We have been using PC for membership and contribution purposes for a few months. Starting in January we are going to start using the Accounting module. All the current accounting is being done manually so I may not have starting balances for awhile until I finish December financial reports. In the mean time, can I do payroll and other accounts payable with our manual method and then just enter stuff into PC after the fact? For example, if I pay a bill manually and then later enter it in PC, is there a way to not have it cut a check again? It seems like I remember something about this but my training was in August and my memory is weak.
thanks,
Debbie
You can enter the beginning balance anytime, but it is to your advantage to enter it before you close the month of January and to date the beginning balance transaction as Jan. 01, 2010.
You can enter the checks one of two ways. You can enter them directly in Fund Accounting, and use the check number as the transaction reference.
Or, you can setup a vendor in Accounts Payable, and enter the check in Maintain Open Items. I recommend doing it this way, because it updates the vendor record. When you want to print the check (the duplicate check, that is), simply put a blank piece of paper in the printer, and give the check the correct number. After the check prints, destroy the paper.
If you are printing several checks in a series, be careful. I believe the checks will print alphabetically by reference, not in the order that you enter the open invoices.
You can watch my PowerChurch tutorials now on YouTube!
Thanks for your response John. Espedially the tip about the checks printing alphabetically. We usually do print a batch all at once. Perhaps when we do them manually to start off, we can try to do it alphabetically so we match up.
Another option is to use Maintain Manual Check to enter the checks in Accounts Payable and Manual Check to enter the checks in Payroll. That way you don't have to input invoices and worry about what check number the system will assign to the checks. This method will also update the vendor and employee records in the system.
JohnDMeyers wrote:You can enter the beginning balance anytime, but it is to your advantage to enter it before you close the month of January and to date the beginning balance transaction as Jan. 01, 2010.
Now that I'm reading your answer again, you're saying that I can start using the system without having starting balances?? I thought part of the initial setup process required you to put in starting balances. Are you allowed to skip that part?
JohnDMeyers wrote:You can enter the beginning balance anytime, but it is to your advantage to enter it before you close the month of January and to date the beginning balance transaction as Jan. 01, 2010.
Now that I'm reading your answer again, you're saying that I can start using the system without having starting balances?? I thought part of the initial setup process required you to put in starting balances. Are you allowed to skip that part?
You can choose to not input beginning balances when running the Accounting Setup Assistant. However, if you don't input them when running the assistant you will need to input transactions in Fund Accounting to establish the beginning balances. If you are going to start using the system in January you would want to input these transactions with a posting date of 12/31/09 and a posting month of December 2009.
OK.. that's good to know. Now I understand why they told us to tell the setup that you are starting in a month earlier than your actual starting month. That allows you to back enter those transactions.
Well, I'll see how much I get finished in the next couple of days before I decide which route to take.
thanks so much for answering me at a time like this. We should be out somewhere having fun that involves something other than accounting.
so I may not have starting balances for awhile until I finish December financial reports. In the mean time, can I do payroll and other accounts payable with our manual method and then just enter stuff into PC after the fact? For example, if I pay a bill manually and then later enter it in PC, is there a way to not have it cut a check again? It seems like I remember something about this but my training was in August and my memory is weak. 
