After moving to Accounting Start from Sage 50

Now that you’ve moved from Sage 50, there are a couple of things you need to check to ensure your data has been correctly imported. To help you with this, we’ve put together a list of tasks that you should follow. They also help you find your way around your new service so you can continue using the features you’re used to and also find out more about Accounting Start.

Check your figures

These are the tasks you should perform after you have access to Accounting Start:

The Trial Balance report

Start by checking your Trial Balance. It’s a simple way to check that your data has moved to Accounting Start correctly. The values in Accounting Start should match the values on the trial balance you produced in Sage 50 before your data migration. You can also run your balance sheet and profit and loss for the same date range you used in Sage 50 and check the values are the same.

  1. On the Reporting menu, click Trial Balance.
  2. In the From box, enter 01/01/1980 then in the To box, enter 12/31/2099.
  3. Click Calculate.

Accounts Receivable Aging and Accounts Payable Aging reports

  1. On the Reporting menu, click More.
  2. Click Accounts Receivable then in the To box, enter the dates you used to create the report in Sage 50.
  3. Verify that the value in the O/S Amt matches the value in the Balance column on the report from Sage 50.
  4. Repeat these steps for the Accounts Payable report.

Chart of Accounts report

  1. On the Reporting menu, click More.
  2. Click Chart of Accounts then click Export and chose CSV or PDF.
  3. Click Settings, then click Chart of Accounts.
  4. Click New Ledger Account to add a new ledger account or click on a table row to edit a specific ledger account.

Visibility of your account numbers

Your account numbers are available in all areas within Accounting Start. If necessary, you can change this by changing the visibility settings. Visibility means you can only see those account numbers that pertain to the transactions you’re entering, making it easier to find what you need. To change an account’s visibility:

  1. Click Settings, then click Chart of Accounts.
  2. Click the relevant account number and amend the Visibility section as required.
  3. Click Save.

Understand specific data changes

We may have had to move some of your data slightly while moving it into Accounting Start. Any changes are listed below along with any actions you can take.

Refunds allocated to credit notes

Refunds cannot be allocated to credit notes in Accounting Start but can be in Sage 50 Accounting. When these are migrated, we add them up and attach them to the Contact.

Update your Accounting Start company

Customize your invoices

Adding a company logo to your documents and select any available template layout.

  1. Click Settings, then click Templates and Logos.
  2. Edit the way your invoices look and add your logo, then click Save.
  3. On the Settings menu, click Document Preferences.
  4. Review and edit the information that appears on your invoices, then click Save.

Get the correct check stationery

If you previously purchased check from Sage for Sage 50, it will be compatible with Accounting Start. If you purchased your Checks elsewhere, you may need to buy new checks that are compatible with Accounting Start. Visit Sage and forms or call 1-800-497-1475, Monday – Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Your first tax return

On migrating your data we saw that at least one of your tax registration references was not completed. We have set this reference in Accounting Start as all zeroes (‘0000000’). Go to Settings, Sales Taxes to your correct reference.

If your business has registered for taxes, the first time you run a tax return you may get one of the dialogs shown below warning you about earlier transactions.

  1. On the dialog that appears, choose the Exclude option. For GST/ HST & ITCs, this will be exclude both from all future returns. For BC PST, this will be exclude them from all future returns.
  2. Print a detailed report by going to Export, Detailed Report and choosing a file type.
  3. Once generated, the detailed report will be available under the Download Report Menu.
  4. Check this against your tax returns in Sage 50.
Note:

As your transactions are migrated to Accounting Start, they may appear on tax returns created in both systems. Please contact your financial advisor to audit your transactions before filing a tax return.

Your invoice numbers

Your invoice numbers in Accounting Start might not be identical to the invoice numbers in Sage 50. This is because instead of positive and negative invoices, Accounting Start uses invoices and credit notes. If you’re searching for a negative invoice from Sage 50, try looking for a credit note instead.

Cash account

In the Banking section of Accounting Start, there will be an account set up that you may not have had in Sage 50, called Cash on Hand. This is the default account Accounting Start uses and cannot be removed.

Connect your bank

You may have had your bank connected to Sage 50 to reconcile your accounts. In Accounting Start, you can also connect your bank so your bank transactions flow seamlessly into your business.

Before you connect your bank:

You can link a bank feed to checking, savings, and credit card bank account types. You can’t link to a Loan, Cash, or Other account type.

Check your bank is compatible and have your online banking credentials on hand. You can download transactions from the last 90 days. If you need transactions that are more than 90 days old, you can import your bank statement , or enter the transactions manually before continuing.

If you’ve already started importing a bank statement, complete the import first to avoid duplicating transactions. If you’re part way through reconciling your bank account you should complete connecting your account.

To connect your bank:

  1. Go to Banking.
  2. On the bank account tile, click Connect to Bank.
  3. Click Continue.
  4. Select a bank you set up previously, or click Select a different bank and follow the instructions to search for your bank.
  5. Enter your online banking credentials. These are the same details you use to log in to your online banking website. If your online banking service uses multi-factor authentication security, you’re requested to enter further security details.
  6. Click Add. Accounting Start verifies your credentials and lists your online bank accounts.
  7. Click Close.
  8. Select the account you want to link to.
  9. Click Continue.
  10. Enter the date you want to import transactions from.
  11. Click Finish.

Your live bank transactions download and appear in Accounting Start ready for you to process. The process may take several minutes to complete.

Note:

Before reconciling a bank account from Sage 50, see Reconciling a bank account after migrating from Sage 50.

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