{ "title": "Handling Discrepancies", "excerpt": "Spot the gaps in your records and learn how to fix them with Officaid.", "type": "article", "icon": "file.svg", "tags": [ "reconciliation", "discrepancies", "troubleshooting", "finance" ], "order": 5, "updated": "2025-06-20", "author": "Officaid Team", "published": true } ``` --- **content.txt:** ```

When the numbers do not add up, here is what to do

Discrepancies happen. A balance might not match, a transaction could be missing, or an amount might look wrong. The good news is that Officaid gives you multiple ways to spot and resolve these issues before they become bigger problems.

Where to Spot Discrepancies

Officaid provides visibility into your finances from multiple places, so you can catch issues early:

• Reconcile tab - Compare your Officaid balance with your bank statement balance. A "Balances are not matching" message tells you there are differences to investigate.
• Reports - View summaries of your income, expenses, and account balances to spot anything unusual at a glance.
• Insights - Available on your landing page, client pages, vendor pages, and category pages. These give you a quick overview of where your money is going.
• Individual records - Check specific invoices, expenses, or payables to verify amounts and payment status.

Common Scenarios and How to Resolve Them

Here are the most common discrepancies you might encounter and what steps to take:

Scenario 1: Balances Are Not Matching

You see the "Balances are not matching" message in the Reconcile tab.

Possible causes:

• Transactions have not been reconciled yet
• A bank statement has not been uploaded
• Records exist in Officaid but not in your bank statement (or vice versa)

What to do:

• Click See Missing Transactions to view unmatched invoices, expenses, payables, and other income
• Upload your latest bank statement if you have not already
• Work through the Reconcile tab to match outstanding transactions

Scenario 2: A Transaction Has No Match

A bank transaction appears in your statement, but Officaid does not suggest any matching records.

Possible causes:

• The invoice, expense, or payable has not been recorded in Officaid
• The amount or date in your record does not match the bank transaction
• The transaction is a bank fee, interest, or other item without a corresponding record

What to do:

• Check if the record exists in Officaid and verify the amount and date
• If the record is missing, create it first, then return to the Reconcile tab
• For bank fees or interest, use the Classify tab to categorise the transaction directly

Scenario 3: Duplicate Transactions

The same transaction appears twice in your records or your bank statement upload.

Possible causes:

• A bank statement was uploaded more than once
• A record was accidentally created twice in Officaid

What to do:

• Go to the Transactions tab and look for duplicate entries
• Delete the duplicate transaction (if not reconciled)
• If the duplicate is reconciled, clear the reconciliation first, then delete

Scenario 4: Wrong Amount Recorded

An invoice or expense was recorded with the wrong amount, causing a mismatch.

What to do:

• If not reconciled, edit the record directly to correct the amount
• If reconciled, clear the reconciliation first, then edit the record
• Return to the Reconcile tab and match again with the correct amount

Scenario 5: Payment Recorded to the Wrong Account

A payment was recorded against the wrong bank account, causing one account to show extra and another to show missing.

What to do:

• Locate the payment in the incorrect account
• Edit the payment to select the correct account
• Both accounts should now reflect accurate balances

Scenario 6: Missing Invoice Payment

Your bank statement shows a payment received, but the invoice in Officaid still shows as unpaid.

What to do:

• Open the invoice and record the payment
• Return to the Reconcile tab and match the bank transaction with the newly recorded payment

Tips for Preventing Discrepancies

• Record transactions promptly - The sooner you record invoices, expenses, and payments, the easier reconciliation becomes.
• Reconcile regularly - Monthly or weekly reconciliation catches issues early before they accumulate.
• Double-check before uploading - Verify you are uploading the correct bank statement and date range to avoid duplicates.
• Review before accepting matches - Take a moment to confirm amounts and dates before clicking Accept.
• Use Insights to monitor trends - Check your landing page, client pages, and category pages regularly to spot anything unusual.

Still Need Help?

If you have tried the steps above and still cannot resolve a discrepancy, you are not alone. Officaid offers resources to help:

• Officaid Community - Connect with other users, ask questions, and share tips. Join the conversation and get advice from businesses facing similar challenges.
• Workshops - Attend our workshops to learn best practices for reconciliation, financial management, and getting the most out of Officaid.

Discrepancies can be frustrating, but with the right approach, they are usually straightforward to fix. Take it one transaction at a time, and your records will be back in balance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's Next?

Continue building your reconciliation skills with these guides:

• Reconciling Your Transactions - Step-by-step guide to matching records
• Uploading Bank Statements - Import your bank transactions
• What is Bank Reconciliation and Why It Matters - Understand the basics