Bookkeeping › Bank Reconciliation
How do you deal with stale or cancelled cheques in a reconciliation?
AdvancedAnswer
A stale cheque (typically unpresented for over six months) will not be honoured by the bank. It should be written back: debit the bank (cash book) to reinstate the funds and credit the original account (e.g., the supplier/payable) since the liability revives. It's then removed from the list of unpresented cheques.
Stale cheque 250 written back:
Dr Bank (cash book) 250
Cr Payables (supplier) 250Real-world example A cheque outstanding for eight months is written back, restoring the cash book balance and the creditor.