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Format guide

Tally XML for bank statements: layout and how to import it

Short answer

The Tally XML has one voucher per statement line: a Payment for money out, a Receipt for money in. Each posts between your bank ledger and one other ledger, Suspense A/c by default, and both ledgers must already exist in the company. Import it in TallyPrime with Alt+O (Import), Transactions.

Last tested

Updated

What the format is

Tally reads and writes data as XML. A file of vouchers is imported into a company, and each voucher refers to ledgers by name.

Which software takes it

TallyPrime and Tally.ERP 9.

How our file is laid out

Money out

Payment voucher

  • Your other ledgerdefault: Suspense A/cDebit
  • Your bank ledgerdefault: Bank AccountCredit

Money in

Receipt voucher

  • Your bank ledgerdefault: Bank AccountDebit
  • Your other ledgerdefault: Suspense A/cCredit

Both ledgers must already exist in the Tally company, with the same names you typed in the export options.

How each statement line is posted. Our own diagram, not a screenshot.
<VOUCHER VCHTYPE="Payment" ACTION="Create">
 <DATE>20261003</DATE>
 <VOUCHERTYPENAME>Payment</VOUCHERTYPENAME>
 <NARRATION>CORNER CAFE 0412 SEATTLE WA</NARRATION>
 <ALLLEDGERENTRIES.LIST>
  <LEDGERNAME>Suspense A/c</LEDGERNAME>
  <ISDEEMEDPOSITIVE>Yes</ISDEEMEDPOSITIVE>
  <AMOUNT>-12.40</AMOUNT>
 </ALLLEDGERENTRIES.LIST>
 <ALLLEDGERENTRIES.LIST>
  <LEDGERNAME>HDFC Bank</LEDGERNAME>
  <ISDEEMEDPOSITIVE>No</ISDEEMEDPOSITIVE>
  <AMOUNT>12.40</AMOUNT>
 </ALLLEDGERENTRIES.LIST>
</VOUCHER>
One voucher, money out, with made-up data and a ledger named HDFC Bank
PartWhat we write
RequestImport Data, report name Vouchers. If you enter a company name, it is added as the current company
VCHTYPEPayment (money out) or Receipt (money in), with Action Create
DATEYYYYMMDD
NARRATIONThe full description
Ledger entriesTwo per voucher. On a Payment the other ledger is debited and the bank credited. On a Receipt the bank is debited and the other ledger credited
DefaultsBank Account for the bank or card ledger, Suspense A/c for the other ledger
SkippedLines with no date or an amount of zero

How to import it

TallyPrime

  1. 01Create the two ledgers in the company if they don’t exist. The names must match what you typed in the export options.
  2. 02Press Alt+O (Import), then Transactions.
  3. 03Enter the file path, choose Yes to back up first, and press Enter.
  4. 04Check the statistics, then the Day Book.

Tally.ERP 9

  1. 01From the Gateway of Tally, choose Import Data, then Vouchers.
  2. 02Enter the name of the XML file and press Enter. Use the full path if the file isn’t in the Tally.ERP 9 folder.

Full steps and fixes: the Tally import guide.

Common errors and fixes

Ledger names don’t match

Tally reports a missing ledger as an error such as “Referenced master is missing”. Create the ledger or export again with the exact name. The Tally.imp file in the TallyPrime folder lists errors, and Alt+O, Configuration has an option for a detailed log.

Duplicates after importing twice

Tally’s help says importing the same XML again duplicates the transactions. Our vouchers carry no voucher ID to overwrite, so import each file once and take a backup first.

Vouchers are in Suspense A/c

That is the intent. Open each voucher and change the ledger, or export again with another ledger name if most lines belong to one account.

Converter

Bank statement to Tally

Converts a text PDF to Tally XML in your browser, checked against the statement’s own balances.

Open Bank statement to TallyTry a sample statement

Text PDFs are read in your browser and never uploaded. Scanned PDFs are not supported yet; OCR is coming soon.

Questions

Why Payment and Receipt vouchers, not Journal or Contra?
A statement line is money leaving or entering a bank account, which is what Payment and Receipt vouchers record. Reclassify the other side in Tally.
Does the file create ledgers?
No. Both ledgers must already exist.
What about credit cards?
Enter the card ledger as the bank ledger. Charges are Payments and card payments are Receipts.
How do I know the transactions are right?
Each statement is checked against its printed opening and closing balances before you export. If they don’t match, the review screen shows the difference so you can fix it first.
Is my statement uploaded anywhere?
No. A PDF with real text is read by code running in your browser tab, and the file is built there too. Nothing is sent to our servers. How we handle your data.
Does this work on scanned statements?
Not yet. Tableaf reads PDFs that contain real text, which is what most banks give you when you download a statement. Reading scanned or photographed pages (OCR) is coming soon.
What does it cost?
Five pages a day are free with no account, in every format and with the balance check. Paid plans are on the pricing page.

Sources

Menu names and limits for other companies’ software come from their own help pages below, checked October 2026. Software changes menus often, so if a label differs on your screen, the vendor’s page is the one to follow.

More guides

General information, not accounting or tax advice.