User Guide

Accounting v21
Premier v16

Serial number

Technical support
Visit myob.com.my [Malaysia] or myob.com.sg [Singapore]
 MYOB Licence Agreement the Product you are entitled to activate the same number of files as your
previous version. If required, you can obtain additional Company files by
contacting Asian Business Software Solutions Sdn Bhd.
IMPORTANT - READ THIS CAREFULLY BEFORE USE. This is the Software
Licence Agreement ("Licence Agreement"). As you have purchased the i) New Company Files You may only access each new company file you
Product (consisting of the User Documentation and the Software) create for 30 days without registering the Product and activating
the company file. After 30 days each new company file will become
following notification of the Licence Agreement you are now legally bound
read-only until you activate it.
by its conditions.
b Product Installation and usage If you have purchased:
HOWEVER, if the Licence Agreement contains anything of which you were
i) Single User Software Licence then you may install the Software on
not aware prior to purchasing the Product or do not agree to be bound by,
any computer that you operate at your principal place of business in
DO NOT INSTALL THE SOFTWARE but return the Product to the seller in its
respect of company files you have activated, provided that you do
entirety and a full refund of the purchase price will be made. By installing not use or permit the usage of the Software on more than one
the Software and keeping the Product you are confirming that you have computer or computer terminal at a time. In event of an upgrade or
purchased the Product subject to this Licence Agreement and are bound by Product exchange the Licence hereby granted shall automatically
its provisions. transfer to the new version or Product.
TRIAL VERSION SOFTWARE LIMITATION. If you use this Software on a trial ii) Multi-User Software Licence then you may use the Software on only
basis prior to purchase, then additional restrictions govern its use. The Trial one computer network that you operate at a single physical location
and only then in respect of company files created and activated by
Version is intended to be used only for evaluation purposes and whilst you
you or by another licensed user. You may transfer the Software from
may create your own company data files ("Company Files") you will have
one computer to another that you own or operate on this network
access to your Company Files only until the earlier of 30 days from the date provided that you only use or permit the usage of the Software on
of creation of each Company File or until you have entered a total of 1000 the number of computers or computer terminals at a time for which
transactions into the Company Files you have created. you have purchased user licences and do not permit the usage of the
Software on more than one network at any one time, nor permit the
Thereafter, you will be able to access the Company Files created by you
Software to be used in respect of company files that you have not
only upon your purchase of the full version of the Product. Upon your
activated or have not been created by you or by another licensed
purchase of the full version of the Product, the restrictions in this user.
paragraph (Trial Version Software Limitation) shall no longer apply, but you
c Number of Users At any given time, you or your delegated agents may
acknowledge that your use of the full version of the Product will be
only launch and simultaneously run the number of Software runtime
conditioned on your agreeing to the terms of the Licence Agreement instances equivalent to or less than the number of user licences you
(including the limitation on the number of Company Files) accompanying have purchased and open and simultaneously work with only the same
the full version of the Product. number of company files, which must be created and activated by you
or your related entities.
1 Scope of Licence d Updates and Upgrades In the event of an upgrade, update or product
MYOB Technology Pty Ltd (the Publisher), through its local publishers and exchange, the Licence hereby granted shall automatically transfer to
distribution agents, hereby grants to you, the original purchaser, a paid-up, the new version or product. All rights in respect of the original Product
personal, non-exclusive and non-transferable Licence to use the Software shall lapse and no further use of these shall be permitted.
and the User Documentation only in the region, territory or country e Portable or Home Computer and Archive Copies You may make a copy
specified on the packaging or download, subject to the terms and of the Software and install it on either a portable computer or a
conditions of this Licence Agreement. computer located in your home provided that the copy is for your own
exclusive use and is not operated simultaneously with the original of
a Activation of Company Files You must register the Product and activate the Software. Otherwise you may not copy or duplicate the Software,
the Company Files you create or upgrade with the Software. Company except as necessary solely for archival purposes, Software error
Files may only be activated or upgraded in respect of the business that verification, or to replace defective storage media, provided you keep
you operate. You are entitled to activate or upgrade only the Company the original and the copies. You may not alter, decompile or disassemble
Files you have purchased. If you are upgrading from a previous version of the Software. You may make copies of the User Documentation up to
but not exceeding the number of multi-user Licences you have
purchased.

2
 f Transfers You may not sub-license, lease, rent or lend the Software or no charge to you, provided you return the item to be replaced with proof
the User Documentation or otherwise transfer any of your rights under of purchase to the Publisher. THIS IS YOUR SOLE REMEDY. IN NO EVENT
this Licence Agreement. Subject to the prior written consent of the WILL THE PUBLISHER BE LIABLE TO ANY PERSON FOR ANY DIRECT,
Publisher and the agreement of the transferee to be bound by the terms INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR SIMILAR DAMAGES,
of this Licence Agreement, you may permanently transfer the Software
EVEN IF THE PUBLISHER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
(together with any backup copies you have made) and the User
Documentation. However, you may not retain any copies of either the DAMAGES.
Software or the User Documentation. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of implied
g Term The Licence granted in this Licence Agreement is effective until warranties or of liability for incidental or consequential damages, so the
terminated. You may terminate it at any time by destroying the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you. This warranty gives
Software and User Documentation, together with all copies, or by you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights that vary across
returning them to the Publisher. If you fail to meet the ongoing regions. In the event that any of the above limitations or exclusions are held
obligations accepted by you at the time of registration (if applicable) to be unenforceable, the Publisher's total liability shall not exceed the
or if you fail to comply with any term or condition of this Licence
amount of the Licence fee you paid.
Agreement, this Licence will terminate and, upon any such termination,
you agree to destroy the Software and User Documentation, together
3 Entire Agreement
with all copies, or to return them to the Publisher. Termination of this
Licence Agreement shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any other This Licence Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the
remedies available to the Publisher. In the event that the Publisher Publisher and the Licensee and any prior representations, statement or
deems this product to be redundant then the Publisher may at its undertaking howsoever made are expressly cancelled. No amendment or
option supply you with an alternative product and terminate this
modification to this Licence Agreement shall be valid unless it shall be in
Licence Agreement.
writing and signed by an authorised representative of the Publisher.
h Protection and Security This Licence Agreement specifically prohibits
the reverse engineering or decompiling or interference in any manner
with the Software's source code. Further you agree to use your best
endeavours and to take all reasonable steps to safeguard the Software
to ensure that no unauthorised person has access to the Product and
that there is no unauthorised copying or distribution of the Software or
User Documentation.
i Partner Program If this Product is being used in the context of the
MYOB Professional Partner Program in either Australia or New Zealand,
then the usage of the Software and any Company files is strictly
restricted to being within the practice itself. Without in any way
limiting the scope of this restriction, the sharing of Company files or
Software with any clients of the practice is specifically prohibited.

2 Limited Warranty & Disclaimer

The Publisher warrants that the media on which the Software is recorded
or the downloaded installer and the User Documentation provided with
them are free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use
for a period of 90 days from the date of your original purchase. Except for
the limited warranty described above, the Software is sold 'as is', and you
are assuming the entire risk as to its quality and performance. It is your
responsibility to verify the results obtained from the use of the Software.
If during the 90 day limited warranty period, you discover physical defects
in the media on which the Software was recorded or the downloaded
installer or in the User Documentation, the Publisher will replace them at

3
Contents

CONTENTS
1 Introduction ....................................................................... 8 5 Sales ................................................................................... 53
Learning about your MYOB software ...........................................8 Creating a customer card ..............................................................53
Where to start ...................................................................................10 Entering sales .....................................................................................55
Exploring your MYOB software .....................................................11 Recording sales with insufficient on-hand item quantities .59
Changing the status of a sale.........................................................61
2 Setting up your company file ......................................15 Reviewing your sales information ...............................................63
Overview ............................................................................................. 15 Receiving payments.........................................................................65
Create a company file...................................................................... 16 Printing payment receipts .............................................................68
Activate the company file.............................................................. 18 Credit control....................................................................................69
Set up accounts ................................................................................20 Customer credits..............................................................................72
Enter account opening balances.................................................. 23 Dealing with a customer who is also a supplier ......................75
Set up preferences........................................................................... 24 Accounting for bad debts..............................................................75
Set a password for the Administrator user ID......................... 25
6 Purchases .......................................................................... 76
3 Advanced setup .............................................................. 27 Creating a supplier card .................................................................76
Overview ............................................................................................ 27 Entering purchases ...........................................................................78
Set up sales ........................................................................................ 29 Receiving items without a supplier invoice..............................82
Set up purchases............................................................................... 30 Creating a purchase order from a sale .......................................84
Set up payroll ..................................................................................... 31 Changing the status of a purchase..............................................85
Do an initial bank reconciliation .................................................. 32 Reviewing your purchase information .......................................86
Create item records ........................................................................ 35 Paying bills ..........................................................................................88
Enter your inventory opening balances..................................... 36 Creating supplier debits.................................................................90
Adding finance charges paid to suppliers .................................93
4 Banking............................................................................... 38
Receiving money .............................................................................. 38
Preparing a bank deposit ...............................................................40
Spending money................................................................................ 41
Entering transactions in the Bank Register window .............. 44
Transferring money between accounts .................................... 45
Tracking petty cash expenses ...................................................... 46
Reconcile your bank accounts...................................................... 47
Importing statements.....................................................................50
Credit card purchases and payments to credit card providers
51

5
7 Paying your employees .................................................94 11 Lists ...................................................................................164
Payroll setup tasks ........................................................................... 94 Adding a record .............................................................................. 164
Entering general payroll information ......................................... 95 Setting up tax codes ..................................................................... 165
Creating payroll categories .......................................................... 96 Finding a record .............................................................................. 167
Creating employee cards............................................................. 104 Changing a record .......................................................................... 168
Entering employee payroll information .................................. 104 Inactivating or reactivating a record ....................................... 168
Timesheets ....................................................................................... 108 Deleting a record............................................................................ 169
Processing your payroll .................................................................. 111 Combining records ........................................................................ 170
Payroll deductions .......................................................................... 118
Terminating an employee’s employment ............................... 120 12 Transactions ...................................................................172
Reviewing payroll information.................................................... 121 Finding a transaction ..................................................................... 172
Changing or deleting a transaction .......................................... 176
8 Inventory......................................................................... 124 Reversing a transaction ................................................................ 177
Creating items ................................................................................ 124 Recurring transactions .................................................................. 178
Making inventory adjustments....................................................127
Multiple inventory locations........................................................128 13 Reports .............................................................................184
Building items ...................................................................................131 Producing reports........................................................................... 184
Performing stocktakes...................................................................134 Printing report batches................................................................. 187
Reviewing your inventory information ....................................136 Customising reports ...................................................................... 188
Setting item prices .........................................................................138
Customising inventory ..................................................................139 14 Forms.................................................................................192
Finding forms ................................................................................... 192
9 Billing for time ............................................................... 144 Sending forms.................................................................................. 193
About the time billing feature ................................................... 144 Customising forms......................................................................... 196
Setting time billing preferences.................................................145 Adding and editing elements...................................................... 199
Setting billing rates ....................................................................... 146
Creating activities ..........................................................................147 15 Contact management.................................................203
Creating activity slips................................................................... 149 Creating a card............................................................................... 203
Reviewing and changing activity slips ......................................152 Keeping in touch with your contacts ...................................... 204
Creating time billing invoices .....................................................153 Grouping your contacts .............................................................. 209
Work in progress .............................................................................155 Synchronising MYOB cards and Microsoft Outlook contacts .
211
10 International transactions.......................................... 156 Customising cards.......................................................................... 217
About the multiple-currency feature........................................156 Reviewing your contact information ....................................... 219
Setting up multiple currencies....................................................157
Exchange rates ................................................................................ 160 16 Financial control ...........................................................220
Tracking currency gains and losses............................................ 161 Tracking financial information .................................................. 220
Miscellaneous transactions ..........................................................163 Budgets............................................................................................. 224
Auditing your records .................................................................. 227
Reviewing financial information ............................................... 229

6
17 End-of-period procedures..........................................232
Month-end procedures.................................................................232
Starting a new financial year ..................................................... 240
Starting a new payroll year .........................................................243

18 Managing user accounts and company files ........ 248

Managing user accounts...............................................................248
Backing up and restoring company files ................................ 250
Confirming activated company files........................................253
Servicing your company file .......................................................255
Special considerations for networked company files.........257

A Importing and exporting data ................................. 261

Exporting data................................................................................. 261
Importing data ...............................................................................262
Importing data from MYOB retail software ..........................263

B Networking MYOB Premier company files........... 265

Overview ..........................................................................................265
Setting up the network hardware.............................................266
Setting up a company file folder on a Windows host ........266
Accessing the shared company file from a workstation....270

Glossary.................................................................................273

Index....................................................................................... 281

7
1 Introduction

INTRODUCTION
Before you begin, take some time to explore the software and find out about the basic features of navigation and transaction entry. This
chapter provides an overview of your software and describes the tools, resources and primary features of your MYOB software.

