The Chart of Accounts window displays a list of all the general ledger accounts that have been created for the current client and an account detail grid that lists beginning balance, debit, credit, balance, budget amounts, adjusted budget amounts, and tax code for each account. From this window, you may also add new accounts, edit existing accounts, or delete existing accounts. Options exist that allow you to skip certain fields when entering account information, to display account information for all periods, and to select the columns you wish to display and in what order.
From the CSA main window, choose Setup > Chart of Accounts.
Notes
- You must be in Browse mode (rather than Add or Edit mode) to access any of the options or dialogs that are available from the Edit menu or the right-click context menu when the Chart of Accounts window is active.
- The Adjusted Budget balances in the Chart of Accounts window cannot be edited; these amounts are changed only by adding, editing, or deleting Budget type journal entries.
- The Chart of Accounts window enables column sort - for the Account, Description, Type, and optional Tax Code columns. Note, however, that only the default sort order is retained after you close and then re-open the Chart of Accounts window.
- The application saves changes you make to column widths for an individual client in the accounts list pane of the Chart of Accounts window. To undo any changes to column widths, click the Restore Default button on the Columns tab of the Chart of Account Options dialog.
- The tax code is used in the data-exchange interface from CSA to UltraTax CS or to GoSystem Tax RS to associate the balances from specific general ledger accounts for tax reporting. It allows UltraTax CS or GoSystem Tax RS to carry the general ledger balances to the proper lines on the appropriate tax forms. (Please note that users of GoSystem Tax RS also need to use the Trial Balance Bridge to import account balances and related tax grouping information.)
- Schedule M-3 tax code assignment
- For Write-Up CS users transitioning from WS2: In Write-Up CS, the tax code number functions in place of the Tax Line Grouping number (TLGs) entered in The Write-Up Solution II (DOS). You do not need to update the tax code number in response to tax forms changes because UltraTax CS or GoSystem Tax RS handles that automatically (beginning with tax year 1999).
You may enter account balances directly into the Chart of Accounts. However, please be advised that if you enter transactions to the same period, those Chart of Accounts balances will be replaced by the transaction balances when you post (or when posting occurs automatically, such as when you print transaction-based reports or advance the period).
If you will need to enter transactions in a period, or if you would like to see balance information in a transaction-based report, it is recommended that you enter all balance information via transactions rather than directly into the Chart of Accounts.
Special information
When the Chart of Accounts dialog is active, the following special commands are available from the Edit menu or the right-click context menu:
Options
Enter Combining Accounts
Enter Location and Department Descriptions
Create Location and Department Accounts
Zero Balances
Delete Range of Accounts
Renumber Accounts
Merge Accounts
Edit Tax Codes
Edit Schedule M-3 Tax Codes
Tax Code Account Groupings
Force Balance Recalculation
Verify Accounts
Find
Fields & buttons
Lists the general ledger accounts already entered for this client.
- To add a new account, click the Add button.
- To edit an existing account, highlight it and then click the Edit button.
- To delete an existing account, highlight the account and click the Delete button. You will be prompted to confirm the deletion.
Note: All balances in the account must be zero before you can delete it.
When you highlight an account in the Accounts list, detailed information for that account appears in the Chart of Accounts detail grid at the bottom of the screen.
Displays the current account mask that defines the account structure for this client's Chart of Accounts. The mask may include up to 60 alphanumeric characters (including an optional decimal and any optional separators).
- For a GL client, the mask is defined in the General Ledger tab of the File > Client Properties dialog.
- For a Trial Balance CS client (non-GL), the mask is defined in the Trial Balance tab of the File > Client Properties dialog.
Note that only certain characters may be used in the mask definition, and special rules apply.
Click here for special information and mask examples
- For a new account: When adding a new account, enter an unused account number. The account numbers you enter here must conform to the client's Chart of Accounts mask as defined in the File > Client Properties dialog (for a GL or Trial Balance client) or in the Setup > Chart of Accounts > Change Chart of Accounts mask dialog (for non-GL, non-Trial Balance client).
- For an existing account: Displays the account number assigned to the account highlighted in the list. To renumber accounts, when the Chart of Accounts window is active choose Renumber Accounts from the Edit menu.
- For a new account: When adding an account, choose the appropriate account type from the drop-down list.
A, Asset
E, Expense
L, Liability or Equity
R, Revenue
- For an existing account: Displays the account type assigned to the account highlighted in the list. To change the account type, click the Edit button.
- For a new account: Enter a name or description for this general ledger account, using up to 50 characters.
- For an existing account: Displays the account name assigned to the account highlighted in the list. To change the description, click the Edit button.
