this if a whole period needs to be redone. You'll need to be signed in as the Primary Admin.

Sign in to QuickBooks Online as the Primary Admin.
Select All Apps, then Accounting, then Reconcile.
Select History by account.
Find the reconciliation you want to undo. You may need to change the report period.
In the Action column, select the dropdown, then select Undo.
Review the warning message. If you want to continue, select the checkbox, then select Undo reconciliation.
Select Done.

If your beginning balance is off afterward

Undoing a reconciliation, especially across multiple months, can shift your beginning balance. If this happens, QuickBooks Online can help you find the cause and fix it before you reconcile again. For step-by-step help with that, see Fix issues the first time you reconcile an account in QuickBooks Online.

Have more questions about handling reconciliations in QuickBooks Online? Let us know what the time period is and what you are needing to accomplish and we can line you out with the recommended next steps.

M

MirriamM

QuickBooks Team

Hi there, Nev.

I'd be happy to help you unreconcile past bank reconciliation so they don't throw off your records.

If you’re currently using QuickBooks Online Accountant, you can utilize the Undo reconciliation feature to unreconcile previous transactions without manually editing individual transactions from within the register.

To undo reconciliation, here's how:

In the left menu, click Accounting.
Go to the Reconcile tab.
Select History by account.
Choose the account you want to reconcile and set a date range from the dropdowns.
Find the reconciliation on the list.
Select View report to open the Reconciliation Report.
Review any discrepancies and changes your client wants to make.
When you’re ready, select the dropdown ▼ in the Action column, and then select Undo.
Select Yes and then Undo to confirm.

For more information on how to undo reconciliation, see this article: Undo a client’s reconciliation in QuickBooks Online Accountant.

If you use a different version, you can undo a reconciled statement by manually unreconciling each transaction. Let me walk you through the procedure step by step.

Click the Gear icon at the top.
Select Chart of Accounts.
Locate and choose the account you’re working on, and click on View Register.
Select the transactions you want to unreconcile.
Keep on clicking the R status until it shows blank or cleared (C).
Click on Save.
Choose Yes to confirm.

Before completing any of the steps, I suggest consulting with your accountant. This is to make sure that all of your records are in order.

If you run into any errors or problems while reconciling, refer to this article: Fix issues for accounts you've reconciled in the past in QuickBooks Online.

Should you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to leave a comment below. We're always around to help. Have a great day!

N

nev-alpina-net

Hi , thanks for the info, however i do not see the action column in quick books online (using accountants view and steps show below).

I have actually seen this method and used it in the past and I beleive Intuit might have updated the software and now the action column is not visible.

Not sure if you have any idea for the new method used for undoing the reconciliation.

Thanks

Nev

When you’re ready, select the dropdown ▼ in the Action column, and then select Undo.
Select Yes and then Undo to confirm.

D

DebSheenD

Level 5

Hello there, Nev. Let me share some information about undoing your reconciliation in QuickBooks Online (QBO).

The option to undo reconciliation is only available in the QuickBooks Online Accountant version. That being said, only your accountant can undo the entire reconciliation. What you can do is manually undo or remove transactions from reconciliations in QuickBooks Online.

Here's how:

Go to the Accounting menu, then select Chart of Accounts.
Locate the account and select Account history.
Select the transactions under the reconciliation in question.
Review the check column. If the transaction is reconciled, you’ll see an “R.” tick the box and keep ticking it until the box is blank. This removes the transaction from the reconciliation.
Then select Save.

You may also check out the following articles about reconciliations:

You're always welcome to post again here and ask any other questions about managing your reconciliation. I'm always ready to lend you a hand.

H

hmacattack

If I undo reconciliations, will I lose all the individual transaction categorizations, memos, attachments etc?

M

Maybelle_S

QuickBooks Team

Hello there, hmacattack.

Undoing a reconciliation in QuickBooks Online will not erase individual transaction categorizations, memos, and attachments. However, it'll unreconcile previously reconciled transactions and reverse any changes made during the reconciliation process.

Additionally, undoing the entire reconciliation is only available in QuickBooks Online Accountant. If you have a different version, I suggest contacting your accountant. They can undo the entire period at once.

Here's how:

Go to the Gear icon.
Select Manage Users.
Click the Accounting Firms tab and select the Invite button.
Enter the accountant's information.
Tap Save.
Let your accountant undo the entire reconciliation.