Learning about your MYOB software

MYOB is committed to developing accounting software that To access the PDF files
is easy to use. To that end, your MYOB software is
accompanied by comprehensive information resources to 1 Insert the installation CD. An installation window appears.
help you learn and to provide support as you set up your 2 Click Resources.
records and enter transactions. 3 Click CD Library.
4 Click the name of the manual you want to view.
Printed manuals
Two manuals are available to help you learn about your User Guide
sofware: a Getting Started guide and a User Guide (this
publication). The User Guide introduces the principal features, functions
and capabilities of your MYOB software. It is designed to be
Manuals available as PDF files Each manual is also available used as a reference for everyday transaction entry and
as a PDF (Portable Document Format) file on the installation periodic tasks, such as issuing invoices, making payments and
CD. This enables you to print copies of the manuals. It also end-of-period processing.
gives customers who are upgrading to a new version of MYOB This guide is intended for use with MYOB Accounting, MYOB
software, a copy of the up-to-date User Guide. Premier and MYOB Premier Plus on the Windows operating
system.
NOTE : You need a PDF reader to view a PDF file. You can install
Adobe Reader from the installation CD. If you purchased MYOB Accounting, some of the features in
MYOB Premier and MYOB Premier Plus that are described in
this guide will not be relevant to you. In this case, you can
simply skip these sections.

8
If you purchased MYOB Premier or MYOB Premier Plus, the Help in MYOB windows
term ‘MYOB Premier range’ refers to features included in both
MYOB Premier and MYOB Premier Plus. Opening MYOB Help from any window—other than the
command centre windows—displays descriptions or
This guide covers use of the software in the Asia region, procedures relevant to that window. Click the Help button
including Malaysia and Singapore, but excluding Hong Kong and choose Help for This Window, Tell Me How, Tips &
and China. It uses British English spelling, for example, cheque Troubleshooting or Search the Help.
rather than check, and financial rather than fiscal. See
‘Glossary’ on page 273 for a list of technical and often-used
terms and their definitions.
The User Guide is not intended to be exhaustive. It is
complemented by the online help (see ‘MYOB Help’ below),
which covers all the functions of your MYOB software.

Getting Started guide

The Getting Started guide provides information on:
 installing or upgrading your MYOB software The help options are described below.

 creating and activating your company file Select... If you want to....
 new features in your MYOB software.
Help for This • see a description of the window, which
Window includes links to more detailed descriptive
and procedural topics.
MYOB Help • see a description of each field in the
window.
MYOB Help is a comprehensive online resource that • display links to topics that give you tips to
complements the User Guide by addressing all functions and solving common problems or that direct you
features of your MYOB software. It also includes helpful to other sources of help.
information for solving common bookkeeping problems.
Tell Me How display a list of procedural topics that tell you
how to perform various tasks in the window, or
To display MYOB Help other related tasks.

 In any window, press the F1 key. Tips & display links to topics that give you tips on
Troubleshooting solving common problems or that direct you to
 In any window—other than command centre other sources of help.
windows—click the Help button ( ) and choose Help for
Search the Help locate topics by keywords. Searches can be as
This Window.
widely or as narrowly defined as you like.
 Choose MYOB Accounting Help (or MYOB Premier Help)
from the Help menu.

LEARNING ABOUT YOUR MYOB SOFTWARE 9

Command centres help Other resources
The main windows in MYOB software are known as command
There are various web-based resources available at
centres. A help icon appears in the top right corner of each
myob.com.my [Malaysia] or myob.com.sg [Singapore]. For
command centre window. For more information, see
example, you can check for product updates, access a
‘Command centres’ on page 11.
database of frequently asked questions or find the location of
When you click the help icon, MYOB Help displays a your nearest MYOB Certified Consultant. You can also access
description of the command centre and its various functions. these resources from your MYOB software by choosing
Additional Resources on the Web from the Help menu.

Where to start

When you start your MYOB software, a window displays the  What’s New in this version—learn about the new features
following options: in this version of MYOB software.
 Open your company file—open an existing company file.  Exit—close your MYOB software.
 Create new company file—create a company file for your
business. See Chapter 2, ’Setting up your company file,’
starting on page 15.
 Explore the sample company—experiment with a sample
company’s data and learn how to use your MYOB software.

WHERE TO START 10
Experiment with a sample company’s A command centre window is always displayed on your
computer screen when a company file is open. Notice that
data the name of the sample company, Clearwater, appears at the
Before you create a new company file, we recommend that top of the window.
you experiment with a sample company’s data. Now that the Clearwater company file is open, you can
browse the software, explore the transactions that have
To explore the Clearwater company file already been entered and enter some transactions yourself.

 Start your MYOB software and in the welcome window,

click Explore the sample company. A Command Centre
window appears.

Exploring your MYOB software

You should become familiar with the following tools and aids: is an illustration of the Sales command centre in MYOB
Premier Plus.
Tool See

Command centres below

Calendar (date entry) page 12

Calculator page 13

Zoom arrows page 13

Search icons page 13

Select columns page 13

Mouse shortcuts page 13

Spell-check feature page 14

Each command centre contains a row of icons in the top
section of the window. These icons allow you to quickly
Command centres switch between command centres.

There are six command centres in MYOB Accounting, seven in The selected icon represents the current command centre,
MYOB Premier, and eight in MYOB Premier Plus. The following and the flowchart displayed below the icons illustrates the
major tasks associated with that command centre.

EXPLORING YOUR MYOB SOFTWARE 11

For example, when the Sales icon is selected, tasks such as some tasks, which were previously accessed using buttons in
Enter Sales and Print/Email Statements—typical tasks you these windows, are now accessible from the Actions menu.
would complete in relation to sales—appear in the command When you click Actions ( ) in one of these
centre’s flowchart. windows, a menu of associated tasks is displayed. For
example, if you select a customer card in the Cards List
Command centre menus window and click Actions, you can print invoices, create a
There are four menus at the bottom of each command centre. sale, or view reminder logs.
The options available from these menus are described below.

Select... If you want to...

Calendar (date entry)
To Do List record and manage tasks that need your The calendar simplifies date entry. For example, suppose
attention, such as paying invoices to take you’re entering a sale and have promised the goods to the
advantage of early-payment discounts. customer on the last Friday of the month. Rather than figure
Find Transactions view summary information about your
out the date and enter it manually, display the calendar in the
accounts, sales, purchases, cards, items and Promised Date field and click the date.
jobs. To display the calendar, put the cursor in a date field and press
Reports view a list of the available reports. either = (equals) or the SPACEBAR on your keyboard.
Analysis analyse a number of key aspects of your Select a date by clicking it, or by using the arrow keys on your
business. keyboard and then pressing ENTER. The selected date appears
in the date field.
There are two ways to select an option from the command
centre menus:
 Click the menu name to display the window relevant to
You can use the arrow icons next to
the command centre you are in. the month to display a different
 Click the down arrow ( ) next to the menu name and
select from a list of the available options for all command
centres (not just the command centre you are currently
in). The current date appears in a red box.

To close the calendar without selecting a date, press ESC.

Actions Menu
The Actions menu provides shortcut access to a list of tasks.
The menu is located in the Cards List window, in each Card
Information window and in the Reconcile Accounts and
Unmatched Statement Transactions windows. Note that

EXPLORING YOUR MYOB SOFTWARE 12

Calculator Search icons
A pop-up calculator is available to Search icons displayed next to various fields allow you to
simplify calculating and entering open selection lists containing records that you have
numeric data, including money previously entered, such as customers and delivery methods,
amounts, item quantities and units. or records provided by default.
The calculator is available from
every window where you enter
numeric data. Select columns
Pressing = (equals) or the SPACEBAR when the cursor is in a Select columns allow you to select items from a list.
numeric data field displays the calculator. In the calculator, Select columns are indicated by a select icon (see left)
enter your calculation and then press ENTER. located at the top of the list column. You select a required
The result appears in the numeric data field. Press ESC to close item by clicking in the select column next to it. You can select
the calculator without entering numeric data. all listed items by clicking the select icon at the top of the list
column, and clear all selected items by clicking the select icon
again.
Zoom arrows
Zoom arrows, displayed next to various fields, allow you to Mouse shortcuts
display more detailed information about a specific entry such
as a transaction or customer record. You can right-click in a window to open a shortcut menu with
A white zoom arrow indicates that you can display more options relevant to the window and to the location of the
detailed information about a transaction and make changes pointer.
to or delete the transaction.
A grey zoom arrow allows you to display more detailed
information about a transaction, but the information is
read-only (that is, it cannot be changed). If you want to
change the information, you need to reverse the transaction
and re-enter it (see ‘Reversing a transaction’ on page 177).
Alternatively, you can change your security preference
selection to make all transactions changeable (see ‘Set up
preferences’ on page 25).

EXPLORING YOUR MYOB SOFTWARE 13

Spell-check feature To set spelling preferences
1 Go to the Setup menu and choose Preferences. The
When entering sale, purchase or item information, you can
Preferences window appears.
check your spelling in the following fields:
2 Click the Windows tab.
Window Field 3 If you want to automatically check spelling, select the
Sales • Description (for Service, Professional, Item
Automatically Check Spelling in Text Fields Before
and Miscellaneous layouts) Recording Transactions option.
• Notes (for Time Billing layout). 4 If you want to customise your spelling preferences, click
Purchase • Description (all layouts). the Spelling button. The Spell Check Preferences window
appears.
Item Information • Name (Item Profile tab)
• Description (Item Details tab). 5 Select your preferences and click OK.
 For more information about the spelling feature, see

You can choose to set a preference to automatically check MYOB online help.
spelling or manually check spelling.
You can also customise your spelling preferences. For example,
you can change the main dictionary language and choose a
preference to ignore words that include numbers.

