Client Statement PDFs to Xero Statement Imports

Steps for accountants and bookkeepers

1. Download the client's statement PDFs, one account at a time as a PDF (scanned PDFs aren't supported).
2. Load the PDF in the converter at the start of this page.
3. Tie out the totals above the table to the statement summary and note it in your workpapers.
4. Set Export layout to Xero layout (free), choose Download CSV, then save it in the client folder.

What the file looks like

Sample rows, Xero layout setting.

Xero notes

• Xero only requires Date and Amount to create bank statement lines. The Xero layout gives Date, Amount, Payee, Description and Reference, with one signed Amount column and the statement text in Payee. $0 rows are left out.
• The Xero layout writes dates month-first (MM/DD/YYYY, such as 08/02/2026). If Xero asks you to confirm the date format, choose MM/DD/YYYY.

Why it fits accountants and bookkeepers

Onboarding a client to Xero usually means bringing in history the feed can't reach. Convert their statement PDFs with the Xero layout and import them account by account.

For multi-entity clients, import each entity's statements into its own Xero organization and keep a simple log of which periods were imported from files. That log saves time when the bank feed later starts and you need to avoid double counting.

Tip: Xero remembers your column assignment for later files with the same headers, so after the first import of the Xero layout, the next months go faster.