General Ledger & Cashbook

Enter Your Company Name

Go to the File menu and select Configure. Then click on the Global tab. Enter your company name in the Company Name field. (This is the name that will appear at the top of each printed report.) Then click on the OK button.


Post an Entry

Click on Entries in the dark grey navigation area on the left. This will take you to the Entries screen.

To begin a new entry click on the New button at the bottom. The screen will switch to New Entry mode. This is displayed in the bottom left corner of the screen.

Enter the date for the entry in the Date field at the top. Then select the first account from the drop-down list labelled Account.

You will notice that a new line appears at the top of the grid. The grid is used for viewing only. All data must be entered using the fields at the top of the screen above the grid.

Next enter the details in the Description field, the amount in the Amount field and indicate if it is a Debit or Credit.

Press the key to go to the next line (or click on the blank line at the bottom of the grid) and repeat the process. When you are finished click on the Save button to save the entry to the database. You will not be able to save an entry unless the total debits equal the total credits.

To edit an entry click on the Edit button to switch the screen to Edit Mode. Then click on the line in the grid that you wish to alter. When you are finished click on the Save button to save the changes to the database. Click Cancel to discard any changes. Click Delete to delete the entire entry from the database.

View an Account

Click on Accounts in the dark grey navigation area on the left. This will take you to the Accounts screen.

Select the account you wish to view from the drop-down list. The entries for the selected account appear in the grid.

To view the entire entry double-click on it in the grid. This will take you directly to the Entries screen and display the entire entry. You can then double-click on a line in the entry grid to get back to the Accounts screen and view the account for that line.

Create a Cashbook

Go to the Maintain menu and select Cashbooks. To add a new cashbook use the key on your keyboard.

In the Account field enter the abbreviation of the account you wish to associate with this cashbook or double-click to select it from a list.

In the Abbrev field enter the abbreviation you wish to use to identify this cashbook. Often this will be the same as the abbreviation of the account with which the cashbook is associated but it can be different.

Enter the name of the cashbook in the Name field. Again this will likely be the same as the name of the associated account but this is not necessarily so.

Optionally enter a description of the cashbook in the Description field. This is to remind you of the purpose for the cashbook.

To edit the details of a cashbook click on the field you wish to edit and then click it a second time (as distinct from a double-click.)

To delete a cashbook hold down the key and press the key.

Make an Entry in a Cashbook

Click on Cashbooks in the dark grey navigation area on the left. This will take you to the Cashbooks screen.

Select the cashbook you wish to make an entry into from the drop-down list. The entries for the selected cashbook appear in the grid.

To begin a new entry click on the New button at the bottom. The screen will switch to New Entry mode.

Enter the date for the entry in the Date field at the bottom. Then enter the details in the Description field, the amount in the Amount field and indicate if it is a Debit or Credit. Select an account from the Other A/c drop-down list only if you wish to automatically create a corresponding entry in the ledger. Indicate if this entry has appeared on the bank statement by putting a tick in the check box next to On Statement. Finally save this entry to the database by clicking on the Save button or pressing the key on your keyboard.

To edit an entry click on the Edit button to switch the screen to Edit Mode. When you are finished click on the Save button to save the changes to the database. Click Cancel to discard any changes. Click Delete to delete the entire entry from the database.

Reconcile a Cashbook with a Bank Statement

Click on Cashbooks in the dark grey navigation area on the left. This will take you to the Cashbooks screen.

Select the cashbook you wish to reconcile with from the drop-down list. The entries for the selected cashbook appear in the grid.

For those entries in the cashbook which have matching transactions on the bank statement put a tick in the check box next to On Statement. (You can toggle this on and off for an entry by double-clicking on it in the grid.)

For those transactions on the bank statement which do not have a matching entry in the cashbook create a new entry in the cashbook and put a tick in the check box next to On Statement.

The amount next to Stmt Balance at the top of the screen after the arrow (-->) is the closing statement balance. This should match the closing balance shown on the bank statement.

The amounts next to Balance are the opening and closing balances of the cashbook including unreconciled entries (Entries which do not have a tick next to On Statement.) The amounts next to A/c Balance are the opening and closing balances of the associated ledger account.

View or Print a Balance Sheet

Click on Balance in the dark grey navigation area on the left. This will take you to the Balance Sheet screen.

Enter the date of the balance sheet in the As At field at the bottom.

Click on the Print button to display a preview. To print click on the printer icon at the top.

Change the Layout of the Balance Sheet

Click on Balance in the dark grey navigation area on the left. This will take you to the Balance Sheet screen.

The balance sheet (A, L and P) accounts are shown in the tree view along with the other elements used on the balance sheet including headings, groups, subtotals, totals and a special Retained Earnings element. You can change the order of the elements by dragging and dropping them. To include an account or the Retained Earnings element in a group drag and drop it onto the group.

To create a new heading, group or subtotal click on the Heading, Group or Subtotal buttons to the right of the tree view. To rename an element click on the Edit button. To delete an element click on the Delete button.

View or Print an Income Statement

Click on Income in the dark grey navigation area on the left. This will take you to the Income Statement screen.

Enter the begin and end dates of the income statement in the Begin Period and End Period fields at the bottom. These can be turned on or off by putting or removing a tick in the check box above each field. If you do not specify a begin date then the income statement will include all entries in the ledger from the earliest entered date. If you do not specify an end date then all entries in the ledger up to the latest entered date will be included.

Click on the Print button to display a preview. To print it click on the printer icon at the top.

Change the Layout of the Income Statement

Click on Income in the dark grey navigation area on the left. This will take you to the Income Statement screen.

The income statement (I and E) accounts are shown in the tree view along with the other elements used on the income statement including headings, groups, subtotals, totals and a special Net Income element. You can change the order of the elements by dragging and dropping them. To include an account in a group drag and drop it onto the group. (The Net Income element cannot be moved from the last position. It must always remain at the bottom.)

To create a new heading, group or subtotal click on the Heading, Group or Subtotal buttons to the right of the tree view. To rename an element click on the Edit button. To delete an element click on the Delete button.

IMPORTANT NOTES

When you select an account from the Other A/c drop-down list a corresponding double-entry is automatically posted to the ledger and linked to this entry in the cashbook. If you make any changes to this entry in the cashbook the double-entry in the ledger is automatically updated to reflect the changes. If you delete the entry from the cashbook the ledger double-entry is also deleted automatically.

Note that the converse does not apply. In other words if you edit or delete the double-entry in the ledger no changes are automatically made to the cashbook entry. This is important because it allows for flexibility in editing the general ledger without affecting the cashbook and its reconciliation to a bank statement.

Note also that it is not required to specify an Other A/c when making a cashbook entry. In this case no ledger double-entry is posted. This is useful for example when setting up a new cashbook and you wish to enter the opening balance to match the balance shown on the bank statement.