WHO ZERABOOKS IS FOR · FORENSIC ACCOUNTANTS
Forensic accounting software
built around how your team works.
ZeraBooks is forensic accounting software that turns bank, credit card, check and brokerage statements into spreadsheets proven to the printed balances, with duplicates removed and missing months flagged. ZeraBooks builds the output around your firm’s own workpaper template for free, with no development charge, whether you run a forensic department or practice on your own.
Free custom build · No development charge · Firms and solo practitioners
WHAT IT HANDLES
What does ZeraBooks do for a forensic accountant?
ZeraBooks reads every statement in a matter, proves each one, and hands back the workpaper your team already uses. Here is what that means for each kind of document a production usually holds.
| Document | What ZeraBooks reads | What it proves | What it flags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank statements | Every line, account and account ending | Opening plus every row equals the printed closing balance | A month whose opening doesn’t match the last closing |
| Credit card statements | Every charge, split by cardholder | Each cardholder ties to the printed member totals | A cardholder whose rows don’t add up |
| Check images | Check number, date, payee, amount, memo, signer | Each check matches the statement line it paid | A pictured check with no statement line |
| Brokerage and investment statements | Summary, holdings and activity | Values tie to the printed summary | A month missing inside a quarterly statement |
| Overlapping or repeated statements | The same period produced twice | Rows counted once | Which file was the duplicate |
Read the full list of columns in choose a download format.
ZeraBooks builds the workflow around your matters and your template for free. No development charge, whether it’s a forensic department or one person.
PROOF
How does ZeraBooks prove a statement is complete?
A statement is complete when its opening balance plus every row reaches its printed closing balance, and its closing balance is the next month’s opening. ZeraBooks checks both, for every account and every cardholder, before you download anything.
Checking ••4417 · March 2025
- Opening balance
- 14,902.35
- Money in
- 8,120.00
- Money out
- 4,781.80
- Printed closing balance
- 18,240.55
COVERAGE
How does ZeraBooks find a missing month?
The balance chain runs across months too. Lay every account against every month and the hole shows up on its own.
| Account | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checking ••4417 | Jan: Proven | Feb: Proven | Mar: Proven | MissingApr: Not produced | May: Proven | Jun: Proven |
| Savings ••0932 | Jan: Proven | Feb: Proven | Mar: Proven | Apr: Proven | May: Proven | Jun: Proven |
| Amex ••1008 | Jan: Proven | 2 copiesFeb: Uploaded twice, counted once | Mar: Proven | Apr: Proven | May: Proven | Jun: Proven |
CHECKS
How are check images handled?
Pictured checks add detail to the statement line they paid. They never add rows, so nothing is counted twice.
No. 328503/14/2025
Pay toHarbor Marine Supply
Amount$2,450.00
MemoDeposit, slip 12
Signed · J. R.
| 03/12 | POS Shell 0471 | −61.20 |
| 03/14 | Check 3285 · Harbor Marine Supply | −2,450.00 |
| 03/15 | ACH Payroll | +4,060.00 |
YOUR WORKPAPER
Can ZeraBooks match our workpaper format?
Send ZeraBooks the template your team fills by hand. The download comes back in it, so nobody reformats anything.
Your workpaper template.xlsx
| Date | Payee | Check # | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mm/dd/yyyy | Text | 0000 | (#,##0.00) | #,##0.00 |
ZeraBooks download.xlsx
| Date | Payee | Check # | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03/14/2025 | Harbor Marine Supply | 3285 | (2,450.00) |
FREE CUSTOM BUILD
What does a free custom build include, and what does it cost?
There’s no charge for the build, the tailoring or setting up your team. Usage pricing is fair, flexible and quoted for your firm on the call.
- 1
A 15-minute call
Tell Damin which matter types you run and send the template your team uses.
- 2
Send one past matter
A matter you’ve already finished, so you can check every total against your own work.
- 3
See it built in 2 to 3 days
Every statement proven, gaps and duplicates flagged, delivered in your template.
- 4
Your team signs in
Each person sees only their own matters. One forensic accountant or a whole department, same free build. Firm-wide setups are on ZeraBooks for accounting firms.
