Restart Accounting Options

If you have problems with your existing chart of accounts and need to overhaul it, there are three options that are available to you. These options are detailed below and will require varying amounts of effort from giving your existing chart of accounts a facelift to starting over with a brand new chart of accounts.

As always, it is highly recommended that you make a backup (or two) before getting started with this type of process. Otherwise, there is no undo button!

1. Overhaul your existing chart of accounts.
   
   You can keep all of the transaction history in Fund Accounting and simply renumber, move, and merge accounts together. The only restriction here is that you cannot delete an account that has posted transaction history or a beginning balance. You can, however, mark accounts inactive and merge multiple accounts together into one. If balances need to be adjusted, you can do so after the fact by entering a transaction in Fund Accounting.
   
   To change an account number, go to Accounting > Fund Accounting > Setup and choose Maintain Chart of Accounts. Use the Locate button to bring up the account in question. Click into the Account Number or Description fields and make the change, clicking Save when finished.
   
   Please note: When changing the account number, it will automatically be updated throughout the program in the setup of other modules, such as Contribution Funds, Accounts Payable Vendors, Payroll Items, etc.
   
   
   
   To make an account inactive, click the Details button on the Maintain Chart of Accounts screen shown above. Uncheck the Active option on the Account Detail screen and click Save.
   
   
   
   To move an account or combine multiple accounts together, click the Move Account button at the bottom of the screen shown above. Below is a video that shows how to move/combine accounts:
   
   www.powerchurch.com/support/368/4/move-or-combine-accounts
   
   
2. Delete all transaction history and keep your existing chart of accounts.
   
   You can use the "Delete Old Data" option in Fund Accounting to delete all posted transaction history from the Fund Accounting data files.
   
    
   
   Please note: When deleting old data in Fund Accounting, other information in the program, like Contributions history, Accounts Payable payments, Payroll history, etc. will not be deleted.
   
   When PowerChurch Plus recognizes that you have deleted all of the transactions, it will ask if you want to "restart accounting", keeping your chart of accounts in place, but resetting all account balances to zero. Again, with this option, if you need to adjust balances, you would do so after the fact by entering a transaction in Fund Accounting.
   
   To do this, you will first need to close any months that you have posted transactions into. To do this, go to Accounting > Fund Accounting > Close a Month. Once you have closed all of those months, go to Accounting > Fund Accounting > Setup and choose Delete Old Data.
   
   This allows you to delete all posted transaction data prior to the selected month/year. Select your earliest open month/year. You will then see the prompt about restarting accounting. Specify the new month/year that you want to start with.
   
   
3. Go through the Accounting Setup Assistant to build a new chart of accounts.
   
   This option is the most drastic. There is a "Restart Accounting" button found under File > Preferences > Accounting Setup.
   
   
   
   This essentially deletes most everything found under the Accounting menu and takes you back to a clean slate.
   
   
   
   This allows you to then go back through the Accounting Setup Assistant, where you can enter beginning balances "on the fly" and set up your chart of accounts in a step-by-step, guided process. It is important to note that the Accounting Setup Assistant only walks you through setting up one accounting fund. If you plan to have multiple funds in use, you will be setting those up manually after completing the assistant.