EXPLORING YOUR MYOB SOFTWARE 14

2 Setting up your company file

SETTING UP YOUR COMPANY FILE

Your MYOB software stores your financial data in a company file. If you do not already have a company file, you must create it before you
can begin recording transactions.

Overview

When you create a company file, you record basic information Advanced tasks Once you have completed the essential
about your business, such as the business name and your tasks, you can start recording transactions. However, if you
contact details. You must also specify the month and financial need to use the advanced features of this software, (such as
year in which you want to start recording transactions. the sales or inventory features) you will need to do further
Depending on the features you want to use, there are some setup tasks. These tasks are covered in Chapter 3, ’Advanced
tasks that you should complete. This chapter guides you setup,’ starting on page 27.
through the essential ones.
Task See
Essential tasks The tasks you need to do depend on whether
1 Create a company file page 16
your accountant has created and set up a company file for
you, the information you currently have and when your 2 Activate the company file page 18
business started. 3 Set up accounts page 20

4 Enter account opening balances page 23

5 Set up preferences page 25

6 Set a password for the Administrator user ID page 26

15
 Create a company file

When you make entries in your software, that information is The number of You can choose to have 12 or 13 accounting
stored in a file called a company file. accounting periods. A 13th period is a period for recording
periods in your entries which you do not want included in the
You can create a company file using the New Company File
financial year accounting figures for a particular month. For
Assistant. This assistant is a series of interactive windows example, you can use it to record year-end
that guide you through the process of creating a new adjustments that are attributed to all months. If in
company file. doubt, choose 13 periods.

The default list of Accounts are the categories that you will allocate
NOTE : Do you already have a company file? If your accountant
or MYOB consultant has provided you with a company file, or if accounts that you each of your transactions to. When you create a
you want to use a file that you created with a test drive version want to start with company file, you need to select a default list of
of this software, you do not need to create a company file. accounts. You can:
• start with an accounts list provided by MYOB.
You can select a predefined accounts list
Before you start, you need to know: suitable for your business.
• import a list of accounts. You can import an
Your current This is the financial year for which you want to accounts list from another company file or
financial year start recording transactions in your company file. from one that has been provided by your
Note that a financial year is represented by the accountant or MYOB partner.
calendar year in which the financial year ends. For • build your own list. You can start with an
example, if your financial year ends in December accounts list that has the minimum required
2009, your financial year is 2009. accounts and then add to it.
Note that you can modify your accounts list after
The last month of This is the month in which your financial year ends.
creating your company file.
your financial year For most businesses, the last month is December.

Your conversion This is the earliest month for which you want to
month record transactions. For example, if you want to To create a new company file
enter transactions dated 1 September or later,
your conversion month is September. 1 Start your MYOB software. A welcome window appears.
You cannot enter transactions dated before the 2 Click Create new company file. The introduction page of
conversion month. New Company File Assistant appears.
3 Click Next. The Company Information page appears.
4 Enter your business contact and registration details. If
available, also enter your MYOB software serial number.
5 Click Next. The Accounting Information page appears.

16 CHAPTER 2 SETTING UP YOUR COMPANY FILE

6 Enter your financial year details and conversion month.

Current financial year Remember that this is the

TIP : If you choose to... Continue with...
financial year for which you want to start recording
transactions in your company file. It does not need to be the start with an accounts list provided by step 10
financial year that your business is currently operating in. MYOB

import a list of accounts step 12

build your own list step 12

10 Click Next. An accounts list selection page appears.

11 Select the type of industry and business that best
matches your own business.

7 Click Next. A confirmation page appears.

8 Check the financial year and conversion month and then
click Next. The Accounts List page appears.
9 Select the default accounts list you want to start with.

A suitable accounts list for the business type you selected

appears. If you want to print the list, click Print. Later you
can tailor the list to meet the needs of your business.
12 Click Next. The Company File page appears.
13 If you want to change you company file name and
location:
a Click Change. The New window appears.
b Select the required location.
c If necessary, type a new file name.
d Click Save. The Conclusion page appears.
e Continue with step 15 on page 18.

CREATE A COMPANY FILE 17

 14 Click Next. Your company file is created and the
NOTE :Restricted access to the Program Files folder in Conclusion page appears.
Windows Vista User Account Control (UAC) is a security
feature in Windows Vista. If UAC is active, files saved in the 15 Click Command Centre to display the Command Centre
Program Files folder can only be opened by the Windows window.
user who saved the files. If other users need to access your
company file, do not save it in this folder. For more
information about User Account Control, see Windows help.

Activate the company file

Activation is a process that verifies you have a legal Activation limits You can initially activate up to five
installation of your MYOB software. You can activate your company files. If you need to create more than five company
company file online or over the phone via an automated files (for example, yours is a bookkeeping business looking
service. after many clients), you can obtain license extensions to
activate as many additional company files as required.
NOTE : Do you need to complete this task? You do not need to Contact MYOB Customer Care on (+65) 6505 6582
activate a company file that you have created for testing (Singapore) or 1300 88 0883 (Malaysia) if you need a license
purposes or any file you are no longer entering transactions into.
extension. Each additional license extension allows you to
activate a further five files.
After creating a company file, you can use it for 30 days in
trial mode, after which you must activate the file if you want Activating after purchasing additional workstation
to continue entering transactions into it. licenses [MYOB Premier range only] When you purchase
your MYOB software, the license allows one user to access a
If you do not activate the file within 30 days, it will become company file during the trial period. If you extend your
read-only, which means you can open, view, print and export license to support additional simultaneous users, you must
information, but you will not be able to enter new activate your company file again. See also ‘[MYOB Premier
information into the file until you activate it. range only] To obtain additional workstation licences’ on
After activating a file, you must confirm the company file page 249.
once or twice a year, that is, extend its activation throughout
its working life. For more information, see ‘Confirming
activated company files’ on page 253.

NOTE :Automatic confirmation If you want, you can set a

preference to automatically confirm an activated company file
over the Internet when required.

18 CHAPTER 2 SETTING UP YOUR COMPANY FILE

Before you begin 2 Activate your company file:

Before you can activate a company file, you need to: Method Steps
 know your MYOB product serial number. If you didn’t Online 1 Ensure you are connected to the Internet.
enter your serial number when creating the company file, 2 Click I want to activate my company file online
you will need to enter it during the activation process. and then click Continue. The Company File
Activation – Online window appears.
 register your software. Registration enables MYOB to
contact you should there be any issues with your software. 3 If you have not previously entered your MYOB
serial number, type it in the Serial Number field
See the Getting Started guide for information on how to
and press TAB. The code in the Company File
register your software. Code field is generated automatically.
4 Click Continue to activate the file.
To activate a company file
Phone 1 Click I want to activate my company file by
1 Open the company file to be activated and sign on. phone and then click Continue. The Company
File Activation – By Phone window appears.
The Company File Activation window appears.
2 If you have not previously entered your MYOB
serial number, type it in the Serial Number field
and press TAB. The code in the Company File
Code field is generated automatically.
3 Call MYOB on the telephone number displayed
under the Company File Code field and follow
the instructions to receive your confirmation
code.
4 Type the confirmation code in the Confirmation
Code field and click Continue.
Note that you cannot use this code to activate
another company file nor can you use this code
to confirm an activated company file.

3 Follow the on-screen instructions until the Command

Centre window appears.
4 If you want to activate another company file:
a Go to the File menu and choose Open. The Open
window appears.
b Open the company file to be activated and sign on to
the file.
c Continue from step 2 above.

ACTIVATE THE COMPANY FILE 19

 Set up accounts

Accounts provide a means for grouping similar transactions. Account classifications and types are described in the
For example, if your business pays rent for the use of its following table.
premises, you would create a rent account and then allocate
Classification Type Description
all rent payments to that account.
Asset Bank Money in the bank, for example,
The accounts you use for your business are grouped in an (1-xxxx) in a cheque or savings account.
accounts list.
Accounts Money owed to you by your
Do you need to complete this task? If your accountant
NOTE : Receivable customers.
or MYOB partner has provided you with a company file, this task Other Assets that, if required, can be
may have been completed for you. In this case, go to ‘Enter
Current turned into cash within a year.
account opening balances’, on page 23.
Asset These may include your term
deposits.
When you created your company file, you selected a default Fixed Asset Assets which have a long life, for
accounts list to start with. This list may already have the example, buildings, cars and
accounts you need. If not, you can change the list to suit your computers. Fixed assets are
needs. If you are unsure, ask your accountant which accounts usually depreciated.
you should create, edit or delete. Other Asset Other assets you own such as
If you selected to import a list of accounts, you should import loans made to others and
goodwill.
this list now. See ‘Importing data’ on page 262.
Liability Credit Card Repayments required to service
Account numbers Each account is identified by a unique five (2-xxxx) credit card debt.
digit number. The first digit indicates the account’s
Accounts Money owed by you to your
classification (for example, accounts starting with 1 are asset Payable suppliers.
accounts). The remaining four digits determine its location
within the classification. The lower the number, the higher up Other Money owed by you that is due
Current in less than a year.
in the list it appears. For example, account 1-1100 appears
Liability
above 1-1200.
Long Term Money owed by you that is due
Account classifications and types The accounts list groups Liability in more than one year, for
accounts into eight classifications—Assets, Liabilities, Equity, example, a business loan.
Income, Cost of Sales, Expenses, Other Income and Other Other Other money you owe.
Expenses. Within each account classification there is at least Liability
one account type.

20 CHAPTER 2 SETTING UP YOUR COMPANY FILE

 Classification Type Description You group accounts by indenting the detail accounts located
directly below a header account.
Equity Equity The business’s net worth, that
(3-xxxx) is, its assets minus its liabilities.
Common equity accounts are Header accounts
current year earnings, retained
earnings and shareholders’ Detail accounts
equity.

Income Income Revenue from the sale of goods

(4-xxxx) and services.

Cost of Sales Cost of Sales The direct cost of selling your

(5-xxxx) goods and providing services,
for example, purchase costs and
freight charges.

Expense Expense The day-to-day expenses of

(6-xxxx) running your business, for
example, utility bills, employee
wages and cleaning.

Other Income Other Other revenues, for example,

(8-xxxx) Income interest earned on savings and
dividends paid from shares.

Other Expense Other Other expenses, for example,

(9-xxxx) Expense interest charged.

Header accounts Your accounts list consists of detail

accounts (the accounts to which you allocate transactions)
and header accounts. Header accounts group related detail
accounts to help you organise your accounts list.
For example, you could group your telephone, electricity and
gas expense accounts using a Utilities header account. This
makes it easier for you to locate the utility expense accounts
in the accounts list and to see your combined utility expenses.

SET UP ACCOUNTS 21
 Note: 3 If you want to create a detail account, select the Detail
 You cannot allocate transactions to a header account. Account option.

 The balance of a header account is the sum of the detail 4 Select the account type from the Account Type list. The
accounts indented directly below it. Account Classification field changes according to the
selection you make. For more information on account
 You can create up to three header account levels. classifications, see ‘Account classifications and types’ on
page 20.

Setting up accounts 5 Enter a four-digit number for the account in the Account
Number field. The number must be unique within each
account classification.
If you want to... See
6 Press TAB and type a name for the account.
Create an account below
7 Click the Details tab.
Delete an account page 169

Change the details of an account page 168

Group detail accounts with a header account page 23

Import an accounts list page 262

To create an account
1 Go to the Accounts command centre and click Accounts
List. The Accounts List window appears.
2 Click New. The Edit Accounts window appears.

