A financial summary has no clear record of who prepared it

Identify this file before assigning an author

Preserve the received version and record its filename, stated document date, date received and sender's role. Those details identify the copy being discussed. They do not prove who assembled the figures. A logo, a polished layout or the name in file metadata is not enough to attribute preparation without supporting confirmation.

Look for a preparation statement in the document or the correspondence that accompanied it. Ask the sender to identify the actual preparer and the version they mean. If the answer identifies only the person who exported or forwarded the file, retain that narrower role. Do not rename that person as an accountant, reviewer or independent verifier.

Trace the figures to records with the same scope

Create an index of the records the preparer says were used. For each, record its type, issuing system, entity, currency and covered dates, using private record locations instead of copying sensitive documents into the worksheet. Where available, retain the export date and the report filters that explain the included activity.

Then distinguish a stated source from one you can actually inspect. If a summary line can be matched to a source record, record the line and the comparison. If the source is absent, or covers a different period or entity, say so. A total that can be recomputed establishes that calculation from the available inputs; it does not establish that all relevant inputs were included.

Keep a period of activity separate from a balance measured at a date. If the summary does not state which it uses, do not repair the ambiguity by choosing the label that fits an application field. Obtain clarification or describe the ambiguity when asking what the provider will accept.

Describe checks as actions, with limits

Write who performed each check, when, what they compared and the result. Matching selected figures to a report, recomputing arithmetic and checking the stated period are different actions. If only part of the summary was checked, name that part and leave the remaining coverage unconfirmed. If no check is documented, say that no check is documented; that is different from claiming nobody ever checked it.

Keep later work distinct from original preparation. A merchant's subsequent comparison can be useful evidence about specific lines, but it does not establish the original author's identity or an independent engagement. Do not add labels such as audited, reviewed, certified or independently verified unless the relevant supporting document actually establishes the claim. This worksheet does not define those professional standards or confer such a status.

Submit an accurate description, or request the missing basis

The useful output is a short description tied to the actual file: its confirmed preparer or unresolved authorship, listed source records, covered period and documented checks. Where provenance remains unknown, keep that qualification next to the summary rather than burying it in correspondence. If a correction produces a new version, retain the earlier copy and record what changed and who made the change.

Stripe's published policy prohibits misleading business information. That policy is not a prescribed financial-summary format, and it does not establish the acceptability of this document or the eligibility of a research-only merchant. The provider receiving the application decides what documents it wants. Ask whether the summary, with its disclosed limitations, answers the request or whether a different record is needed.

For a Prism processing consultation, describe the request and the provenance gap without attaching private financial files to the public form. Prism can help organize the question; scope, responsibilities, fees and terms are agreed before work. Do not describe the consultation itself as verification or certification of the figures.

Financial summary provenance record

Complete this for one identifiable document version. Distinguish confirmed facts, statements made by the sender and details still unknown. Use private record references, not financial attachments. A completed provenance record explains the document's basis; it does not upgrade its assurance status.

Worksheet entries are not submitted by Prism’s worksheet and are not saved by the site. Use record types, availability, anonymized observations, or match/mismatch results. Do not enter government identifiers, customer names or addresses, customer messages, receipt-access links, card or bank details, passwords, or keys. Send sensitive documents only through the provider’s verified secure channel.

These are temporary notes. Leaving or reloading this page may clear them. Worksheet entries are not sent automatically. If you copy notes into the consultation message and submit the form, Prism receives them as part of your request.