A PDF bank statement presents an account's balances and transactions on fixed pages. PDF standardises documents, not bank transaction fields: text and images can be arranged without a common statement schema. For bookkeeping, use the bank's supported structured export, such as CAMT.053, MT940, OFX or CSV, when available.
What is in a PDF bank statement?
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| File format | PDF, ISO 32000; the current edition is ISO 32000-2:2020, PDF 2.0 |
| Layout | set by each bank, and often changed over time |
| Text | may be selectable text, a scanned image, or an image with an OCR text layer |
| Typical content | account holder, IBAN, period, opening balance, transactions, closing balance |
| Standard bank transaction fields | not defined by PDF itself |
The PDF Association makes the PDF 2.0 specification available at no cost (PDF Association). The standard describes how pages are drawn, not what a bank statement means.
PDF statement or structured export?
| PDF statement | Structured export | |
|---|---|---|
| Made for | people | software |
| Transaction structure | depends on the bank's document | defined by the export format |
| Examples | the monthly PDF | CAMT.053, MT940, OFX, bank CSV |
If your bank offers a structured export for the period, use it. Older periods, closed accounts and some banks only give you the PDF, and then the figures have to be read back off the page and checked against the balances.
What does Klarbon do with PDF statements?
Reading PDF bank statements is planned in Klarbon, not available yet. Klarbon already reads several structured bank files in beta; see supported bank statement files and the balance check.
Related
Frequently asked questions
Why can my accounting software not import a PDF bank statement?
An ordinary statement PDF presents a page layout rather than a standardised transaction file with named date, amount and balance fields. Accounting software needs structured data, such as CAMT.053, MT940, OFX or a CSV in a known layout.
Should I download a native bank export instead of a PDF?
Yes, if your bank offers one for the period you need. A CAMT.053, MT940 or CSV export comes straight from the bank's records, so nothing has to be read back off a page.
Why is a scanned statement harder than a downloaded one?
A PDF may contain selectable text, a scanned image, or a scan with an added text layer. Check the actual file rather than assuming its structure from how you received it.
How do I know a statement was read correctly?
Check that the opening balance plus all transactions equals the closing balance. A zero difference is necessary but not sufficient, so also compare dates, payees and references with the original.
Sources
- PDF Association, ISO 32000-2 errata project raw.githubusercontent.com