8 If you want, type a brief description of the account in the

Description field.
9 In the Tax Code field, select the tax code that you use
most often with transactions that will be posted to this
account.
10 If you are creating an asset, liability or equity account
(other than an asset that has the account type of Bank),
select an option from the Classification for Statement of
Cash Flows list.

22 CHAPTER 2 SETTING UP YOUR COMPANY FILE

 Classifying the accounts allows you to generate a 13 [Detail accounts only] If you want to enter historical
statement of cash flows. This report shows how your cash balances, complete the Last FY column on the History tab.
position has changed over time, profit earned and where That way you can compare the year’s monthly account
your cash was spent. If you’re unsure about which balances with those of the corresponding months last
classification to use, consult your accountant or an MYOB year.
Certified Consultant. 14 [Detail accounts only] If you want to set up a budget:
11 [MYOB Premier range only] If you enter transactions in a Click Budgets. The Prepare Budgets window appears.
multiple currencies, type or select the currency for b Type the budget amounts in the monthly columns.
transactions that will be posted to this account in the
c Click Close.
Currency field. You will need to have indicated that you
deal in multiple currencies in your preferences. See ‘Set up For more information, see ‘Budgets’ on page 224.
preferences’ on page 25. 15 Click OK when you have finished. The account you created
12 If you are creating a bank or credit card account, and you now appears in your accounts list.
want to keep a record of your bank account details, click
the Banking tab and enter your account details. To group detail accounts with a header account
[MYOB Premier Plus only] If you want to pay your You group accounts by indenting the accounts located below
employees electronically using this account, select the I a header account.
Create Bank Files For Payroll Using This Account option
and enter the payment code that has been provided to 1 Go to the Accounts command centre and click Accounts
you by your bank. List. The Accounts List window appears.

Enter account opening balances

Account opening balances are the balances of your accounts You can find your account opening balances on a trial balance
as of the first day of your conversion month. report, a balance sheet or a profit & loss report prepared for
the period immediately prior to your conversion date. You can
NOTE : Do you need to complete this task? If you were in ask your accountant to prepare these reports.
business prior to your conversion month, most of your accounts
probably already have balances. If you want to produce financial You may also be able to find your account opening balances
reports that included these balances (such as a balance sheet), using your previous software or paper-based records.
or you want to track the balance of accounts with a cumulative
balance (such as your bank account), you need to enter these The balances you enter depend on whether your conversion
balances. month is also the first month of your financial year. If your
conversion month:

ENTER ACCOUNT OPENING BALANCES 23

  is the first month of your financial year, enter the opening For example, assume that $500 worth of deposits and
balances of your asset, liability and equity accounts only. $1000 worth of payments were unpresented as of your
The opening balances of your income, cost of sales and conversion date (that is, they had not appeared on a bank
expense accounts should be zero. statement). The cashbook balance would be calculated as
 is not the first month of your financial year (for example, if shown below:
your financial year starts in April but your conversion
Bank statement balance as of the conversion date $21,000.00
month is January), enter the opening balances of all your
accounts. ADD uncleared deposits + $500.00

SUBTRACT uncleared payments –

Opening bank account balances You can enter either of the $1,000.00
following amounts as the opening balance of a bank account:
Cashbook balance as of the conversion date $20,500.0
 the bank account balance that appears on your balance 0
sheet or trial balance reports as of the day prior to your
conversion date. For example, if your conversion date is 1
January 2009, this is the bank account balance as of 31 To enter opening balances
December 2008.
1 Go to the Setup menu, choose Balances and then Account
These reports can be provided by your accountant, or, if
Opening Balances. The Account Opening Balances
you were previously using another accounting software,
window appears.
printed using that software.
2 Enter the balances in the Opening Balance column.
 the cashbook balance of the account as of the end of the
day prior to your conversion date. You can calculate your NOTE : You should enter opening balances as positive
cashbook balance by taking into account the transactions numbers Do not, for example, enter your liability account
not yet cleared by your bank as of the conversion date and balances as negative numbers. Enter negative amounts only
the balance that appears on your bank statement at that if accounts truly have negative balances. As a rule, these will
be asset accounts that record accumulated depreciation.
date.

24 CHAPTER 2 SETTING UP YOUR COMPANY FILE

 3 Check that the amount in the Amount left to be allocated
field at the bottom of the window shows $0.00.
If this field displays an amount other than $0.00, check
your opening balances again because they are either
incomplete or incorrect. However, you can continue the
setup process if there is an amount in the Amount left to
be allocated field. The amount will be assigned to a
special equity account called Historical Balancing.
4 Click OK.

Set up preferences

Preferences are settings that enable you to tailor your You can set up your preferences using the:
software to your business requirements and processes.  Customise Easy Setup Assistant. This assistant guides you
through setting up some key preferences. To access the
NOTE : Do you need to complete this task? While you can
complete this step later, you should review the default assistant, go to the Setup menu, choose Easy Setup
preferences that have been set before you start entering Assistant and then click Customise.
transactions.
 Preferences window. This window lists all of the
preferences. To view this window, go to the Setup menu
You can set preferences to customise the way your software and choose Preferences.
operates. For example, you can choose to automatically print Some preferences you should consider choosing include:
invoices after recording them, or prevent users from editing
transactions.  Use Audit Trail Tracking If you want to keep a record of
transactional, tax, payroll (MYOB Premier Plus only),
account and system changes, select this option. This is
useful if more than one person will be entering
transactions into your file. For more information about
audit trail tracking, see ‘Auditing your records’ on
page 227.

SET UP PREFERENCES 25
  Transactions CAN’T be Changed; They Must be transaction is reversed, locked and a new transaction is
Reversed If you do not want to allow users to edit or recorded that includes the changes you have made.
delete transactions, select this option. If they want to  I Deal in Multiple Currencies [MYOB Premier range only]
change or delete a transaction, they will need to do so by If you want to enable multi-currency accounting, select
recording a reversal transaction. For more information, see this option. For more information about working with
‘Reversing a transaction’ on page 177. multiple currencies, see ‘International transactions’ on
Also, an audit trail entry is created when you select this page 156.
option and edit a Receive Items transaction. The original

Set a password for the Administrator user ID

When you created your company file, a user ID called For that reason, as soon as you create a company file, you
Administrator was automatically created. should assign a password to the Administrator user ID;
A user ID is the means for: otherwise, anyone can sign on and then enter, edit and delete
transactions in your file.
 controlling access to a company file
 tracking a transaction record history To set a password for the Administrator user ID
 saving individual preferences. 1 Start your MYOB software and click Open your company
By default, the Administrator user ID does not have a file in the welcome window that appears.
password assigned to it. Anyone who signs on with the 2 In the Open window, select the company file to be
Administrator user ID will have complete access to all opened, and click Open. The Sign-on window appears.
command centres, functions and windows and will be able to
create, edit and delete other user IDs. 3 Click Change Password.

26 CHAPTER 2 SETTING UP YOUR COMPANY FILE

4 In the Change Password window, leave the Existing
Password field blank, type the password in both the New
Password and Confirm Password fields.

5 Click Record.

NOTE :Access restrictions If you want to restrict other users

from accessing certain features or information, you can create
additional user IDs and specify their access restrictions. For more
information, see ‘Managing user accounts’ on page 248.

SET A PASSWORD FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR USER ID 27

3 Advanced setup

ADVANCED SETUP
When you have created a company file and completed the essential setup tasks, you can start recording transactions in your company file.
However, if you want to use the advanced features of your software (such as tracking amounts you owe or the quantity of items sold), you
need to complete additional setup tasks. This chapter details the additional tasks.

Overview

The setup tasks you need to complete depend on the features

Your needs Setup required
you want to use and whether your business was operating
prior to your conversion month. Intermediate If you want to track the money that you owe
suppliers or that are owed by customers, you will
What features do you want to use? need to use the Purchases and Sales command
centres.
The following table provides some examples of different Before you can use these command centres, you
setup requirements. need to complete the sales and purchases setup
tasks in this chapter.

Your needs Setup required Advanced If you want to track the on-hand quantity and
value of items you buy and sell, you need to
Basic If you only want to use your software to fulfil create records to store the details of your items.
basic accounting requirements (such as report You do this using the Inventory command centre.
tax payable or produce a year-end balance sheet), Also, when you buy and sell an item, you will need
you may only need to do an initial bank to record details about each transaction (such as
reconciliation for each of your bank accounts. who you purchased the items from, how many
Reconciling accounts helps ensure the integrity you purchased and the price). You do this using
of the information you record in your company the Sales and Purchases command centres. Hence,
file (see ‘Do an initial bank reconciliation’ on you need to complete the sales and purchases
page 32). setup tasks in this chapter.

27
When did your business start operating? Advanced tasks
The setup tasks you need to complete will also depend on
You may not need to do every task. An introduction to each
whether your business was operating prior to your conversion
task helps you determine whether you need to do the task
month.
and, if so, the information you need.
The following table describes the setup required for new and
existing businesses. Task See

Business 1 Set up sales page 29

Setup required
status 2 Set up purchases page 30

New If you have just started your business, you may have 3 Set up payroll (MYOB Premier Plus only) page 31
very little information about your future customers,
suppliers, employees and items that you buy or sell. You 4 Do an initial bank reconciliation page 32
can add these details later when you have more 5 Create item records page 35
information.
However, if you intend using the advanced features of 6 Enter your inventory opening balances page 36
your software (such as recording invoices or tracking
departmental profit), you should read through the
setup tasks to see which features you might use and
the tasks you need to complete to start using them.

Existing If your business was operating prior to your conversion

month, it is likely that transactions that occurred prior
to your conversion month still affect your business.
For example, a customer may owe you money for sales
you made prior to your conversion month, or you may
have outstanding bills to pay. You will need to enter
these historical details in your company file.

OVERVIEW 28
Set up sales

You can use the sales features to: Optional sales setup tasks
 prepare sales quotes, orders and invoices
In addition to the Sales Easy Setup Assistant tasks, you may
 generate statements also want to do the following tasks if they are relevant to your
 view customer sales history business.
 see how much your customers owe you.
Task See
NOTE :Do you need to do this task? If you want to record sales
Customise forms Change the appearance of the page 196
and print invoices or statements, you need to set up the sales
default invoice and statement
features.
forms.

Import cards Import customer information page 26

Before you start using the sales features, you should enter the from: 2
following information: • another MYOB company file
 Credit terms and credit limits Enter the credit terms and • another accounting system
credit limits you generally extend to your customers. • a spreadsheet
• a text file.
 Customer details Create a record for each of your
customers and enter such details as their addresses and Synchronise Synchronise your customer card page 211
phone numbers. customer records with your contact
records with records in Microsoft Outlook.
 Historical sales [Existing businesses only] If customers Outlook
owed you money on the first day of your conversion
Create job Create job records to track the page 22
month, you will need to record some details about the records progress and profitability of the 2
corresponding sales, such as the invoice date and the work you do for your clients.
amount that is outstanding.
Group cards Use identifiers and custom lists page 20
You can use the Sales Easy Setup Assistant to do these tasks. to group the cards of customers 9
To access the assistant, go to the Setup menu, choose Easy who have similar attributes.
Setup Assistant, and then click Sales.
You can also use the Sales Easy Setup Assistant to specify your
preferred invoice layout, the income account you will allocate
most of your sales to, and several other settings. These
settings will automatically be selected for new customer
records you create; however, you can change them as
required.

