Posting Beginning Balances

When you're entering beginning balances for your customers, you may have a few accounts with credit balances (you owe them money).

Note: Do not create credits for returned merchandise in the Accounts Receivable Posting window. When customers return merchandise, create a credit return in Order Entry. Crediting returned merchandise through the Order Entry window ensures that sales journal entries, inventory quantities, sales tax, customer history, and sales commissions are updated properly.

  1. Double-click graphics\AR_POST_ICON16.gif.

  2. Click the Post/Change tab.

  3. Select the customer. For details, see Selecting a Customer in Accounts Receivable.

  4. In the Batch Information dialog box, specify the batch number for this posting. To help ensure that your postings are accurate, you might want to number your batches so that they identify the person who did the posting. For example, the employees posting the invoices can use their order-writer number as a batch number. After one person completes a batch, have another person double-check the entries.

Note: The Control G/L box displays the general ledger control number for this posting. This information comes from the A/R Control field in the (L2) G/L Master Numbers screen. This is the general ledger account for the accounts receivable balance, if you are live on general ledger. We recommend you only change the A/R Control number in the (L2) screen and accept the default when posting in the Accounts Receivable Posting window.

  1. In the Post Date box, type a new date, or accept the default date. The posting date indicates when a posting is made. It also serves as the default date for the credits you post.

  2. After you finish entering the batch information for this posting, click OK.

  3. Click araddnew.gif.

  4. The New Posting boxes open at the bottom of the Post/Change tab. Click the down arrow in the Type list box and click Credit.

  5. In the Invoice # box, enter an invoice number. Credits should have invoice numbers that are lower than regular invoices numbers. For example, if your lowest invoice number is 1000, use 100 as a number for a credit invoice. This makes it easier to apply the credit later when you're posting payments for this customer.

  6. In the Date box, enter the original date for the credit.

  7. In the Payments box, enter the total amount due, including tax. Credits are entered in the Payments box because payments reduce the accounts receivable balance. You can enter up to seven numerals before the decimal, and two numerals after the decimal.

  8. In the Remarks box, enter the remarks for this transaction or accept the default remarks, CREDIT. You can enter up to 11 alphanumeric characters. Enter the new remarks over the existing information.

Note: The Reverse GL box displays the offsetting general ledger number for the control G/L number that you specified earlier when beginning the procedure. For debit transactions (such as invoices), the Reverse GL box defaults to the GL number in the Sales Control field in the (L2) screen. You should only change the Reverse GL box when making adjusts to the reverse G/L number.

  1. Click OK.

  2. When you finish posting beginning balances, click arpostchange.gif.

  3. The Post to Account window opens and displays the Are You Sure prompt. Click Yes.

  4. At the Complete message, click OK. The customer's balance as well as the AR-BATCH and AR-MASTER files are updated.

See also:

About Posting Beginning Balances

Posting a Beginning Balance as a Lump Sum

Posting a Beginning Balance for Each Invoice