Trust account reconciliation template (Excel and CSV)
Free three-way trust reconciliation templates for Excel or CSV — bank, trust ledger and client balances — plus a tool that fills in the reconciliation for you.
Download the templates
⬇ All three (.xlsx) ⬇ Bank (.csv) ⬇ Trust ledger (.csv) ⬇ Client balances (.csv)
- Bank: Date, Description, Check Number, Amount (deposits positive, withdrawals negative), Balance.
- Trust ledger: Date, Client, Matter, Type, Ref (check number), Description, Deposit, Disbursement. Start with each client's opening balance, or export from the account's first entry.
- Client balances (optional): Client, Matter, Balance — your software's client trust balance report.
Why not a spreadsheet alone?
A template gives you the layout, but the work is matching: ticking off every check and deposit, finding which ledger entries haven't cleared, and grouping the ledger by client. Drop the filled templates (or your own exports) above and Tiesheet does the matching, totals and checks. Pro gives you the result back as an Excel workbook with formulas.
Nothing is uploaded
Trust account data is about as confidential as it gets. Tiesheet reads your bank export and ledger with JavaScript in your browser tab; nothing is sent to a server, there's no account, and nothing about your transactions is saved — close the tab and it's gone. (Pro can keep this month's outstanding items in this browser so next month picks them up; you choose.)
How it works
- Drop the bank statement export and the trust ledger (CSV or Excel). Optionally add your software's client balance report.
- Check the period and ending balance — read from the statement when it has a balance column.
- See whether it ties: outstanding items, bank items missing from the ledger, every client's balance and the checks that failed. Print it, or with Pro download the Excel workbook.
FAQ
What is a three-way reconciliation?
It shows that three balances agree on the same date: the bank statement balance adjusted for outstanding checks and deposits in transit, the trust account ledger (checkbook) balance, and the total of all individual client ledger balances. Lawyers with client trust (IOLTA) accounts and real estate brokers holding escrow funds are generally required to do it regularly; how often depends on your state.
Is my data uploaded?
No. Your files are read by JavaScript in your browser tab and never sent to us or anyone else. Transactions aren't stored at all. With Pro you can choose to keep this month's outstanding items in this browser for next month.
Which files can I use?
CSV, tab-separated or Excel exports. The bank file needs a date and an amount (or deposit and withdrawal columns); a check number and running balance help. The ledger needs a date, an amount and a client, matter, owner or tenant column on each line. QuickBooks-style reports grouped under client headings work. Download the templates to see the layout.
What's free?
Matching, the three-way summary, outstanding items and every check, for any number of transactions. The printed report and CSV list up to 10 client ledgers with a small footer. Pro lists every client ledger and adds the Excel workbook, ledger cards and month-to-month carry-forward.
Does it replace my trust accounting software?
No. Tiesheet reconciles the records you already keep; it doesn't record transactions, write checks or connect to your bank. It also doesn't know your state's rules — check them, and have the report reviewed by the responsible lawyer or broker.
Why doesn't the bank balance agree with my ledger?
Usually bank fees or interest that were never recorded, a deposit or check recorded for the wrong amount, or an item outstanding from last month. Tiesheet lists bank transactions missing from the ledger and says when they explain the whole difference.