CREATIVE SOLUTIONS ACCOUNTING
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Product support for the Creative Solutions Accounting platform ended on September 30, 2020.
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Chart of Accounts mask setup
Specify the account mask to define the numbering system for this client's Chart of Accounts.
For a Write-Up CS or Trial Balance CS client
In the File > Client Properties dialog (General Ledger tab or Trial Balance tab)
For a non-Write-Up CS, non-Trial Balance CS client
From the Setup > Chart of Accounts dialog (Change Chart of Accounts mask command from the F3 context menu)
- Note that only certain characters may be used in the mask definition, and special rules apply. Changing the Chart of Accounts mask after initial setup is not recommended. Therefore, when defining a client's Chart of Accounts mask, you should allow for the growth of the client's business. This will help reduce the likelihood of having to modify the Chart of Accounts in the future.
- The Chart of Accounts mask is displayed for reference in the Setup > Chart of Accounts window and in the Chart of Accounts Add-on-the-Fly dialog.
Valid mask characters
| L | Alpha or numeric location character (for location segment of mask only) |
| D | Alpha or numeric department character (for department segment of mask only) |
| C | Alpha or numeric core account character (for core segment of mask only) |
| A | Alpha-only core account character (for core segment of mask only) |
| # | Numeric-only core account character (for core segment of mask only) |
| . / - | Optional separators (decimal, forward slash, hyphen) |
Mask length and segment rules
- The mask may include up to 60 characters (including an optional decimal and any optional separators).
- Ls (if any) must precede Ds (if any), which must precede the core account designators (Cs, As, and/or #s).
For example, LDCCCCCCC.C or LLDDDCCC#####.### - A maximum of 58 Ls and/or Ds may be included in the mask to designate the locations and departments segments of the mask, and at least 2 core account designators are required in the mask.
- A single decimal may be used, but only within the core accounts segment of the mask. Using a decimal in the mask does not cause subtotals to be generated.
- At least 1 core account designator (C, A, or #) must be included to the left of the decimal, and a maximum of 10 characters (including separators) may be used to the right of the decimal.
- Each segment of the mask may be separated from the next by a special character ( - or > ), and multiple separators may be used within the core segment. However the mask cannot begin or end with a - or > separator, and a separator cannot directly precede or follow the decimal.
For example, L-DDD-AC-###.## or LL/D/CCC
Mask exceptions for CBS prior to v.2006.2.0
Account numbers for the CBS client may include up to 11 numeric characters, including decimal. The account mask may include no more than 4 Ls or Ds and no more than 3 Cs to the right of the decimal. No other special characters can be used in the mask, nor can alpha characters be used.
CBS does not currently allow the client to renumber the Chart of Accounts. Therefore, it is recommended that you set up the Chart of Accounts mask to include locations > departments and combining accounts for any client you anticipate may need this type of reporting in the future. For example, if the Chart of Accounts mask for a client is CCC and you later change it to DCCC, the client would have to delete all open or unexported transactions entered in CBS before the mask was changed, import the new mask and Chart of Accounts from you, and then update all of their CBS data to use the new GL account numbers.
The Allow leading zeros checkbox option on the General Information tab of the File > New Client or File > Client Properties dialog cannot be used for a CBS client.
Note that CBS v.2006.2.0 or higher fully supports any CSA mask structure and also provides a account renumbering feature.
Mask exceptions if exporting client data to GoSystem Tax RS
An account length greater than 30 characters cannot be imported into GoSystem Tax RS.
Mask exceptions for consolidated clients
See Overview of Client Consolidation and Overview of Client Consolidation with Account Balances Only (Trial Balance CS-only clients).
Account numbers (in Setup > Chart of Accounts window)
- Zeros can be used as placeholders within the location or department segment, but neither of those segments can be all zeros (unless the Allow leading zeros checkbox option is marked for the client on the General Information tab of the File > New Client or File > Client Properties dialog). If zero is not a valid character for the mask (for example, if the mask is LL-AAAA), you must enter alpha characters for all core segments to the left of the decimal or implied decimal.
- If using locations and/or departments, core segments to left of the decimal must be filled as necessary with zeros as placeholders.
