What belongs in a clean bank confirmation package

Bank confirmations still stall many audits in Japan when account lists are incomplete or when dormant accounts are omitted because “nothing moved.” Auditors need the full map: operating accounts, deposits pledged as collateral, letters of credit, and facilities that sat unused all year.

Prepare a schedule with bank name, branch, account number, currency, and year-end balance per your ledger. Flag any accounts closed mid-year. If your company uses a cash-pooling arrangement with a parent in Tokyo, note the counterparty and the legal entity that owns each balance.

Authorize the auditor to contact the bank directly. Finance teams that insist on intercepting confirmation replies create unnecessary delays and independence concerns. A tidy package on day one of fieldwork often saves a week of chasing signatures later.