A bank statement is one of the most useful cross-checks in bookkeeping. HMRC says self-employed people should keep records of sales, income and business expenses, and identifies bank statements as supporting proof. A tidy statement import can help you find missing expenses and separate business activity from personal spending.
Export the statement from your bank
Sign in to your bank directly and export the period you need as CSV or Excel (XLSX). LedgerlyPro does not need your bank password and does not connect to your bank account.
Before uploading, check that the file includes:
- transaction dates
- descriptions or references
- money paid in and paid out, or a single signed amount column
- a balance column if your bank provides one
Keep the original statement as evidence. An imported transaction is a bookkeeping record; it does not replace the original supporting document.
Upload and match the columns
Open Bank statements & imports, select Bank transactions, then upload the CSV or XLSX file. LedgerlyPro suggests which columns contain the date, description and amount. Check the mapping before continuing, especially when a bank uses separate debit and credit columns.
Review the category suggestions
LedgerlyPro can suggest categories from the transaction description, but you stay in control. Review each suggestion and pay particular attention to:
- transfers between your own accounts
- personal purchases
- refunds and chargebacks
- loan payments and capital purchases
- costs that are only partly for business
AI suggestions speed up sorting; they are not tax advice and should not be accepted blindly.
Preview before saving
The preview shows valid rows and flags anything that needs attention. Check the date range, transaction count and total values. If something looks wrong, return to the mapping rather than importing and repairing it later.
Reconcile the result
After import, compare the statement with your invoices, receipts and existing expenses. Attach evidence where needed, remove duplicates and explain unusual transactions with a short note. This makes accountant reviews and Self Assessment preparation much easier.
Build a repeatable routine
Monthly uploads keep the workload small. Set a LedgerlyPro reminder, export the latest statement, review the suggestions and reconcile the month while the transactions are still familiar.
LedgerlyPro Premium includes statement imports, AI-assisted categorisation, previews and import undo for £9.99/month after a 30-day free trial. Start your free trial.