For example, accounts AB-00200.15, AB-00200, 200.15, and 200 all fit mask LL-CCCCC.CC
Examples for masks and account numbers
| CCCCCC.CCC | Single-location, single-department client |
| B23098.793 | Valid (Cs may represent either alpha or numeric values.) |
| 400.1 | Valid (Core segments left of the decimal must fill right to left; core segments right of the decimal fill left to right.) |
| 400.01 | Valid |
| SALES.NYC | Valid |
| 32399.NYC | Valid |
| 5200 | Valid |
| ####-A | Single-location, single-department client |
| 4389-D | Valid (#s in the mask represent only numeric values; As represent only alpha values.) |
| 453-D | Valid |
| 6-A | Valid |
| ##-CCCC-CC-A | Single-location, single-department client |
| 25-4500-52-D | Valid (All middle segments must be complete.) |
| 25-AR20-AA-X | Valid |
| D234-25-X | Valid |
| 25-600-A | Invalid (Segments to left of implied decimal must fill right to left.) |
| 2525-60-5 | Invalid (As represent alpha but not numeric values.) |
| DCCCC | Single-location client with 1 to 9 departments |
| MX300 | Valid (Ds may represent either alpha or numeric values; Cs may represent either alpha or numeric values.) |
| 13000 | Valid |
| 6000 | Valid (This would typically be a combining account. The account number may reflect fewer but not more than the left-most segment characters from the mask.) |
| 26000.25 | Invalid (The number of characters to right of the decimal or implied decimal cannot be greater that specified in the mask.) |
| LLLL/CCCCC | Client with 1 to 999 locations but no departments |
| 9/34000 | Valid (Core segments to left of the decimal or implied decimal must fill right to left.) |
| 34000 | Valid (The account number may reflect fewer but not more than the number of characters in the left-most segment characters of the mask. Separators specified in the mask must be used unless the entire segment is not used.) |
| 1P2/02000 | Valid |
| FLA/00200 | Valid |
| LA/SALES | Valid |
| 934000 | Invalid (Separators specified in the mask must be used unless the entire segment is not used.) |
| 9*34000 | Invalid (Only predefined separators may be used, and they must be specified in the mask.) |
| LDDCCC.C | Client with 1 to 99 departments at 1 to 9 locations |
| 120300 | Valid (Depicts location 1, department 20.) |
| 920300 | Valid (Depicts location 9, department 20.) |
| 901600.2 | Valid (Depicts location 9, department 1. Use zeros as placeholders within segments.) |
| 92300 | Invalid (If the mask includes both Ls and Ds and the account number includes any segment to the left of the core segment, location and department identifiers must both be included.) |
| 100600 | Invalid (The department segment cannot be all zeros.) |
| LL-DDD-A### | Client with 1 to 99 locations and 1 to 999 departments |
| 34-290-J849 | Valid (Each character must fit the character type set up in the mask.) |
| MI-SUP-J849 | Valid |
| 6-002-D342 | Valid (Each segment must be complete, however the left-most segment may drop leading zeros.) |
| D021 | Valid (Non-location, non-department combining account.) |
| 250-D021 | Invalid (If the mask includes both Ls and Ds and the account number includes any segment to the left of the core segment, location and department identifiers must both be included.) |
| MI-SUP | Invalid (The core segment of the account must be complete, with a single alpha character and with zeros as placeholders as necessary.) |
| LLDD-###.## | Client with 1 to 99 locations and 1 to 99 departments |
| AACS-420.20 | Valid |
| 420.02 | Valid (Non-location, non-department combining account.) |
| 102-420.2 | Valid |
| CS-420.02 | Invalid (If the mask includes both Ls and Ds and the account number includes any segment to the left of the core segment, location and department identifiers must both be included.) |
| 2200-420.20 | Invalid (Location or department sections cannot be all zeros.) |
| 2201-420.AB | Invalid (#s in the mask represent only numeric values, not alpha characters.) |
Related topics
For a Write-Up CS or Trial Balance CS client
CSA Guide to Working with Location/Department Clients (PDF)
(An active Internet connection is required to open this guide in the Adobe Reader.)
File > Client Properties > General Ledger tab
File > Client Properties > Trial Balance tab
For a non-Write-Up CS, non-Trial Balance CS
For a non-Trial Balance CS consolidated client
Overview of Client Consolidation
For a Trial Balance CS-only consolidated client
Overview of Client Consolidation with Account Balances Only
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