Difference between revisions of "How do I enter an opening trial balance?"

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(Posting the Opening Trial Balance)
 
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== Summary ==
 
== Summary ==
If you are a new customer to Platinum, or are using our accounts for the first time, there is a process you need to go through to [[Posting Journals|journal]] in all of your opening balances from your current profit and loss and balance sheet into Platinum. These are normally obtained from your accountant, and is generally known as an opening trial balance.  The following article explains the process required.
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If you are a new customer to Platinum, or are using our accounts for the first time, you will need to [[Posting journals|journal]] an opening Trial Balance into Platinum.
  
== Posting the Opening Trial Balance ==
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== More Information ==
The opening trial balance will generally be provided by your accountant or will be extracted from your existing accounting system. The balances need to be entered onto the Nominal Ledger using [[Posting Journals#Multiple Entry|Journal Entries - Multiple Entry]].
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The opening Trial Balance figures can be obtained from your existing accounts system or from your accountant.
  
*Enter a date that is the 1st day of the first month of your financial year.
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=== Posting the Opening Trial Balance ===
*Enter each centre from the Trial Balance, ignoring Sales Control, Purchase Control and Profit to Date for now.
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The balances need to be entered onto the {{NL}} using [[Posting journals#Multiple Entry|Journal Entries]].
*Enter each value off of the trial balance sheet as a positive amount if the value sits in the debit column and a negative amount if it's in the credit column.
 
*Enter an appropriate comment such as Open Bal.
 
*Once all the centres are on, post any difference to Z995 – Profit To Date.
 
  
{{Note|text=The values for Sales and Purchase Control should have been reached by posting the Opening Balances on each individual Customer and Supplier Account.}}
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* Set the {{DataPrompt|Entry mode}} to {{DataValue|Multiple}}.
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* Set {{DataPrompt|Reversing?}} to {{DataValue|No}}.
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* Enter the date at which the figures have been taken. Depending on how your system is set up, this will be the last day of the relevant month, or the first day of the following month.
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* Enter each centre from the Trial Balance, ignoring Sales Control, Purchase Control and Profit to Date for now.
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* Enter each value from the trial balance as an amount in the appropriate Debit(+) or Credit(-) column.
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* Enter an suitable comment such as {{DataValue|Op. Bal.}}.
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* Once all the values (apart from the ones listed above) are on, post the balance remaining to Z995 - Profit To Date. You should be left with just the figures for the Debtors and Creditors.
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{{Note|text= The Nett amount for the journal should always be {{DataValue|Zero.}}}}
  
If you find any differences between the opening values for the Sales and Purchase Control centres, and the opening balances you have posted onto the Sales and Purchase ledgers, try to identify where the differences are e.g. have you posted a new invoice as an opening balance which wasn’t in the Sales or Purchase Control when the opening balances were calculated; has the accountant written any debts off as bad debts; have you paid any invoices again which were unpaid when the balances were calculated etc. Make any corrections through the Sales and Purchase ledgers or contact software support for help if you are unsure how to proceed.  
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{{Warning|text=The values for Sales and Purchase Control should have been reached by posting the Opening Balances onto each individual Customer and Supplier Account through the {{SL}} and {{PL}}. Therefore you should not post these balances to the Platinum control accounts; Z993 and Z994. If you are operating a Cash Accounting system you should instead post the balance to Z990.}}
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If you find any differences between the opening values for the Sales and Purchase Control centres and the opening balances you have posted onto the {{SL}} and {{PL}}, try to identify where the differences are - for example, have you posted extra invoices after the opening trial balance was printed? Has the accountant written any debts off as bad debts? Have you paid off any invoices in the old system which were unpaid when the trial balance was printed? Make any corrections through the relevant customer or supplier accounts in the {{SL}} or {{PL}} or contact your consultant if you are unsure how to proceed.
  
 
{{Warning|text=DO NOT journal into or out of Z993/Z994 (Purchase/Sales Control) in order to correct these differences.  These centres are for system postings ONLY.}}
 
{{Warning|text=DO NOT journal into or out of Z993/Z994 (Purchase/Sales Control) in order to correct these differences.  These centres are for system postings ONLY.}}
  
{{KB_Tags|open, opening, balance, trial, posting}}{{KB_NL}}
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* Print a trial balance to check the figures against the list that you were using.
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== See also ==
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* [[What do I do if my Trial Balance Doesn't Balance?]]
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* [[What should I consider at month end?]]
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* [[How to process a month end]]
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{{KB_Tags|open, opening, balance, trial, posting}}
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{{How}}{{KB_NL}}{{ZN_Accounts}}

Latest revision as of 08:06, 3 August 2022

Summary

If you are a new customer to Platinum, or are using our accounts for the first time, you will need to journal an opening Trial Balance into Platinum.

More Information

The opening Trial Balance figures can be obtained from your existing accounts system or from your accountant.

Posting the Opening Trial Balance

The balances need to be entered onto the Nominal Ledger using Journal Entries.

  • Set the "Entry mode" to 'Multiple'.
  • Set "Reversing?" to 'No'.
  • Enter the date at which the figures have been taken. Depending on how your system is set up, this will be the last day of the relevant month, or the first day of the following month.
  • Enter each centre from the Trial Balance, ignoring Sales Control, Purchase Control and Profit to Date for now.
  • Enter each value from the trial balance as an amount in the appropriate Debit(+) or Credit(-) column.
  • Enter an suitable comment such as 'Op. Bal.'.
  • Once all the values (apart from the ones listed above) are on, post the balance remaining to Z995 - Profit To Date. You should be left with just the figures for the Debtors and Creditors.
The Nett amount for the journal should always be 'Zero.'
The values for Sales and Purchase Control should have been reached by posting the Opening Balances onto each individual Customer and Supplier Account through the Sales Ledger and Purchase Ledger. Therefore you should not post these balances to the Platinum control accounts; Z993 and Z994. If you are operating a Cash Accounting system you should instead post the balance to Z990.

If you find any differences between the opening values for the Sales and Purchase Control centres and the opening balances you have posted onto the Sales Ledger and Purchase Ledger, try to identify where the differences are - for example, have you posted extra invoices after the opening trial balance was printed? Has the accountant written any debts off as bad debts? Have you paid off any invoices in the old system which were unpaid when the trial balance was printed? Make any corrections through the relevant customer or supplier accounts in the Sales Ledger or Purchase Ledger or contact your consultant if you are unsure how to proceed.

DO NOT journal into or out of Z993/Z994 (Purchase/Sales Control) in order to correct these differences. These centres are for system postings ONLY.
  • Print a trial balance to check the figures against the list that you were using.

See also


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Keywords AND Misspellings
open, opening, balance, trial, posting