SHORT ANSWER · CASEWARE IDEA
How do you get PDF bank statements into CaseWare IDEA?
Get proven rows out of the PDFs first, then import one table. ZeraBooks extracts every row, proves each statement to its printed balances and downloads Excel or CSV in the All details columns. IDEA imports Excel and CSV, so the table goes straight in. Choosing a tool? See the best CaseWare IDEA alternatives.
THE STEPS
What are the steps from PDF to IDEA?
Prove the statements, download one table, import it. Here is each step.
- 1
Upload the statements
Bank, card, check and brokerage PDFs as produced, scans included, up to 50 MB and 500 pages a file.
- 2
Check that every statement ties
Opening balance plus every row must equal the printed closing. For Checking ••4417 in March: 14,902.35 + 8,120.00 − 4,781.80 = 18,240.55. Anything that misses is marked Needs a look.
- 3
Download the All details table
Excel or CSV with Date, Description, Amount, Money In, Money Out, Balance, Account, Account Last 4, Cardholder, Type, Check Number and Source File.
- 4
Import the table into IDEA
Bring in the Excel or CSV file the way your team imports any table. Each test result then traces back through Source File to a statement.
ZeraBooks builds the workflow around your matters and your template for free. No development charge, whether it’s a forensic department or one person.
BEFORE YOU IMPORT
What should you check before the table goes into IDEA?
Check completeness, because no test on the imported rows will show a statement that was never there.
- Every statement shows as tied, with nothing left on Needs a look.
- No month is missing in the balance chain. In Matter 25-117, April was, a 3,664.55 hole.
- Duplicate uploads were counted once, so no rows are doubled.
- Check images, if any, sit on the line they paid instead of adding rows.
WHY NOT DIRECT
Can’t IDEA import the PDFs directly?
Its site lists PDF among the formats IDEA imports. But not a statement tool; finds gaps and duplicates in data already imported, so the proof against each printed balance has to happen somewhere first. More on what is CaseWare IDEA, and whether you need IDEA at all in CaseWare IDEA vs Excel.
Should I use Excel or CSV for IDEA?
Either works. IDEA’s site lists both among the formats it imports, and ZeraBooks downloads both.
Can I combine many statements into one table?
Yes. Every row carries its Account, Account Last 4 and Source File, so one table can hold the whole matter and still trace back.
What about credit card statements?
They come out split by cardholder and tied to the printed member totals, in the same table.
Sources and further reading
- CaseWare IDEA
FREE CUSTOM BUILD
Prove the PDFs first.
Then import one table.
Send a finished matter and it comes back as a tied table within 2 to 3 days, with no charge for the build.