I have just updated to the newest version and I now have a GST liability. I haven’t had any GST liabilities since 2018 but when I downloaded to newest version it has appeared. Can someone suggest where I can look to see why? Thankyou
- Do you have anything in Suspense?
- Have you noticed any other changes?
- About what version did you update from (years or weeks ago)?
Hi Patch,
No nothing in suspense. nothing else seems different.
I think it may be a few months since I updated.
If you look a the balance sheet report, with a comparison column for the end of each financial year. Did the imbalance occur in 2018 and has carried through since, or was the imbalance created more recently?
I checked the balance report and it appears in 2019. Up until today it was not there.
Up until today when I updated the GST balanced and has done since I 2018 so I’m thinking it must be a result of something that Lubos has changed in the updates since I did one.
Go back to the report where this first appeared and drill down on the liability to see what transaction(s) contribute(s) to it. Look for discrepancies there.
I will look further when I get the chance. Is there a list somewhere of what changes have been made recently? It really must be that as everything balanced back in 2018 and has since till I updated. Can I check changes?
Thanks for your help.
The release notes cover feature changes that are meant to be noticed by the user. But there have been dozens of other releases as the transaction forms are being standardized recently. Your issue may be related to that.
I have found where the problem lay, when I first started with Manager in 2016 I had a couple of invoices outstanding from the previous financial year which I included in the start up. The amount that is now showing is the GST for those invoices. Any idea why it is appearing now and how to remove it please? Thanks for your help.
@Janine, more information is needed to help resolve your problem. How were these pre-start-up invoices “included in the start up?” Are you using accrual or cash basis accounting? Were those invoices eventually paid by the customers? If so, when? Post screen shots of the Edit screens of your GST tax code, one of the invoices involved, and the receipt (if any) by which it was settled.
Sorry Tut, I just wasn’t sure what info was required. We run on a cash basis.
When I started up Manager in July 17, we had a couple of invoices we had raised for work we had done in June 16 so when I started Manager I raised new invoices. These were subsequently paid and all was well. We unregistered for GST in 2018 and all amounts owing were paid and since then we have had nil in GST liability until I downloaded the new version the other day.
I so appreciate your help as I just have no idea where to even begin to look
I hope these screenshots are what you needed.
Thanks again
Sorry Tut, that should be June 2017 not June 16* when the work was done and invoices raised.
To begin, it looks like maybe you should not have entered this sales invoice at all. You started using Manager in July 2017. But what day? Back then, you would have had to enter a specific start date in the program. The sales invoice says it was fully paid by a receipt on July 1, 2017. If your start date was after that, the program would have ignored the receipt (at the time). Recently, however, start dates were done away with. You just need to make sure your starting balances accurately reflect your balance sheet on the day you began using the program. Read the Guides about starting balances.
I cannot say for certain, but I suspect this error has always been there, but was hidden until the start date feature was no longer necessary.
Thanks Tut, I will check it out when I get a chance. Appreciate it.
Hi Tut,
I checked out my balance sheet for when I started using Manager and the starting balance is ok. I did notice however that the list is says “Cash basis adjustment” which is the amount in question. Any suggestions? Thanks for your help, it’s much appreciated.
cheers
I started using Manager on 1/7/16 and I raised invoices for jobs done in June 16 so when payment arrived I had somewhere to receipt it.
Hope this helps.
No, it does not help. You earlier said you started using the program in July 2017. Now you say you were using it in 2016. Starting balances need to reflect the actual balances on the date you begin using Manager. If you started using manager in 2016, the invoices in question should not factor into any starting balance. Can you please reread and double check your posts and correct as necessary?
Sorry Tut. I actually started using on 1st July 17 but I just realised that when I raised those invoices I dated them in the June 17 so that would I imagine create an issue. I have just edited those invoices to be dated 1st July 17 and the GST liability is still there.
I think you are correct that the starting date requirement brought this to light. Any suggestions (I’m thinking as it is so many years ago I do a journal entry?)
@Janine, I confess I’ve lost track of your scenario with all the misstatements and corrections. But you should correct the errors, not hide them with journal entries. So let’s go back to basics:
- Determine what date you actually started using Manager.
- Determine the closing balances of all your accounts on the day before that in your previous accounting system.
- Set your starting balances for all balance sheet accounts except Accounts receivable and Accounts payable to match the closing balances from your old system.
- Enter any invoices that had been issued but not settled as of your beginning date. This will set your starting balances in Accounts receivable and Accounts payable.
- Verify that all your starting balances and prior system closing balances match.
A few other points:
- It’s easiest to do this under accrual basis accounting and then switch to cash basis. The cash basis adjustment you mentioned is automatic and is what allows Manager to switch back and forth for reporting. This feature did not used to be in the program, so technically there could have been errors when changing methods.
- Don’t edit transactions with false dates to try to make a problem go away. That hides the problem and makes solving it harder. Restore any transactions you edited for this reason back to match reality.
- You now know where your problem lies—mishandling of starting balances. So study the Guides on starting balances again and make sure you are following them correctly.
- That’s about all the advice anyone will be able to offer, because we cannot see your records.
Sorry it’s been so confusing, I have already put things back how they were and I will do as you suggested.
Thanks for your patience.