# Which receipts are still missing? A client says everything has been sent, but the month-end packet and transaction list still need to be checked against each other. The useful answer shows what matches, what cannot be identified yet and what is absent from the packet. In this fictional example, a bookkeeping owner asks the Areinum Assistant to help prepare that comparison. The transactions, receipts and result are illustrative. Canonical: https://areinum.com/examples/bookkeeping-missing-receipts/ Language: en Updated: 2026-10-31 ## Fictional example The owner's request: Compare the April transaction list with the receipts I received. Show me matches, uncertain items and anything I need to ask the client for. Information provided: - Fictional April transactions: B-41 printer paper $48; B-42 courier $19; B-43 fuel $55. - Fictional packet: a matching $48 receipt, an unreadable $19 scan and no identifiable fuel receipt. Example result: B-41: matched. B-42: uncertain, because the scan has no readable merchant or date. B-43: no matching receipt found in the supplied packet. A follow-up draft asks for a clearer scan and the fuel receipt. The next step: The owner checks the comparison and decides whether to request the two items from the client. ## Start with the records for the period The owner supplies the April transaction list and the receipt packet received for that period. The list contains B-41 for $48 of printer paper, B-42 for a $19 courier charge and B-43 for $55 of fuel. The packet contains a readable $48 receipt matching B-41 and a $19 scan whose merchant and date cannot be read. It contains no identifiable fuel receipt. The client's statement that everything was sent is useful context, but it does not resolve the unclear scan. ## Separate an uncertain match from a missing file The comparison could mark B-41 as matched, B-42 as uncertain and B-43 as having no matching receipt in the supplied packet. The $19 amount alone is not enough to identify the scan as the courier receipt. B-43 is missing from this packet, though the client may have stored it elsewhere. The owner can check the original scan or ask for a clearer copy. If another packet arrives, the open entries can be compared again. ## Ask about the two actual gaps A draft for the owner could say: “Could you send a clearer copy of the $19 receipt so I can check the merchant and date? I also could not find the $55 fuel receipt in the April packet. Please send it or let me know where it was shared.” The owner reviews the recipient and wording, then chooses whether to use the message. The bookkeeper decides how to treat each expense. ## Keep the result with the period Keeping the transaction references, packet name and match status together makes the next review easier to pick up. When the fuel receipt or a legible scan arrives, the owner can update those entries without asking for the whole packet again. ## Questions you may have ### What if a receipt exists somewhere else? The comparison covers the records supplied for this review. An item absent from this packet may still be in another file or with the client. ### Can the $19 scan be matched by amount alone? Not in this example. Another transaction could share the amount, so the merchant and date need to be checked before the scan is treated as a match. ### Who decides how to treat the expense? The bookkeeper reviews the records and makes the accounting or tax decision. The comparison helps identify which evidence is available. ## Sources and further reading - [Do you offer receipt management with you bookkeeping service?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bookkeeping/comments/1dfkxrb/do_you_offer_receipt_management_with_you/): A bookkeeping discussion covers checking purchase records and following up on missing receipts. - [Following Up with Clients Who Don't Like Tech](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bookkeeping/comments/1ka0d1u/following_up_with_clients_who_dont_like_tech/): A discussion asks how to track requests for missing receipts and explanations when clients prefer email. ## Related reading - [AI for bookkeeping firms: separate missing receipts from unconfirmed records](https://areinum.com/ai-for-bookkeeping-firms/) - [Prepare and work with business documents](https://areinum.com/product/documents/) - [Find what is missing before a client project starts](https://areinum.com/guides/missing-client-project-information/) - [How to check work prepared by AI](https://areinum.com/guides/check-work-prepared-by-ai/) Explore the demo: https://platform.areinum.com/ See how Areinum approaches this work. Demo access may need to be arranged.