[IMP] accounting: bank reconciliation documentation updated

taskid:3237825

Co-authored-by: Dallas Dean <[email protected]>

Author: Donapi

content/applications/finance/accounting/bank/reconciliation.rst

@@ -2,94 +2,145 @@
 Bank reconciliation
 ===================
 
-Overview
-========
+**Bank reconciliation** is the process of matching your :doc:`bank transactions <transactions>` with
+your business records, such as :doc:`../customer_invoices`, :doc:`../vendor_bills`, and
+:doc:`../payments`. Not only is this compulsory for most businesses, but it also offers several
+benefits, such as reduced risk of errors in financial reports, detection of fraudulent activities,
+and improved cash flow management.
 
-Matching your bank statements with your accounting records can be a tedious task. You need to find the corresponding invoices, compare the amounts and partners' details with those in the bank statement. These steps can take a lot of time. Luckily, with Odoo you can very easily match your invoices or any other payment document with your bank statements.
+Thanks to the bank :doc:`reconciliation_models`, Odoo pre-selects the matching entries automatically.
 
-Two options of the reconciliation process exist in Odoo.
+.. seealso::
+   - :doc:`bank_synchronization`
+   - :doc:`transactions`
+   - :doc:`reconciliation_models`
+   - `Odoo Tutorials: Bank reconciliation <https://www.odoo.com/slides/slide/bank-reconciliation-2724>`_
 
-1. We can directly specify the payment on the invoice
-2. We can reconcile open invoices with bank statements
+User interface
+==============
 
-Configuration
-=============
+To reach the **Bank reconciliation tool** from your :guilabel:`Accounting Dashboard`:
 
-No special configuration is necessary to record invoices. All we need
-to do is to install the accounting app.
+- Click :guilabel:`Bank`: this view displays all transactions;
+- Click :guilabel:`Reconcile X items`: this view displays the transactions Odoo pre-selected for
+  reconciliation.
 
-.. image:: reconciliation/use01.png
+.. image:: reconciliation/bank-card.png
+   :alt: Reaching the bank reconciliation tool from your accounting dashboard
 
-Use cases
-=========
+While other journals have a standard list view as their default view, the default view of Bank and
+Cash type journals is the reconciliation view. This view keeps the standard search bar but separates
+the rest of the view into three distinct sections: the :ref:`transactions column
+<bank/transactions>` on the left, the :ref:`counterpart entries <bank/counterpart>` on the bottom
+right, and the :ref:`resulting entry <bank/result>` on the top right.
 
-Case 1: Payments registration
------------------------------
+.. image:: reconciliation/user-interface.png
+   :alt: The user interface of the reconciliation view of a bank journal.
 
-We received the proof of payment of our invoice in the amount of 2100 euros issued to
-Smith & Co.
+.. _bank/transactions:
 
-We start at our issued Invoice of 2100 euros for Smith & Co. Because the
-sold product is a service we demand an immediate payment. Our accountant
-only handles bank statements at the end of week, so we have to mark
-this invoice as paid immediately in order to indicate that we can start rendering services to our
-customer.
+Transactions column
+-------------------
 
-Our customer send us a payment confirmation. We can thus register a
-payment and mark the invoice as paid.
+The :doc:`transactions` column on the left displays the bank transactions waiting to be reconciled,
+sorted from newest at the top to oldest at the bottom. When selecting a transaction to reconcile, a
+colored tag appears on the right side of the tile.
 
-.. image:: reconciliation/use02.png
+.. tip::
+   To see transactions that have already been reconciled, remove the `Not Matched` filter from the
+   search bar.
 
-By clicking on **register payment,** we are telling Odoo that our
-customer has paid the Invoice. We thus have to specify the amount and the
-payment method.
+.. _bank/counterpart:
 
-.. image:: reconciliation/use03.png
+Counterpart entries
+-------------------
 
-Now we can always find the payment details in the Invoice by clicking on the
-:menuselection:`Info --> Open Payment`.
+The counterpart entries section on the bottom right displays the options available to match the
+active bank transaction. Multiple tabs are available, including
+:ref:`reconciliation/existing-entries`, :ref:`reconciliation/batch-payments`,
+:ref:`reconciliation/manual-operations`, and :guilabel:`Discuss`, which contains the chatter for the
+active bank transaction.
 
