Users can now import their chart of accounts with a .CSV file. If the account exists in Centerbase, it will update certain data. If the account does not exist, it will be added. You will be able to set an opening balance and Centerbase will create a Journal Entry for that opening balance or update it if it already exists. The opening balance will be balanced against the retained earnings account.
The Template
Before you can start importing, you need to format your data into a .CSV file with specific columns. You can download a template at the bottom of this article or at the import utility in System Settings > Utilities > Import Utilities.
There are 11 columns in the template. Do not delete any of them. If you do not have data to input for a column, leave it blank. Every account is required to have “AccountName”. “AccountType” is required unless the account or its parent already exists in Centerbase.
The 11 columns are:
- AccountName: The name of the account. This field is required. Accounts are matched by their name, so if there is already an account in Centerbase with the same name, the import tool will update that account with the information provided. The import tool will warn you before making changes to existing accounts.
- CBAccountNumber: The account number to use within Centerbase.
- ParentAccountName: The name of the parent account, if any. Bank accounts cannot have parent accounts.
- AccountType: The type of account. This field is required unless the account or its parent already exist in Centerbase. See the list below for valid types.
- AccountSubType: The subtype of the account. This field is required for Bank accounts. See the list below for valid subtypes.
- FinancialInstitution: Note field for what financial institution this account is associated with.
- RoutingNumber: The routing number for a bank account.
- BankAccountNumber: The account number for a bank account.
- NextCheckNumber: The next check number to use when printing checks from this account.
- Description: A note field for any extra information you wish to be on the account’s record.
- OpeningBalance: The starting balance for the account in Centerbase. The import tool will create a Journal Entry for the opening balance if it does not already exist for the account or update the existing opening balance Journal Entry to the amount given. The Retained Earnings account will be used to balance the Journal Entry. You will set the date for the opening balance later in the import process. The opening balance date will be shared by all accounts being imported on the .CSV file.
Valid account types and their subtypes:
- Bank -- Subtype is required
- Checking
- Money Market
- Savings
- Trust Account
- Credit Card
- Current Asset
- Current Liability -- Subtypes are available but not required
- Trust
- Income -- Subtypes are available but not required
- Other Income
- Equity Contributions
- Equity Withdrawals
- Expense -- Subtypes are available but not required
- COGS
- Other Expense
- Fixed Asset
- Long Term Liability
- Other Asset
- Retained Earnings
After entering the account data that you wish to import, save the template as a .CSV (this should be the default save format). You are now ready to import the data into Centerbase.
How To Import
First, navigate to System Setting > Utilities > Import Utilities. Then click on the “Choose file” button under “Import Chart of Accounts”.
The import tool will then attempt to validate the .CSV file. This validation checks the .CSV file for bad rows, duplicate rows, invalid account types, etc, and gives you a red box with a detailed list of errors to correct on the .CSV file before it can be imported. Once you have made the required changes, try importing again. The yellow warning box will not stop the import but is information that you may wish to review and confirm before continuing.
Once the .CSV file is free of errors, you will get a green box that says “Success”. If any row has a value in the “OpeningBalance” column, you will be asked for an Opening Balance Date. This will be the entry date for the Journal Entry created.
Once you have gotten a successful validation, confirmed that you want to make the additions and updates that the warning box mentioned, and entered an Opening Balance Date, you can press the “Start” button and Centerbase will import the data. On completion, there will be a message box under the start button informing you that the import was complete and it will list the accounts that were added, updated, or ignored.
While the validation will catch the vast majority of errors before they can happen, an account row from the .CSV may be ignored if an error is detected during the import. If there are any ignored rows, you should review them and either re-attempt to import just those rows or you could enter the data manually in the Chart of Accounts.
Navigation:
Chart of Accounts Import Tool: System Settings > Utilities > Import Utilities
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