RANKINGS BY JOB
Which forensic accounting tools are best for each job?
We ranked the tools forensic accountants use, one page per job. Each ranking uses facts from each vendor’s own site, with the date we checked.
Overall
Ten tools ranked on proof, checks, coverage and cost: the best forensic accounting software.
AI
What AI can and can’t do in an engagement: the best AI tools for forensic accountants.
Proof of cash
With a free four-column template: the best proof of cash software.
Divorce work
For the forensic accountant on a matrimonial matter: the best divorce forensic accounting software.
For family-law attorneys
With a discovery checklist: the best software to find hidden assets in divorce.
Leaving Valid8
Options with a price you can read first: the best Valid8 alternatives.
Leaving DataSnipper
When the statements need extracting before matching: the best DataSnipper alternatives.
Leaving CaseWare IDEA
Getting PDF data into analytics: the best CaseWare IDEA alternatives.
Bank statement analysis
Forensic, lending and authenticity tools sorted by job: the best bank statement analysis software.
Asset tracing
A trail with no missing month: the best asset tracing software.
WHO USES IT
Who uses ZeraBooks for forensic work?
ZeraBooks was built first for a top-10 U.S. forensic team that needed months of client statements turned into its own Excel workpapers, proven to the cent. The same build now serves forensic and valuation departments at accounting firms, litigation support teams, and solo CFEs, CVAs and forensic CPAs.
Family-law forensic accountants use it to show what was produced and what wasn’t. The bank statements for divorce page walks through that spreadsheet.
HONEST LIMITS
What ZeraBooks doesn’t do
ZeraBooks gives no expert opinion or testimony and isn’t legal advice. It doesn’t connect to banks: you upload what was produced, up to 50 MB and 500 pages a file. Documents stay for 30 days and are then deleted, so keep your own matter file.
MORE FORENSIC RANKINGS
Best forensic accounting software, by job
- Best forensic accounting softwareTen tools ranked on proof, checks, coverage and cost.
- Best AI tools for forensic accountantsAI that reads statements and proves its own work.
- Best proof of cash softwareThe bank side done for you, with a four-column example.
- Best divorce forensic accounting softwareFor the forensic accountant on a matrimonial matter.
- Best software to find hidden assets in divorceFor family-law attorneys, with a discovery checklist.
- Best Valid8 alternativesForensic tools with a price you can read first.
- Best DataSnipper alternativesWhen the statements need extracting before matching.
- Best CaseWare IDEA alternativesGetting PDF statement data into analytics, proven.
- Best bank statement analysis softwareForensic, investigation and lending tools sorted by job.
- Best asset tracing softwareA money trail with no missing month.
What software do forensic accountants use?
Most use a statement extraction tool, Excel, and sometimes an analytics tool such as CaseWare IDEA. ZeraBooks covers the extraction and proof step and delivers it in the firm’s own Excel workpaper. The best forensic accounting software ranking compares ten tools.
Is ZeraBooks free for a solo forensic accountant?
The custom build is free for a solo practitioner too. Usage pricing is quoted to fit your caseload on the setup call.
Can ZeraBooks do a proof of cash?
It proves each statement’s balances and the month-to-month chain, which is the bank side of a proof of cash. Reconciling to the books stays your work, or we build it into your workflow. See the best proof of cash software.
Does it read scanned statements?
Yes, scans saved as PDF. A statement that doesn’t tie after reading is flagged, so you know where to look.
Who can see our client documents?
Only the person who uploaded them, and documents are deleted after 30 days. Each team member sees only their own matters.
How long does a custom build take?
Usually 2 to 3 days from the first past matter you send.
Can it handle a large production?
Each file can be up to 50 MB and 500 pages. A larger production goes in as several files, and ZeraBooks combines them into one workpaper.
FREE CUSTOM BUILD
Send one past matter.
See it in your template in 2 to 3 days.
ZeraBooks builds it around your workpaper for free, for a forensic department or one person. Usage pricing is fair, flexible and quoted for your firm.