General Ledger (GL) reconciliation has long been recognized as a foundational accounting control that ensures the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of financial statements. Traditionally viewed as a routine back-office activity, GL reconciliation has gained renewed strategic importance in the contemporary financial environment characterized by high transaction volumes, multi-GAAP reporting obligations, digital payment systems, and increasing regulatory scrutiny. This study undertakes an extensive theoretical and practice-oriented examination of GL reconciliation by synthesizing insights from professional guidance, industry case studies, and interdisciplinary academic literature spanning accounting, auditing, information systems, governance, and financial technology. Drawing strictly on the provided references, the article explores how reconciliation practices are evolving from manual, retrospective controls into intelligent, automated, and governance-integrated mechanisms that support real-time financial accuracy and organizational transparency. The methodology is qualitative and conceptual, relying on systematic literature analysis, cross-domain synthesis, and interpretive reasoning to derive patterns, implications, and future trajectories. The results highlight that automation, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies such as blockchain are reshaping reconciliation by enhancing timeliness, reducing human error, strengthening compliance, and supporting audit judgment. At the same time, the discussion reveals persistent challenges related to data quality, control design, ethical oversight, and organizational readiness. The article contributes to the literature by positioning GL reconciliation as a strategic assurance function rather than a clerical task, emphasizing its role in mitigating financial restatements, supporting fair value reporting, and enabling trustworthy digital transformation. The study concludes that robust, technology-enabled reconciliation frameworks are indispensable for sustainable financial reporting quality in complex and high-risk environments.

General ledger reconciliation, financial reporting quality, automation, audit assurance

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