If you prefer to do it by yourself, follow these instructions to undo reconciled transactions one at a time:

Go to the Transactions menu. Then select Chart of Accounts.
Find the account and select View Register.
Filter the register.
Review the check column. If the transaction is reconciled, you’ll see an R.
Click the box repeatedly until it's blank to remove the transaction from the reconciliation.
Hit Save. Then close your register.

You can check this article if you encounter reconciliation issues: Fix issues when you're reconciling accounts.

Please come back if you need any further assistance with undoing the reconciliation. The Community is always here to help.

R

RandyNesbit

I am an accountant User and I am using QuickBooks online accountant version and I do not have the option to undo an entire reconciliation when I follow the directions here. I have done it before as an accountant so I am very confused as to why Its not working for me now. Did intuit update the software? Why cant I undo reconciliations?

M

masterrenovationsinc

As others have said, this is beyond stupid that I can't undo a reconciliation. It's a common enough issue and simple enough solution to just undo and then re-do a previous reconciliation, instead of clicking through to unreconcile every blasted transaction in a previous month and hoping that will allow me to re-do and fix after some things got deleted correcting 2 inputs.

Intuit is not only making this not quick, they are insulting their users.

I used to wonder why a friend who does tax prep won't mess with Quickbooks, but I don't anymore. I will get away from it at the first possible opportunity.

P

PK2K

New Member

Agreed!! QuickBooks Online should allow for 'undo' on a previous bank reconciliation without needing the 'Accountant's edition'. This option was fully available in the desktop versions and the 'QuickBooks Online ‘help fix it' option only works with the specific transaction rather than allowing for a full/clean reconciliation redo. Users shouldn’t need to contact their CPA (like me) simply to fix a bank reconciliation. Where can we submit features suggestions?

K

KayePe

QuickBooks Team

We heard your sentiments. Please know that primary admin users can now undo an entire reconciliation in QuickBooks Online. This makes the process much simpler without needing an accountant to do it for you.

Here's how:

Go to All apps and select Accounting.
Click Reconcile, then go to History by account.
Find the reconciliation you want to undo.
Select Undo from the Action dropdown menu.
Review the confirmation prompt, check the box to acknowledge the impact, and complete the undo process.

Let us know if you have additional concerns. We're here to help.

cody_a

Community Manager

In QuickBooks Online, undoing an entire past reconciliation requires a QuickBooks Online Accountant subscription. If you don't have one, you can still unreconcile transactions individually. Here's how to do both.

Option 1: Undo an entire reconciliation in QuickBooks Online Accountant

The Undo action is only available to accountants connected to your QBO account. If you haven't yet, invite your accountant — once connected, they can complete this on your behalf by following the steps below.

Open your client’s company file in QuickBooks Online. Go to All apps, then Accounting, then Reconcile.
Select History by account.
Select the account you want to unreconcile and the date range.
Find the reconciliation you want to undo.
From the Action column, select the dropdown ▼, then select Undo.
Select Yes.
Select Undo.

Good to know: Undoing a reconciliation won't erase your transaction details. Your categories, memos, and attachments stay intact — only the reconciled status is cleared.

If you don't have an accountant and need to undo an entire month, you can find a QuickBooks-certified ProAdvisor who can help.

Option 2: Manually unreconcile transactions one at a time (All QuickBooks Online users)

If you're a standard QBO user or primary admin, the one-click Undo isn't available in your account. You can still unreconcile individual transactions directly from the register. This works well for fixing a small number of transactions, but can be time-consuming if you need to undo a full month.

Follow these steps to change a transaction's status from reconciled (R) to uncleared:

Go to All apps, then Accounting, then Chart of accounts.
Find the account containing the transaction and select View register.
Locate the specific transaction in the list. Reconciled transactions have an "R" in the checkmark column (✔).
Select the transaction to expand the view.
Select the box with the "R" in the checkmark column repeatedly until the box is blank. This action cycles the status from R (Reconciled) to C (Cleared) to Blank (Uncleared).
Select Save.
Repeat for each transaction you need to unreconcile.

Related resources:

If you hit a snag along the way, drop a reply below and we'll help you sort it out.

T

treas-hlsl

I inadvertently linked my bank account and it produced a reconciliation back to 1/1/26. I want to undo that and go back to my normal monthly manual reconciliations.

katelynner

Answer

Community Manager

Yes, you can undo a bank reconciliation in QuickBooks Online. You can remove a single transaction from a reconciliation, or undo an entire reconciliation period at once if you're signed in as the Primary Admin.