SET UP SALES 29
Set up purchases

You can use the purchases features to: Optional purchases setup tasks
 record quotes, orders and bills
In addition to the Purchases Easy Setup Assistant tasks, you
 view your purchase history may also want to do the following tasks if they are relevant to
 see what you owe your suppliers. your business.

NOTE :Do you need to do this task? If you want to record the Task See
orders and purchases you make with suppliers and track the
amounts you owe, you need to set up the purchases features. Customise Change the appearance of the page 196
forms default purchase orders and other
forms.
Before you start using the purchases features, you should
enter the following information: Import cards Import supplier information from: page 26
• another MYOB company file 2
 Supplier details Create a card record for each of your • another accounting system
suppliers and enter such details as their addresses and • a spreadsheet
phone numbers. • a text file.
 Historical purchases [Existing businesses only] If you had Synchronise Synchronise your supplier card page 211
outstanding bills on the first day of your conversion supplier records records with your contact
month, you will need to record some details about them, with Outlook records in Microsoft Outlook.
such as the bill amounts and the credit terms.
Group cards Use identifiers and custom lists to page 20
You can use the Purchases Easy Setup Assistant to do these group the cards of suppliers who 9
tasks. To access the Purchases Easy Setup Assistant, go to the have similar attributes.
Setup menu, choose Easy Setup Assistant and then click
Purchases.
You can also use the Purchases Easy Setup Assistant to choose
your preferred purchase order layout and several other
settings that will help you record purchases faster. These
settings will automatically apply to new cards you create for
your suppliers; however, you can change them as required.

SET UP PURCHASES 30
Set up payroll
Payroll is only available in MYOB Premier Plus.  Enter general payroll information Enter the current
You use the payroll feature to: payroll year, the number of hours in your normal working
day and week, the tax file or tax reference number,
 process pays for your employees provident fund number, and SOCSO number.
 track employee entitlements (such as sick and holiday  Review payroll categories The components of an
leave) employee’s pay, such as wages and entitlements, are called
 pay accrued payroll deductions payroll categories. These are assigned to an employee’s
card to calculate their standard pay.
 print payslips and paycheques
It’s a good idea to review the details of each payroll
 print statutory forms
category to make sure it matches the way you do business.
 print tax forms.
 Enter employee details Create a card record for each of
Do you need to do this task? If you want to process
NOTE :
your employees and enter such details as their addresses
employee pays, you need to set up the payroll features. and payroll information.
 Enter pay history [Existing businesses only] If you have
Before you start using the payroll features, you need to: already paid the employee in the current payroll year, you
should enter the amounts you have paid your employees.
 [Malaysia] Load tax/SOCSO tables The amount of tax
and SOCSO to be deducted from employee pays is taken You can use the Payroll Easy Setup Assistant to do these tasks.
from the tax/SOCSO tables. These tables contain To access the Payroll Easy Setup Assistant, go to the Setup
calculation rules and amounts established by the Inland menu, choose Easy Setup Assistant and then click Payroll.
Revenue Board (IRB) and the Social Security Organisation
(SOCSO).
Note that you need to load new tax/SOCSO tables when
new calculation rules and amounts are introduced by the
government.
 [Singapore] Load CPF table The amount of CPF to be
deducted from employee pays is taken from the CPF table.
The CPF table contains calculation rules and amounts
established by the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board.
Note that you need to load a new CPF table when new
calculation rules and amounts are introduced by the
government.

SET UP PAYROLL 31
Optional payroll setup tasks Task See
In addition to the Payroll Easy Setup Assistant tasks, you may Import cards Import employee information from: page 262
also want to do the following tasks if they are relevant to your • another MYOB company file
business. • another accounting system
• a spreadsheet
Task See • a text file.

Set up Use timesheets to record all the page 108 Synchronise Synchronise your employee card page 211
timesheets hours and days worked by hourly and employee records with your contact records in
daily employees or to record extra records with Microsoft Outlook.
hours and days worked by employees Outlook
that are paid based on a standard
pay. If you pay employees for Group cards Use identifiers and custom lists to page 209
time-billing activities, you can also group the cards of employees who
enter activity details on timesheets have similar attributes.
and use these details to create
activity slips.

Customise Change the appearance of the page 196

forms default payslip and paycheque forms.

Do an initial bank reconciliation

To ensure the accuracy of your business records, you should Uncleared banking transactions are withdrawals and deposits
ensure that the record of your bank account balances that have not been cleared by your bank as of the start of your
matches the amounts on your bank statements. This task is conversion month.
called reconciling accounts.
NOTE : Do you need to complete this task? The initial bank
If your business traded prior to your conversion month and reconciliation procedure needs to be done for each bank
you have uncleared banking transactions as of the first day of account that had uncleared transactions as of the first day of
your conversion month, you need to do an initial bank your conversion month.
reconciliation.

DO AN INITIAL BANK RECONCILIATION 32

To do an initial bank reconciliation: To record uncleared withdrawals

Task See
1 Go to the Banking command centre and click Spend
Money. The Spend Money window appears.
1 Identify uncleared withdrawals and deposits below
2 In the Account field, type or select the bank account you
2 Record uncleared withdrawals and deposits below want to reconcile.
3 Reconcile page 3 3 In the Cheque No field, enter a reference number for the
4 withdrawal.
4 In the Date field, type the first day of your conversion
month. For example, if your conversion month is April
Task 1: Identify uncleared withdrawals 2009, enter 01/04/09.
and deposits 5 In the Amount field, type the amount of the withdrawal.

Compare your banking source information (such as your 6 Enter details of the withdrawal in the Memo field.
chequebook and deposit book) with your bank statements 7 In the Acct # field, type or select the bank account you
for the period that includes your conversion date. If you find want to reconcile. This must be the account entered in
transactions that have not been cleared by your bank as of step 2 above.
this date, you will need to record the details of these
8 In the Tax field, select the N-T tax code.
transactions in your company file.
For example, in March, the month prior to your conversion
month, you wrote a cheque for $510 and deposited $250 you
received from a customer. If these transactions had not
appeared on a bank statement by 31 March, you need to
record both transactions in your company file.

Task 2: Record uncleared withdrawals

and deposits
You need to record uncleared transactions in such a way that
the opening bank account balance is not affected. To do this,
you need to post a debit and a credit of equal amounts for
each transaction against the applicable bank account.
9 Click Record.
10 Repeat from step 3 above for each uncleared withdrawal.

DO AN INITIAL BANK RECONCILIATION 33

To record uncleared deposits Task 3: Reconcile
1 Go to the Banking command centre and click Receive
Money. The Receive Money window appears. To reconcile the account
2 In the Deposit to Account field, type or select the bank 1 Go to the Banking command centre and click Reconcile
account you want to reconcile. Accounts. The Reconcile Accounts window appears.
3 In the Date field, type the first day of your conversion 2 In the Account field, select the bank account you want to
month. For example, if your conversion month is April reconcile.
2009, enter 01/04/09.
3 In the New Statement Balance field, type the closing bank
4 In the Amount Received field, type the amount of the balance as of the day prior to your conversion month (for
deposit. example, the closing balance as of 31/03/2009).
5 Enter details of the deposit in the Memo field. 4 In the Bank Statement Date field, type the first date of
6 In the Acct # field, type or select the bank account you your conversion month. (For example, if your conversion
want to reconcile. This must be the account entered in month is April 2009, enter 01/04/09.) Your uncleared
step 2 above. transactions appear.
7 In the Tax field, select the N-T tax code. When you recorded uncleared transactions, the same
account was debited and credited with the same amount.
Therefore, an uncleared transaction appears as both a
deposit and a withdrawal.
5 For each uncleared withdrawal, click the select column
next to the deposit.
6 For each uncleared deposit, click the select column next
to the withdrawal.

8 Click Record.
9 Repeat from step 3 above for each uncleared deposit.

When each uncleared transaction is selected, $0.00

appears in the Out of Balance field.

DO AN INITIAL BANK RECONCILIATION 34

7 Click Reconcile. A confirmation window appears.  To reconcile without printing a report, click Reconcile.
 To print a report, click Print Report. When the report is  To change any details you entered in the Reconcile
printed, click Reconcile. Accounts window, click Cancel.

Create item records

You can use item records to store information about a Optional inventory setup tasks
product and to track the quantities you buy and sell. You can
also create records for each type of service you provide. You may want to do the following tasks if they are relevant to
your business.
NOTE : Do you need to complete this task? If you buy and sell
items, such as finished goods, components used in production
Task See
and raw materials, you need to create records for them.
Import items Import item information from: page 262
Item records enable you to view the sales and purchase • another MYOB company file
history of the products you sell or use in production. You can • another accounting system
• a spreadsheet
determine which items are your best sellers and what you
• a text file.
have in stock. This can help you identify sales trends and
reorder items before you run out of them. Set up pricing [MYOB Premier range only] page 139
levels Customise item pricing according
You can also create item records for the services you provide. to customer status and sales
This enables you to list the items and services you buy and sell quantities.
on the same purchase order or invoice.
Create [MYOB Premier range only] If you page 128
For example, if you are a plumber, you could set up items for locations hold inventory at several
the materials you buy in order to carry out your work. You locations, you can keep track of
could also set up item records for the services you provide, item quantities held at each
such as installation and repairs. You can then record the labour location.
and material charges on the same invoice. Group items Group and sort items by assigning page 141
using custom attributes to your items from
 For more information about creating item records, see lists custom lists you define.
‘Creating items’, on page 124.
Create custom Set up fields to record additional page 142
fields information about your inventory
items.

CREATE ITEM RECORDS 35

Enter your inventory opening balances
If you had items on hand as of the first day of your conversion difference between the On Hand column and the Counted
month, and you want to track on-hand quantities and values column.
of these items, you need to enter your inventory opening
balances.
Before you enter your opening inventory balances, you need
to count the actual items in your inventory. To help you do
this, you can print the Inventory Count Sheet report, which
lists all your inventoried items, and manually record quantities
on it.

To print the inventory count sheet

1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Count
Inventory. The Count Inventory window appears.
2 Click Print. The Inventory Count Sheet report is printed
with a list of all your items. 5 When you have entered all your item quantities, click
3 Enter all your on hand quantities on this sheet. Adjust Inventory. The Adjustment Information window
appears.
To enter opening on hand inventory and values When you are entering opening on-hand balances, you do
not need to enter a default expense account.
1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Count
Inventory. The Count Inventory window appears with a list 6 Click Continue. The window that appears depends on
of your inventory items. whether you have entered an opening balance for your
inventory asset account (see ‘Enter account opening
2 [MYOB Premier range only] If you store your items at balances’ on page 23):
several locations, select the method you want to use to
 If you entered an inventory opening balance, the Adjust
group your items. You can group items by item number or
Stock window appears.
by location.
 If you did not enter an inventory opening balance, the
3 [MYOB Premier range only] If you store your items at Opening Balance Check window appears. Click Opening
several locations, select the Include Zero On-Hand Balances and then click Adjust Balances. The Adjust
Quantities option. A list of all your items appears. Inventory window appears.
4 In the Counted column, type the quantity counted for
each item. The Difference column will change to show the

ENTER YOUR INVENTORY OPENING BALANCES 36

 The Adjust Inventory window displays a line for each item 7 Enter any changes to the default entries in the Inventory
whose opening quantity you entered in the Count Journal Number, Date and Memo fields.
Inventory window. The line items display each item's 8 Type the unit cost of each item (that is, how much a single
number, name, quantity and the account to which the unit of each item costs you, not how much you are selling
opening balance will be posted. This account is either it for).
your inventory asset account, or, if you have not entered
an opening balance for your inventory asset account, your NOTE : Do not change the account number in the Account
historical balancing account. column. The selection you made at step 6 determines the
default account used to record your opening balances.

