Retainer Bank and Liability Tie-Out

Explain differences between a separate retainer bank balance and customer liability without treating them as interchangeable. Preparation only, not an account action.

What to provide

Bank snapshot; customer liability detail; receipt/transfer IDs; reconciling items; dates/currency; trust/accountant policy.

How it works

1. Confirm both snapshots share date and currency; preserve each balance.
2. Match customer receipts and documented transfers to bank entries.
3. Show named reconciling items rather than forcing liability to equal cash.
4. Escalate unexplained differences and account-treatment questions; do not transfer or reclassify funds.

The output

date | bank_balance | liability_total | documented_items | explained_difference | unexplained | review_owner

Worked fictional example

Fictional bank 1000 and liabilities 900 differ 100. A documented 100 operating transfer explains the difference but does not authorize it or prove compliance. Unknown transfer ownership stays held.

Checks and limits

Keep source versions and original values. Unknowns stay unknown. Use qualified review for regulated, legal or hiring decisions. No live account compatibility test, send, share, schedule, ledger change or payment is authorized.

More bookkeepers workflows · How-to guides

Method: reviewed source. Demand lead: Oct8 live GSC through Oct5: marketing copilot 37 impressions, Planable/Claude 33 and Planable/ChatGPT 23, campaign brief 12 and reports 11. Marketing/social topics follow these parent-query leads; other professions follow method-source workflow needs, not exact query measurements. Exact monthly volume is unmeasured. Checked October 8, 2026.