-.. image:: reconciliation/use04.png
+.. _bank/result:
 
-The invoice has been paid and **the reconciliation has been done
-automatically.**
+Resulting entry
+---------------
 
-Case 2: Bank statements reconciliations
----------------------------------------
+The resulting entry section in the top right displays the active bank transaction matched with the
+counterpart entries and includes any remaining debits or credits. In this section, you can validate
+the reconciliation or mark it as :guilabel:`To Check`. Any :ref:`reconciliation model buttons
+<reconciliation_models_button>` that have been created are also available in the resulting entry
+section.
 
-We start at our issued Invoice of 3000 euros for Smith & Co. Let's also
-assume that other Invoices are open for different customers.
+Reconcile transactions
+======================
 
-.. image:: reconciliation/use05.png
+Transactions can be matched automatically with the use of :doc:`../bank/reconciliation_models`, or
+they can be matched with :ref:`existing entries <reconciliation/existing-entries>`, :ref:`batch
+payments <reconciliation/batch-payments>`, :ref:`manual operations
+<reconciliation/manual-operations>`, and reconciliation model buttons.
 
-We receive our bank statement and find that not only the invoice issued to Smith & Co has
-been paid, but the one to Buzz of 92 euros as well.
+#. Select a transaction amongst unmatched bank transactions;
+#. Define the counterpart. There are several options for defining a counterpart, including
+   :ref:`matching existing entries <reconciliation/existing-entries>`, :ref:`manual operations
+   <reconciliation/manual-operations>`, :ref:`batch payments
+   <reconciliation/batch-payments>`, and :ref:`reconciliation model buttons
+   <reconciliation_models_button>`;
+#. If the resulting entry isn't fully balanced, balance it by adding another existing counterpart
+   entry or writing it off with a :ref:`manual operation <reconciliation/manual-operations>`;
+#. Click the :guilabel:`Validate` button to confirm the reconciliation and move to the next
+   transaction.
 
-**Import** or **Create** the bank statements. Please refer to the
-documents from the Bank Feeds section.
+.. tip::
+   If you aren't sure what to reconcile a particular transaction with and would like to either
+   return to it yourself later or have a colleague look at it, use the :guilabel:`To Check` button
+   instead of :guilabel:`Validate`. When you or your colleague are ready to review all transactions
+   marked as :guilabel:`To Check`, simply use the :guilabel:`To Check` filter.
 
-.. image:: reconciliation/use06.png
+.. note::
+   Bank statement transactions are posted on the Suspense Account until reconciliation. At this
+   point, reconciliation modifies the transaction journal entry by replacing the Bank Suspense
+   account with the corresponding receivable, payable, or outstanding account.
 
-On the dashboard, click on **Reconcile # Items**
+.. _reconciliation/existing-entries:
 
-.. image:: reconciliation/use07.png
+Match existing entries
+----------------------
 
-If everything was right (correct partner name, right amount) odoo will
-do the reconciliations **automatically**.
+The :guilabel:`Match Existing Entries` tab reflects the journal items from your business records
+(such as customer invoices, vendor bills, and payments). The entry order is based on
+:ref:`reconciliation models <reconciliation_models_suggestion>`, with suggested entries appearing
+first.
 
-.. image:: reconciliation/use08.png
+.. tip::
+   The search bar within the :guilabel:`Match Existing Entries` tab allows you to search for specific
+   journal items.
 
-If some issues are found, you will need to take **manual actions**.
+.. _reconciliation/batch-payments:
 
-For example, if the partner is missing from your bank statement, just
-fill it in :
+Batch payments
+--------------
 
-.. image:: reconciliation/use09.png
+Use the :guilabel:`Batch Payments` tab to find batch payments for customers and vendors. Similarly
+to the :guilabel:`Match Existing Entries` tab, the :guilabel:`Batch Payments` tab has a search bar
+that allows you to search for specific batch payments.
 
-If the payment is done with a down payment, just check if it is all
-right and validate all related payments :
+.. _reconciliation/manual-operations:
 
-.. image:: reconciliation/use10.png
+Manual operations
+-----------------
 
-.. seealso::
-   :doc:`bank_synchronization`
+If there isn't an existing entry to match the active transaction with, you may instead wish to
+reconcile the transaction manually by selecting the correct account and amount. Then, complete any
+of the relevant optional fields.
+
+.. note::
+   You might want to set a record as entirely paid, even if only a partial payment has been made for
+   this transaction. To do so, click on :guilabel:`fully paid`.
+
+Reconciliation model buttons
+----------------------------
+
+Use a :ref:`reconciliation model button <reconciliation_models_button>` for manual operations that
+are frequently used. These custom buttons allow you to quickly reconcile bank statement transactions
+manually and can also be used in combination with existing entries.