9 Click Record. The value of each item in the list is updated.

You can print the Items List Summary report to check

your inventory status. For more information on printing
reports, see ‘Reports’ on page 184.

ENTER YOUR INVENTORY OPENING BALANCES 37

4 Banking

BANKING
This chapter shows you how to record the cheques you have written, the cheques and credit card payments you have received, your credit
card purchases, your credit card payments and your ATM and Internet withdrawals and transfers.

MYOB software can handle any number of bank and credit card accounts and allocate them to as many accounts as you like. If you are
accustomed to a manual multi-column cashbook system, you can think of your MYOB software as having the capacity to run multiple
cashbooks with an infinite number of columns.

Receiving money
In your MYOB software, the term receiving money refers
specifically to recording receipts other than payments
relating to invoices. These include equity injections, interest,
adjustments and so on. These types of receipts can be
entered using the Receive Money window or by selecting the
Receive Money transaction type in the Bank Register window.
Note that in your MYOB software, invoices are processed
through the Sales command centre. So any payments
received against invoices you have issued need to be entered
using the Receive Payments window or by selecting the
Receive Payment transaction type in the Bank Register
window. See ‘Receiving payments’ on page 66 for more
information.
The options for recording receipts and invoice payments are
summarised in the following diagram.

38
Printing payment receipts You can print payment receipts 7 [Optional] To record additional details about the
for transactions that you enter in the Receive Money and Bank payment, such as a cheque number, click Details and
Register windows. For more information about printing record the details in the Applied Payment Details window
payment receipts, see ‘Printing payment receipts’ on that appears.
page 69. 8 Type the date of the payment.
There are two ways to record money received without an 9 [Optional] Type a detailed comment in the Memo field to
invoice: help you identify the payment later.
 in the Receive Money window 10 Allocate the amount to the appropriate account or
 in the Bank Register window. distribute it to a number of accounts, as described in the
The Receive Money window lets you record more details table below.
about the receipt and to allocate the receipt to more than
one account. This is the procedure covered in this section. If A B C D E
you want to use the Bank Register window—which lets you
enter a receipt with minimum details—see ‘To enter a
transaction in the Bank Register window’ on page 46.

To record money you receive A Type or select an account to assign the payment or part
of the payment to.
1 Go to the Banking command centre and click Receive
Money. B Type the amount you want to assign to each account.
The total amount in this column must equal the amount
2 Choose one of the following options: in the Amount Received field before you can record the
 Deposit to Account. In the Deposit to Account field, transaction.
type or select the required bank account. C [Optional] Assign the amount to a job by entering the job
 Group with Undeposited Funds. Choose this option if code here.
you want the deposit to be recorded in the undeposited
D [Optional] Type a memo for each entry in the
funds account. After you have grouped all the deposit transaction.
transactions you want, you can make one bank deposit
for all the undeposited funds. For more information, see E The tax code that is linked to the allocation account
appears here automatically. You can change it or delete it
‘Preparing a bank deposit’ on page 41.
if necessary.
3 If the deposit amount includes tax, select the Tax Inclusive
option. If it excludes tax, deselect this option.
4 In the Payor field, type or select the payor’s name. 11 If you want to view or change the tax amounts assigned to
the transaction, click the zoom arrow ( ).
5 Enter the amount received.
12 If you want to assign the transaction to a particular
6 [Optional] In the Payment Method field, select the category, select a category from the Category list.
payment method.

RECEIVING MONEY 39
 If you have not turned on category tracking, the Category
field won’t appear. (To turn on category tracking, go to
the Setup menu, choose Preferences, click the System tab
and select the Turn on Category Tracking option.) For
more information, see ‘Categories’ on page 221.

RECEIVING MONEY 40
13 If you want to store the transaction as a recurring 14 Complete the transaction in any one of the following
transaction, so that you can use it again, click Save as ways:
Recurring. In the Edit Recurring Schedule window, enter  To print and record the transaction, click Print.
the necessary details and click Save. (For more  To record the transaction, click Record.
information, see ‘Recurring transactions’ on page 178.)
15 If you do not want to record the transaction at this time,
click Cancel.

Preparing a bank deposit

When you want to deposit payments (such as credit card, field. (For credit cards, select one or more credit card
cash and cheque payments) in a batch, you need to post the types.) Only payments made using that method are listed.
payments to a temporary holding account until you create a 4 Type a date to display undeposited funds up to and
bank deposit. This holding account is known as an including that date.
Undeposited Funds account.
5 [Optional] To record the purpose of the transaction, type
You can post a customer payment to the Undeposited Funds a description in the Memo field.
account by selecting the Group with Undeposited Funds
option in the Receive Money window or Receive Payments 6 Select the receipts you want to include in the bank
window when recording a payment. deposit by marking the corresponding field in the Deposit
column. Alternatively, if you want to select or deselect all
When you make a bank deposit in a batch, funds are receipts, click the select icon ( ) at the top of the
transferred from the Undeposited Funds account to the Deposits column.
account of your choice as a single transaction. You can record
the deposit in the Prepare Bank Deposit window.

To prepare a bank deposit

1 Go to the Banking command centre and click Prepare Bank
Deposit. The Prepare Bank Deposit window appears.
2 In the Deposit to Account field, type or select the account
into which the funds will be deposited.
3 If you want to group payments by payment method,
select the payment method in the Select Receipts by
field. Select one or more payment types in the adjacent

PREPARING A BANK DEPOSIT 41

7 If you want to enter a transaction to adjust the deposit b Type the date and an ID number.
amounts, click Deposit Adjustment. Enter transaction fees c Select an expense account for the fees and cash-back
charged by your credit card provider if the fees are entry and/or an income account for adjustment
deducted before payments are deposited in your account. amounts.
You may also adjust a deposit if, instead of depositing the d Type a memo and other information, as necessary.
total amount of a deposit, you keep part of the deposit as e Click Record. If you need to record additional
cash. In the Bank and Deposit Adjustments window: adjustments or fees, click Deposit Adjustment again.
a Type the fees and cash back and/or the adjustment
8 Click Record to record the transaction.
amount.

Spending money

The term spending money refers specifically to recording

payments for transactions for which purchases have not been
created. These include equity drawings, bank charges,
telephone bills and so on. These types of payment can be
entered in the Spend Money window or by selecting the
Spend Money transaction type in the Bank Register window.
If you want to make payments for purchases entered using the
Purchases command centre, you will need to enter the
payment in the Pay Bills window or by selecting the Pay Bill
transaction type in the Bank Register window.

SPENDING MONEY 42
The options for recording payments are summarised in the 1 Go to the Banking command centre and click Spend
following diagram. Money. The Spend Money window appears.

2 In the Account field, type or select the bank account that

will be used to make this payment.
3 Select the Tax Inclusive option if the amount is tax
inclusive. Deselect this option if the amount is tax
exclusive.

NOTE : Make your selection now Do not select or deselect

the Tax Inclusive option after you type an amount in the
Amount field.
To record money you spend
There are two ways to record money you spend: 4 Fill in the information in the cheque area of the window,
 in the Spend Money window just as you would if you were writing a paper cheque.
 in the Bank Register window.
The Spend Money window lets you record more details about
the payment and to allocate the payment to more than one
account. This is the procedure covered in this section. If you
want to use the Bank Register window—which lets you enter
a payment with minimum details—see ‘To enter a transaction If the transaction is an ATM withdrawal or an electronic
in the Bank Register window’ on page 46. payment, type a non-numeric word or phrase to describe
the withdrawal in the Cheque No. field. That way you will
know the transaction is not an actual cheque when you

SPENDING MONEY 43
 view it in a list or on a report. This will also allow you to posted to the correct accounts. To recap, choose Recap
skip the transaction when you print a range of numbered Transaction from the Edit menu.
cheques.
5 If you want to change the default payee address, type or 10 If you are paying by cheque and have already written a
select the payee’s address in the Payee field. cheque, select the Cheque Already Printed option.
6 Allocate the payment to the correct account. 11 If you want to send remittance advice in a batch, select an
option from the Remittance Advice Delivery Status list.
A B C D E After you have recorded a number of payments, say, the
day’s payments, you can print or email remittance advices
in a batch. For more information, see ‘Sending forms’ on
page 193.
A Type or select the account to which you want to assign
the cheque amount. TIP : Save the payment as a recurring transaction If you
want to store the payment as a recurring transaction, click
B Type the allocation amount. Save as Recurring. In the Edit Recurring Schedule window,
enter the necessary information and click Save. For more
C [Optional] Assign the cheque amount to a job by
information, see ‘Recurring transactions’ on page 178.
entering the job code here.

D [Optional] Type a memo for each line item you enter in

the transaction. 12 If you want to print a cheque or remittance advice now,
click Print and select the form type you want to print.
E The tax code that is linked to the allocation account
Note that the payment is recorded before it is printed.
appears here automatically. You change or delete it if
necessary. 13 Click Record.

7 If you want to view or change the tax amounts assigned to

the transaction, click the zoom arrow ( ).
8 If you want to assign the transaction to a particular
category, select a category from the Category list. For
more information, see ‘Categories’ on page 221.
9 If your payment covers more than one account, repeat
from step 6. You would do this, for example, when paying
for the purchase of a number of different items from the
same supplier: postage, magazines, stationery, etc.

TIP : Recap transaction Before you record this transaction,

you can use the recap transaction feature to view the journal
entries that will be created when the transaction is recorded.
This is useful for confirming that the journal entries are

SPENDING MONEY 44
To void a cheque
Follow the steps below to void a cheque that you have not
recorded in your MYOB software. If you want to make changes
to a cheque you have already recorded, see ‘Changing or
deleting a transaction’ on page 176.
1 Display the Spend Money window and choose the cheque
account from which you want to void the cheque.
2 In the Cheque No. field, type the number of the cheque
you want to void.
3 Leave all the other fields blank.
4 Click Record and then click OK to confirm that you want
to void the cheque.

SPENDING MONEY 45
Entering transactions in the Bank Register window

You can enter the following transactions in the Bank Register 3 In the lower part of the window, select the type of
window: cheques, deposits, payments to suppliers, payments transaction from the Type list.
from customers, sales and purchases.
The main advantages of using the Bank Register window to
enter transactions are speed and convenience. For instance,
unlike a Spend Money transaction, you can record a customer
payment, pay a bill and then write a cheque without having
to move between multiple windows. The Bank Register
window allows you to enter transactions with minimal detail,
which can save you time.

Importing your online bank and credit card statements You

can also use the Bank Register window to import your bank
and credit card statements. If a statement contains any
transactions that you have not entered, you can add them
quickly in the Bank Register window. For more information, 4 Enter a transaction reference:
see ‘Reconcile your bank accounts’ on page 49.  If you select Pay Bill, Spend Money or Enter Purchase
from the Type list, enter a cheque number (or other
transaction reference) in the Cheque No field.
To enter a transaction in the Bank Register window
 If you select Receive Payment, Receive Money or Enter
1 Go to the Banking command centre and click Bank Sale from the Type list, type a transaction reference in
Register. The Bank Register window appears. the adjacent ID No. field.
2 In the Account field, type or select the bank or credit card 5 In the Date field, type the date of the transaction.
account that will be used for this transaction.
6 In the Card field, type or select the name of the card for
this transaction.
7 In the Amount field, type the total amount of the
transaction, including tax.
8 If you want to allocate the amount to only one account,
type in the Account field the account that will be used for
this transaction.

