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Format guide

Bank statement in Excel: what the .xlsx file holds

Short answer

The Excel file has two sheets. Transactions lists every row with real dates and real numbers, so sums, sorting and filters work straight away. Summary shows the statement’s opening and closing balances, the balance we calculated, and whether they match.

Updated

What the format is

An .xlsx file is an Excel workbook. Unlike a CSV, it stores a date as a date and an amount as a number, so Excel doesn’t have to guess how to read them.

Which software opens it

Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers. Accounting software doesn’t read it directly. For that, export QBO, OFX, Xero CSV or Tally XML instead.

How our file is laid out

Transactions sheet

ColumnWhat is in it
DateA real Excel date, shown as mm/dd/yyyy, dd/mm/yyyy or yyyy-mm-dd, whichever you chose
DescriptionThe statement’s text, as a text cell
Debit and CreditMoney out and money in, both as positive numbers. Credit card statements say Charges and Payments instead
AmountOne signed number: money out is negative
BalanceOnly when the statement prints a running balance

Numbers are shown with two decimals. The header row has a filter turned on.

Summary sheet

The statement name, account type, period and currency, then the opening balance, total credits and debits, the closing balance as printed, the closing balance we calculated, the difference, a plain Check line (Balanced, Does not balance, or Not checked when balances are missing) and the number of transactions. Credit cards say Previous balance and New balance instead.

How to use it

  1. 01Download the Excel file from the export bar.
  2. 02Open it in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers.
  3. 03Read the Summary sheet first. If Check says Balanced, the rows add up to the statement’s own numbers.
  4. 04Use the Transactions sheet as it is, or copy columns into your own workbook. Because dates and amounts are real values, pivot tables and SUMIF work without cleaning.

Common errors and fixes

Dates look the wrong way round

The cell holds the right date; only the display is off. Export again with the date format your computer uses, or change the cell format in Excel.

The Summary says “Does not balance”

The rows we read don’t add up to the statement’s closing balance. Go back to the review screen, find the row or page where the difference starts, add or fix it, and export again.

I need to import this into accounting software

Use the matching format instead. Most accounting programs read OFX, QBO or CSV, not workbooks. If you only have the .xlsx, save the Transactions sheet as CSV from Excel.

Converter

Bank statement to Excel

Converts a text PDF to an Excel workbook in your browser, checked against the statement’s own balances.

Open Bank statement to ExcelTry a sample statement

Text PDFs are read in your browser and never uploaded. Scanned PDFs are not supported yet; OCR is coming soon.

Questions

Why are there two sheets?
The Transactions sheet is the data you work with. The Summary sheet is the record of the balance check, so you can show it to someone else.
Are the numbers text or values?
Values. Dates are real dates and amounts are real numbers, so formulas work straight away. Descriptions are text cells, and one that starts with = is never run as a formula.
Why Credit and Debit, and an Amount column too?
Some people like separate columns and some like one signed column. Both are there, so use whichever suits your formulas.
How do I know the transactions are right?
Each statement is checked against its printed opening and closing balances before you export. If they don’t match, the review screen shows the difference so you can fix it first.
Is my statement uploaded anywhere?
No. A PDF with real text is read by code running in your browser tab, and the file is built there too. Nothing is sent to our servers. How we handle your data.
Does this work on scanned statements?
Not yet. Tableaf reads PDFs that contain real text, which is what most banks give you when you download a statement. Reading scanned or photographed pages (OCR) is coming soon.
What does it cost?
Five pages a day are free with no account, in every format and with the balance check. Paid plans are on the pricing page.

More guides

General information, not accounting or tax advice.