How to redact your bank statement for filing your taxes

Why a tax preparer or accountant asks for your bank statement

Your preparer needs your income and identity details to file accurately. A bank statement lists your account number, balance, and every transaction over a period, with your name and address.

A tax preparer or accountant needs only the figures and IDs required to file — shared through a secure channel, not plain email. The catch: account and routing numbers enable unauthorized debits, and the transaction history profiles your finances and contacts. That's why you should hand over a redacted copy — see the full bank statement redaction guide or what to redact for filing your taxes.

What to redact on your bank statement

• Account number (keep the last 4 at most) The account number plus the routing number lets fraudsters set up debits.
• Routing / sort number Together with the account number it enables unauthorized ACH/direct-debit.
• Transactions you don't need to show They reveal your spending, employer, and other accounts — keep only what proves the point.
• Home address Not needed to prove funds and exposes where you live.

What to keep visible (so it's still accepted)

• Your name
• The closing balance or the deposits that prove income
• The statement date or period

The watermark to add

Stamp a purpose watermark so the copy can't be reused beyond filing your taxes:

Redact your bank statement in 4 steps

1. Pick the photo. Open Cachera and choose the photo of your bank statement with the system picker — only that photo is read, never your whole library.
2. Black out the sensitive fields. Drag a black block over the account number and routing / sort number. On export those pixels are destroyed — there's no hidden layer to recover underneath.
3. Add a purpose watermark. Stamp "For tax preparation only" so the copy can't be reused beyond filing your taxes.
4. Export and send. Lay it out on A4, export a PDF, and share it with a tax preparer or accountant. Everything happened on your iPhone — nothing was uploaded.

Is this OK to do?

FAQ

Will a tax preparer or accountant still accept a redacted bank statement?

Yes. Keep your name and the closing balance or the deposits that prove income visible so they can confirm what they need, redact only the sensitive fields, and add a clear "For tax preparation only" watermark. A watermarked, partially-redacted copy is normal, accepted practice.

What should I never show on a bank statement?

Hide account number, routing / sort number, transactions you don't need to show, home address. Account and routing numbers enable unauthorized debits, and the transaction history profiles your finances and contacts.

Can the black bars be removed from the copy later?

No. Cachera flattens the redaction into the image on export — there is no hidden layer beneath the black blocks, so the covered text cannot be recovered from the PDF.

Should I send the original bank statement instead?

Tax preparers are heavily targeted by fraudsters. Use their secure portal and redact anything (like full bank numbers) not needed to file. A redacted copy with a purpose watermark is usually the safer choice.