ENTERING TRANSACTIONS IN THE BANK REGISTER WINDOW 46

 If you want to allocate the amount to more than one 11 If you want to record the purpose of the transaction, type
account, click Split. The corresponding transaction a description in the Memo field.
window will appear, and you can then allocate the amount 12 If you want to assign the transaction to a category, select
to multiple accounts of your choice. a category from the Category list. This is not applicable to
Note that you can also use the Split button to: Receive Payment and Pay Bill transactions. For more
 apply payments to a particular invoice or purchase information, see ‘Categories’ on page 221.
 enter the payment method 13 To save the transaction as a recurring transaction, so that
 print the transaction. you can use it again, click Save as Recurring. In the Edit
Recurring Schedule window, enter the necessary
NOTE : When the Split button is not available If the information and click Save. (Note that this option is
transaction type is Enter Sale or Enter Purchase, the Split
available only for Spend Money and Receive Money
button is not available. To open the transaction window, you
will need to record the transaction, then click the zoom transactions). For more information, see ‘Recurring
arrow ( ) next to the transaction in the Bank Register transactions’ on page 178.
window.
After saving the recurring template, if you want to record
the transaction, click Record in the Bank Register window
9 If you are entering a sale or a purchase, select the (or in the transaction window if you clicked Split). If you
appropriate tax code in the Tax field. do not want to record the transaction at this time, click
10 [Optional] Assign the payment to a job by entering the Cancel.
job code in the Job field. This is not applicable for Pay Bill 14 To record the transaction, click Record.
and Receive Payment transactions.

Transferring money between accounts

You can transfer money between bank accounts, including 3 In the Transfer Money From field, type or select the
bank and credit card accounts, using the Transfer Money account from which the funds will be paid.
window. You can also use this window to record Internet or 4 In the Transfer Money To field, type or select the account
phone-banking transfers. into which the funds will be paid.

To transfer money between accounts

1 Go to the Accounts command centre and choose Transfer
Money. The Transfer Money window appears.
2 Type a date for the transfer.

TRANSFERRING MONEY BETWEEN ACCOUNTS 47

5 In the Amount field, type the amount to be transferred. 6 If you want to record the purpose of the transaction, type
a description in the Memo field.
7 If you want to assign the transaction to a particular
category, select the category from the Category list.

TIP : Save the transfer as a recurring transaction If you want

to store the transfer as a recurring transaction click Save as
Recurring. In the Edit Recurring Schedule window, enter the
necessary information and click Save. For more information,
see ‘Recurring transactions’ on page 178.

8 To record the transaction, click Record.

Tracking petty cash expenses

Most businesses keep a small amount of cash handy at the 4 In the Amount field, type the amount.
office for miscellaneous expenses—postage, staff amenities,
and so on. You can track this petty cash amount separately
using a petty cash account and allocating any miscellaneous
expenses to that account.
Check your accounts list for an account named ‘Petty Cash’. If
it doesn’t exist, you need to create it. For information on
creating an account, see ‘To create an account’ on page 22.

To transfer money to your petty cash account

1 Go to the Accounts command centre and click Transfer
Money. The Transfer Money window appears.
2 In the Transfer Money From field, type or select the
account from which you are transferring money. 5 Click Record.
3 In the Transfer Money To field, type or select the petty
cash account.

TRACKING PETTY CASH EXPENSES 48

To allocate expenses to the petty cash account
Let’s assume you spent RM80 on stationery from your petty
cash float. You would record this transaction in the following
way.
1 Go to the Banking command centre and click Spend
Money.
2 In the Account field, type or select the Petty Cash
account.
3 Type the date and amount of the expense. Enter the
expense as a line item and allocate it to the relevant
expense account (in this example, the Office Supplies
account).

4 Since you do not need to print a cheque for this

transaction, select the Cheque Already Printed option.
5 Click Record.

Reconcile your bank accounts

To ensure the accuracy of your business records, you should To reconcile your bank account
keep your record of each bank account balance matched up
with your bank’s records.
NOTE : Reconciling bank accounts using the Company Data
If you are reconciling your bank account for the first time Auditor If you are using the Company Data Auditor (see step 3
since you started using MYOB software, see ‘Do an initial in ‘To run the company data auditor’ on page 234), select the
account you want to reconcile in the Account Reconciliation
bank reconciliation’ on page 32. Review window and click Reconcile Accounts. Continue this
procedure from step 3.

RECONCILE YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS 49

1 Go to the Banking command centre and click Reconcile a Click Bank Entry. The Bank and Deposit Adjustments
Accounts. The Reconcile Accounts window appears. window appears.
2 In the Account field, type or select the account you want b Fill in the appropriate transaction details and click
to reconcile. Record. The Reconcile Accounts window reappears.
3 In the New Statement Balance field, type the closing 7 Click Reconcile. A window appears, indicating whether
balance that appears on the statement your bank sent you. your account is reconciled or out of balance.
 If your account is reconciled, you can print the
4 In the Bank Statement Date field, type the closing date
Reconciliation report by clicking Print (recommended).
that appears on your bank statement, and then press TAB.
Once the report is printed, the Reconcile Accounts
Only unreconciled transactions dated on or before that
window appears. Click Reconcile again to complete the
date are displayed.
reconciliation process. If you do not want to print the
report, simply click Reconcile. The transactions you
marked are considered cleared and won’t appear in the
Reconcile Accounts window the next time you display
it.
 If your account is out of balance, the window will
indicate the amount by which your account is out of
balance, and will provide you with a few ideas as to why
this may have occurred. To correct the unreconciled
amount, follow the procedure below.

To correct an unreconciled amount

NOTE : If you want to import bank statement data 1 Check the following:
electronically, click Actions and choose Get Statement
 Did you type the correct figure in the New Statement
function to import your bank statement data, see ‘Importing
statements’ on page 52. Balance field? Note that you have to enter the closing
balance from your bank statement, not the opening
balance.)
5 For each entry on your bank statement, select the
 Did you type the correct date (that of the closing
corresponding transaction by clicking in the select
balance from your bank statement) in the Bank
column ( ) next to it. The transaction line is highlighted
Statement Date field? An incorrect date may prevent
and the amount in the Calculated Statement Balance field
some transactions from appearing in the list.
is updated.
 Did you select all transactions that appear on the
6 If there are entries on the statement relating to bank bank statement? If not, some transactions might not
charges or bank interest and the entries do not appear have been accounted for in the reconciled balance.
among the transactions on the Reconcile Accounts  Did you select a transaction that didn’t appear on
window, you need to manually add these transactions. your bank statement? If yes, you need to deselect the
transaction.

RECONCILE YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS 50

  Did you record all bank charges and bank interest We recommend that you back up your company file before
entries that appear on the bank statement? If not, you undo a reconciliation. Then, if you want to reverse the
you need to record them and select them for undo reconciliation, you can restore the backup file.
reconciliation.
2 Repeat the reconciliation procedure ‘To reconcile your To undo an account reconciliation
bank account’ on page 49. 1 Go to the Banking command centre and click Reconcile
If your account is still out of balance, then you may have Accounts. The Reconcile Accounts window appears.
deleted a transaction that has been reconciled previously. 2 In the Account field, type or select the account for which
you want to undo the reconciliation.
NOTE : Identifying deleted transactions using the Audit Trail
report If you set the Use Audit Trail Tracking preference, 3 Click Actions and choose Undo Reconciliation. The Undo
you can use the Audit Trail report to search for deleted Last Reconciliation window appears, confirming the
transactions. This preference must be set before deleted
account and date of the reconciliation you are undoing.
transactions will appear in the report.

3 If you have deleted a previously reconciled transaction:

a Re-enter the transaction into your company file.
b Select it for reconciliation.
c Repeat the reconciliation procedure.

Undoing an account reconciliation

If you have reconciled a transaction in error or deleted a
previously reconciled transaction, you can undo the previous
account reconciliation. When you undo a reconciliation, all
transactions for that period return to an unreconciled status. 4 Click Undo Reconciliation. A confirmation window
appears.
If the error was made in a reconciliation earlier than your last
reconciliation, you can undo several reconciliation periods in 5 Click OK. The Reconcile Accounts window reappears.
succession in your current financial year.
Note, when you undo an account reconciliation, you will need
to reconcile each transaction again and reprint your
reconciliation reports.

CAUTION : Purged transactions cannot be re-reconciled Do not

undo a reconciliation for a period containing purged
transactions.

RECONCILE YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS 51

Importing statements

If you have an online banking facility, you can use the Get To import your statement
Statement feature to import bank statement or credit card
statement files. 1 Go to the Banking command centre and click Bank
Register. The Bank Register window appears.
This feature enables you to import transactions that you have
not recorded in your company file (e.g. bank fees). It also 2 In the Account field, type or select the account that
enables you to use the imported transactions as part of your corresponds to the bank or credit card statement.
reconciliation process. Namely, your MYOB software can 3 Click Get Statement. The Open window appears.
automatically match transactions on your statement with the 4 Select the downloaded statement file and then click
transactions in your company file. Matched transactions will Open. The Get Statement window appears.
be marked as cleared for reconciliation, making it easy for you
to reconcile your account at month-end. 5 Click OK.

If some transactions cannot be matched, you have the option The statement transactions are automatically matched
of matching them manually with uncleared transactions, with the transactions in your company file by using the
adding them or skipping them altogether. Unmatched cheque number and amount as the criteria for matching
transactions are usually account fees and penalty charges payments and deposits.
applied by the bank.  If there are any unmatched transactions, the
Unmatched Statement Transactions window appears.
If your business uses multiple currencies (MYOB Premier only)
Go to step 6.
and your bank provides foreign currency statements in the
 If all your transactions match, these transactions will be
OFX file format (such as the Hang Seng bank), you can import
marked as cleared in the Reconcile Accounts window
these statements using the Get Statement feature.
and you can ignore the rest of this procedure.
NOTE :Download your statement Before you can import your 6 Choose what you want to do with the unmatched
bank or credit card statement, you need to download the transactions.
statement file from your bank. Your bank’s website should
 If you want to match a transaction, highlight that
provide instructions on downloading this file. The following file
formats are supported: OFX, QFX, QIF and OFC. transaction, click Actions and choose Match
Transaction. The Match Transaction window appears,
listing the uncleared transactions in your company file
for the specified account. Select the transaction that
you want to match with the statement transaction and
click Match. The transaction will be marked as cleared.
Repeat this step for each transaction that you want to
match.

IMPORTING STATEMENTS 52
  If you want to add a transaction to your company file,
highlight the transaction, click Actions and choose Add CAUTION : Match or add all transactions We recommend
you finish adding or matching every transaction in the
Transaction. The Spend Money window or the Receive
unmatched transaction list before you click Done.
Money window appears (depending on the type of Otherwise, if you re-open the statement file, the original
transaction you are adding). Enter the details of the unmatched statement list would appear in the
transaction and record it. The transaction is shown as Unmatched Statement Transactions window.
cleared. Repeat this step for each transaction you want
to add. 7 Repeat step 6 for each uncleared transaction you want to
add or match.
8 When you have finished matching and adding
transactions, click Done. A list of all the transactions that
were cleared appears.

