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For consolidation to work, you must first create a new client and mark the Consolidation Client and Account Balances Only checkboxes in the General Information tab of the File > Client Properties dialog to define it as the parent client.

Creating the consolidation client

In the File > Consolidate Clients dialog, if you mark the Current period only checkbox, only the current-period Chart of Accounts balances will be combined. Other amounts will remain intact. For a Trial Balance CS client, you can choose Grouping type, Balance type, and select whether or not you want to include subcode detail in the consolidation client.

See also: Overview of client consolidation

Requirements for subsidiary clients

Prior to the actual consolidation, the program must do some checking to verify that the clients to be consolidated are compatible. All the subsidiary clients must match the parent client exactly in the following fields of the File > Client Properties dialog:

• Current GL period ending date
  (Not applicable for a Trial Balance CS-only client.)
• Current fiscal year end date
• Period type (Monthly, Quarterly, or Annual, etc.)
  (Not applicable for a Trial Balance CS-only client.)
• Period end dates for all years

If any of the clients selected for consolidation have nonmatching dates, the program stops the consolidation and displays an output log specifying which fields do not match the (parent) Consolidation Client.

Chart of Accounts for a Trial Balance CS consolidated client

The Chart of Accounts will be created based upon the Chart of Accounts information in the subsidiary clients.

• Each subsidiary client is added as a location in the (parent) Consolidation Client.
• The Chart of Accounts mask for the parent client is set to the maximum number of characters needed in any of the subsidiaries.
• Separators used in the subsidiary accounts will be removed during the consolidation process.
• If you are using grouping schedules in the consolidation, subcode information will appear after the decimal in the parent accounts.
• If any characters are used other than letters or numbers in the grouping codes/subcodes, they are removed during the consolidation process.
• If the subsidiary accounts contain location or department designators, these become regular core account numbers in the parent company.

See also: Chart of Accounts mask: special information and examples

Information that consolidates

Some information that consolidates need not be identical in all of the subsidiary clients. However, in certain instances as defined below, the first subsidiary client selected for consolidation determines the information carried into the parent client.

GL information

Chart of Accounts with balances
Note that subsidiaries can be consolidated based account number or based on a grouping schedule (depending on the what is selected in the Grouping Type drop-down list in the File > Consolidate Clients dialog). If duplicate account numbers or grouping codes differ in type, description, or tax code, the program uses the first-client-wins rule to complete the combining accounts in the (parent) Consolidation Client.

Location and/or department accounts are created during the consolidation process based on the combining accounts created from each subsidiary. The subsidiary number precedes the combining account for the (parent) Consolidation Client and is separated by a dash.

• If consolidating based on account number:
  • The Chart of Accounts from the subsidiary clients become the combining accounts for the (parent) Consolidation Client.
  • All of the grouping schedule assignments are brought into the parent client when consolidating. (For example, if four grouping schedules have been set up and assigned for the subsidiary clients, all four codes are assigned in the Consolidated Client.) However, if the Chart of Accounts already exists for the parent client and the Retain Existing Accounts checkbox is marked during the consolidation process, the grouping schedule assignments for the subsidiary clients are ignored.
• If consolidating based on a selected grouping schedule:
  • The grouping codes and subcodes become the combining accounts for the (parent) Consolidation Client.
  • The program uses the first account assigned to each grouping schedule code or subcode to determine the type and tax code.
  • Assignments only for the selected grouping schedule are brought into the parent client when consolidating. (For example, if you consolidate by grouping schedule 3, only grouping schedule 3 is assigned in the grid in the Consolidation Client.) If the Chart of Accounts already exists for the parent client and the Retain Existing Accounts checkbox is marked during the consolidation process, the grouping schedule assignments for the subsidiary clients are ignored.

Other information

If the relevant checkboxes are marked at the bottom of the File > Consolidate Clients dialog, the following information consolidates into the parent client:

• Account groups
• Transmittal letters
• Financial statements
• Retain existing accounts

Related topics

Overview of client consolidation

Consolidating clients

Combining employee information during client consolidation

Consolidate Clients [File menu]

Chart of Accounts mask: special information and examples

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