Last reviewed . Next review January 2027.
Short answer
Most problems come from a handful of mistakes. Fixing them quickly is easy. Fixing them months later is not. Find your symptom in the table, then use the fix.
| Mistake | What you see | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Customer payment coded on Create instead of matched | Invoice still shows as unpaid, income counted twice | Unreconcile the bank line, then match it to the invoice |
| Bill captured twice | Supplier balance too high in Aged Payables | Delete the duplicate if it is a draft. Void it if it was approved and is unpaid |
| Bill entered after paying it from Create | Bill stays unpaid, expense counted twice | Unreconcile the payment, then match it to the bill |
| Wrong contact on an invoice | Customer statement wrong | Edit the invoice if unpaid, or credit it and reissue |
| Transfer between own accounts coded as an expense | Expense too high, other account won't reconcile | Unreconcile and recode it using Transfer |
| Feed missing transactions | Statement balance and Xero balance don't agree | Renew the bank connection; check the dates on the statement. See bank feeds |
| SARS payment coded as an expense | Expenses too high, VAT or PAYE balance wrong | Unreconcile and ask your accountant for the right account |
| VAT claimed on a bill from a non-vendor | VAT claimed that SARS will disallow | Edit the bill to no VAT (if the month is still open), or tell your accountant |
How to unreconcile
- Open the bank account and choose Account transactions.
- Find and open the transaction.
- Choose Options, then Unreconcile.
- The line returns to the reconcile screen and you can redo it.
Golden rule
Before you change anything, check the date. Don't edit transactions in a month that is already finished and reported on. In South Africa that usually means a VAT period that has been filed. Make a note on the Discuss tab instead and ask your accountant.