The tax code number is used in the data-exchange interface from CSA to UltraTax CS or from CSA to GoSystem Tax RS to associate the balances from specific general ledger accounts for tax reporting. It allows UltraTax CS or GoSystem Tax RS to carry the general ledger balances to the proper lines on the appropriate tax forms.
The options that are available in the drop-down list for this field are based on the client's entity type, as selected on the General Ledger tab of either the File > Client Properties dialog or the File > New Client dialog.
For a new general ledger account: When adding an account, you may choose the appropriate tax code number by selecting it from the drop-down list.
For an existing general ledger account: Displays the tax code assigned to the account currently highlighted in the Chart of Accounts listview pane. To change the tax code number, click the Edit button and then choose the appropriate tax code number by selecting it from the drop-down list.
For GoSystem Tax RS users
Please note that to import account balances and related tax grouping information from CSA into GoSystem Tax RS, you also need to use the Trial Balance Bridge.
For Write-Up CS users transitioning from WS2
In Write-Up CS, the tax code number functions in place of the Tax Line Grouping number (TLGs) entered in The Write-Up Solution II (DOS). You do not need to update the tax code number in response to tax forms changes because UltraTax CS or GoSystem Tax RS handles that automatically (beginning with tax year 1999).
Notes
- Invalid Tax Codes: A red bar next to a tax code indicates that it is invalid based on the current year's forms. This serves as a reminder that the tax code needs to be updated before the tax forms are printed.
- Valid Tax Codes: All valid, three-digit tax codes for the selected client's business type are available in the drop-down list for the Tax Code field. Additional valid entries are as follows:
- Manually enter 1 or 2 prefix digits in the Tax Code field (xxxx or xxxxx) to designate the input screen location for multiple-unit entities. For example, assume you are transferring a farm's utilities expense amount to the UltraTax CS Farm input screen. If the proper tax code number for the first unit's utilities is 1632, you would transfer the second unit's utility amount with a tax code number of 2632.
- Manually enter five 8s (88888) as the tax code number if you want the account to print in the Tax Code Report but not transfer to UltraTax CS or GoSystem Tax RS.
- Manually enter five 9s (99999) as the tax code number to have it neither print on the Tax Code Report nor transfer to the tax applications.
For initial client setup: Enter the beginning debit or credit and budget amounts in the appropriate rows and columns. Both debits and credits should be entered as positive amounts. If you choose not to display the debit/credit columns, then in the balance column enter debits as positive amounts and credits as negative amounts.
The application will automatically calculate balances for each period. A bold plus/minus sign in the balance column signifies that the period is out of balance.
The Memo row near the bottom of the grid can be used to record YTD amounts for inclusion in financial statements but not in the GL balance or reports. (As an alternative, you can set up Memo accounts to post period-by-period memo amounts.) For details, see Using memo amounts in financial statements.)
The Total row at the bottom of the grid lists the year to date total for each column.
Before you can exit the Chart of Accounts window, the Chart of Accounts must be in balance. If necessary, you may manually balance the account or choose Force Balance recalculation from the Edit menu. The application will automatically prompt you to balance the Chart of Accounts if you attempt to close the Chart of Accounts window while the Chart of Accounts is out of balance.
To display account information for all periods, choose Show all periods on the Data Entry tab of the Chart of Accounts Options dialog (accessible from the Edit menu or the right-click context menu when the Chart of Accounts dialog is active).
Notes
- You may choose which columns appear and the order in which they appear. Choose Options from the Edit menu to open the Chart of Accounts Options dialog.
- Some account information may exist beyond the borders of the account detail grid. Drag the scrollbars to view the entire grid. You may also adjust column width while in Add or Edit mode.
You may enter account balances directly into the Chart of Accounts. However, please be advised that if you enter transactions to the same period, those Chart of Accounts balances will be replaced by the transaction balances when you post (or when posting occurs automatically, such as when you print transaction-based reports or advance the period).
If you will need to enter transactions in a period, or if you would like to see balance information in a transaction-based report, it is recommended that you enter all balance information via transactions rather than directly into the Chart of Accounts.
Related topics
Chart of Accounts mask special information and examples
Setting up the Chart of Accounts for a Write-Up CS or Trial Balance CS client
CSA Guide to Working with Location/Department Clients (PDF)
Integrating data from CSA with UltraTax CS
Tax Code Listing for Chart of Accounts Setup (PDF)
Tax Code Diagrams for Chart of Accounts Setup (PDF)
Using memo amounts in financial statements
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS ACCOUNTING