Credit card purchases and payments to credit card providers

Before you record credit card purchases, you need to create a Recording purchases made using a
credit card liability account for each credit card you will use.
Name the accounts VISA, American Express, etc. These
credit card
accounts will keep track of the amount owed to the credit You record a payment made using a credit card by specifying
card provider. For information on creating an account, see ‘To the credit card account in the Pay Bills, Spend Money or Bank
create an account’ on page 22. Register window. When you record the transaction, the
payment amount is assigned to your credit card liability
account.
For more information on recording payments, see:
 ‘Spending money’ on page 42
 ‘Entering transactions in the Bank Register window’ on
page 46
 ‘Paying bills’ on page 88.

CREDIT CARD PURCHASES AND PAYMENTS TO CREDIT CARD PROVIDERS 53

Recording payments to credit card 4 Type the payment date in the Date field.
providers 5 Type the amount you want to pay.
6 Type a comment in the Memo field to provide a brief
When the time comes to pay your credit card provider, you description of the payment you are recording.
use the Spend Money window to record a payment from your
bank account to your credit card account. 7 In the scrolling list area of the Spend Money window, type
or select the liability account you have created to track
purchases made with this credit card.
To record a payment to a credit card provider
8 Click Record to record the credit card payment.
1 Go to the Banking command centre and click Spend
Money. The Spend Money window appears.
2 In the Pay from Account field, select the bank account you
want to use to make this payment.
3 In the Card field, type or select the credit card provider’s
name.

CREDIT CARD PURCHASES AND PAYMENTS TO CREDIT CARD PROVIDERS 54

5 Sales

SALES
This chapter explains how to enter information about sales to your customers. You record a sale by specifying the customer’s details, the
invoice layout (item, service, professional, time billing or miscellaneous), the status of the sale (quote, order or invoice) and the details of
the items or services sold.

The chapter also explains the various ways of sending an invoice, how to record customer payments, how to issue a customer credit and
how to analyse sales activities with a variety of reports and other analytical tools.

Creating a customer card

Before you can record a sale, you need to create a card for 7 Enter contact details for the customer.
your customer. If you want to enter more contact information, select
Address 2 from the Locations list and enter the additional
To create a customer card details. You can enter contact details for five locations.
1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List. 8 Click the Card Details tab. You can enter notes about the
The Cards List window appears. customer, insert a picture and assign attributes to group
2 Click New. The Card Information window appears. and sort the card.

3 Select Customer from the Card Type list. If you want to... See
4 Select the designation of the card: company or individual.
insert a picture page 218
5 Type the customer name and press TAB. Additional fields
assign identifiers to the card page 209
appear.
assign an attribute from a custom list page 209
6 Enter a code to identify this customer in the Card ID field.
For more information, see ‘Card identification codes’, on enter additional information in a custom field page 217
page 217.

53
9 Click the Selling Details tab and enter your selling details. 10 Click the Payment Details tab and select the method of
payment your customer will use to pay you.
11 [Optional] Click the Jobs tab and create new codes for
each job you have started or are about to start for the
customer. For more information about jobs, see ‘Jobs’ on
page 222.
A 12 [Optional] Click the History tab and type the dollar value
C of the sales made prior to your conversion month. You can
also type or select the date that the contact became a
customer.
B 13 Click OK to close the Card Information window.

A Selling The selections you make here will be used,

information by default, on quotes, orders and invoices
that you create for this customer. You can
override these selections when recording
the sale.

B Credit The credit terms you entered earlier appear

terms here by default. You can override them here
for this customer. The credit terms entered
here are used as the default terms for all
sales to the customer, but can be changed
at any time.

C Tax The customer’s tax information is entered

information here. If the customer’s tax status takes
precedence over that of the item or service
being sold, select the Use Customer’s Tax
Code option. For more information, see
‘Assigning tax codes to cards’ on page 166.
MSIC code [Malaysia] is available in
Customer type of Card Information for you
to enter the major industry code that you
sell to the particular customer.

CREATING A CUSTOMER CARD 54

Entering sales

You enter a sale as a quote, order or invoice. Entering a sales transaction

 A quote is used to record a price you have quoted to a
customer without creating a transaction. A quote has no Complete the following steps to enter a sales transaction:
impact on your inventory levels and can be changed to an
order or an invoice when your customer is ready to buy. Task See

 An order is a sale that you expect will occur. While orders 1 Enter information about the customer below
do not affect your financial figures, they do affect your 2 Choose the type of sale page 56
committed inventory numbers. Orders do not create
transactions unless the customer has paid you a deposit. 3 Enter the items or services you are page 56
An order can be changed to an invoice. selling

 An invoice is usually created when you deliver the items or 4 Enter additional information about the page 57
sale
services the customer ordered. It will update the
appropriate accounts, including the account for tracking 5 Complete the sale page 58
receivables. Invoices can be open (unpaid), closed (paid)
or credit (negative sale). An invoice cannot be changed to
a quote or an order. Task 1: Enter information about the
You can enter a sale in: customer
 the Sales window
1 Go to the Sales command centre and click Enter Sales. The
 the Bank Register window. Sales window appears.
Entering a sale in the Sales window—the procedure described 2 In the Customer field, select the customer’s name.
in this chapter—enables you to record more details about the
sale than entering it in the Bank Register window. To use the NOTE :Customer credit limits and accounts on hold You
Bank Register window, see ‘To enter a transaction in the Bank may not be able to record sales for customers who have
Register window’ on page 46. exceeded their credit limit or whose account has been
placed on hold. For more information, see ‘Credit control’ on
page 70.

The terms and ship-to address shown in the Sales window

are the details recorded in the customer’s card.

ENTERING SALES 55
 NOTE :Miscellaneous layout The Miscellaneous layout is
A B D used only for sales where a printed form is not needed.

b Select the appropriate layout and click OK.

C
2 Select the status from the list in the top left corner of the
A Click the zoom arrow ( ) to alter the credit terms for window: Quote, Order or Invoice.
this sale only. Note that if you want to change the credit
terms for all future sales to this customer, you must make
that change on the Selling Details tab of the customer’s
card.
Task 3: Enter the items or services you
B Type the invoice number here or accept the default
are selling
number.
The scrolling list in the middle of the Sales window is where
C If the customer gave you a purchase order for this you enter details of what you are selling. In this area you will
transaction, type that purchase order number here. enter item numbers, descriptions, account numbers (or
D If the sale amounts you want to enter include tax, select names depending upon your selection in the Preferences
the Tax Inclusive option. Do not change this option after window) and other information to describe your transaction.
entering an amount in the Amount column.
One row in the scrolling list is one line item of the transaction.
You can enter as many line items for a sale as you want.
3 If you want to change a customer’s delivery address, type The fields that appear in the scrolling list depend on the sales
the alternative address in the Ship to field or choose layout you are using. The following illustration shows the
another address from the customer’s card by clicking the layout for an item sale.
down arrow ( ) next to the Ship to field.
Item sale

Task 2: Choose the type of sale

In this step, choose the required status and layout for the A B C D E F G H I J
transaction you are creating. The layout initially displayed in
A Ship Type the quantity to be shipped.
the Sales window is determined by the default selection you
made when setting up sales details (using the Sales Easy B Backorder Type the quantity of the item to be placed on
Setup Assistant) or when creating the customer’s card. backorder. An order for this amount will be
created automatically when you click Record.
1 Check if the default layout is appropriate. There are five
layouts: Service, Item, Professional, Time Billing [MYOB C Item Number Type your item number or press TAB and select an
item from your item list.
Premier range only] and Miscellaneous. The layout
determines what fields appear on the Sales window. If you D Description A description of the item appears automatically.
want to change the default layout: You can change this if you want.
a Click Layout. The Select Layout window appears.

ENTERING SALES 56
 E Location [MYOB Premier range only] This field only appears
if you store inventory in multiple locations. Select
NOTE :Add lines, subtotals and headers to sales transactions
the location of the item being sold. You can add lines, headers and subtotals to invoices to make it
easy to separate and subtotal different groups of line items on
F Price The price of the item appears automatically. You one invoice. See ‘Adding and deleting transaction lines,
can change this if you want. subtotals and headers in sales transactions’ on page 58.
G Disc% [Optional] Type a volume discount as a
percentage.

H Total The total price of the items is calculated Task 4: Enter additional information
automatically.
about the sale
I Job [Optional] Type or select a job number here to
assign a line item to a specific job. For more The fields that appear at the bottom of the Sales window
information about jobs, see ‘Setting up jobs and depend on the type of sale you are creating.
sub-jobs’ on page 222.

J Tax Type or select a tax code for the line item.

D E

A F
The following illustration shows the layout for a service sale in
B G
the Sales window:
C
Service sale
H
A Salesperson, Enter optional information, such as the name of
Comment, the salesperson, a comment, shipping method,
A B C promised date of goods or services. Type text or
Ship Via,
click the search icon ( ) to choose from the
A Description On a service, professional or miscellaneous Promised Select From List window.
invoice, type a description of the goods or Date
services sold.
B Invoice Select a delivery method to indicate how you
B Acct# or On a service, professional or miscellaneous Delivery want to send the invoice. You can also print or
Name invoice, type the account to which the sale will Status email the invoice in a batch after selecting the
be allocated or press TAB to select an account required delivery method. For more information,
from your accounts list. This is usually an income see ‘Sending forms in a batch’ on page 194.
account. You should not select your receivables
C Journal Memo The journal memo is generated automatically.
account for ordinary sales.
You can change this if you want.
C Tax Type or select a tax code for the line item.
D Freight Type any charges for freight.

E Freight tax Type or select the tax code for the freight
charges.

ENTERING SALES 57
 F Tax Click the zoom arrow ( ) if you want to view or  If you want to record the sale and print, send or save it as a
change the tax amounts assigned to the sale. PDF, complete the relevant procedure below.

G Paid Today Type an amount here to indicate how much

To… Do this...
money the customer paid you at the time of the
sale or, if you are creating an order, how much Print Click Print and choose the type of form you want
money the customer gave you as a deposit. to use. For more information about printing, see
H Payment Type or select the payment method. Click Chapter 14, ’Forms,’ starting on page 192.
Method Details if you want to enter details about the Print Click Print and choose Preview to preview the
payment. For example if you are being paid by preview sales form for this transaction.
credit card, you can record the credit card
Note that the transaction will be recorded before
number, expiry date and other details.
the form is displayed.

Email Click Send To and choose Email. Review and make

entries in the Email window and click Send. The
NOTE : Recap transaction Before you record this transaction, email, which will include a PDF (Portable
you can use the recap transaction feature to view the journal Document Format) attachment, will be sent to
entries that will be created when the transaction is recorded.
This is useful for confirming that the journal entries are being the Outbox of your default email software. Send
posted to the correct accounts. To recap, choose Recap the email from your email software.
Transaction from the Edit menu.
Fax Click Send To and choose Fax. A window from your
fax software appears. Send the fax, using your fax
software as you normally do.
Task 5: Complete the sale Save as Click Send To and choose Disk. In the window that
PDF appears, enter a name and location for the PDF file
After you have finished entering the details in the Sales and click Save.
window, there are several ways to complete the transaction.

TIP : Save the sale as a recurring sale Click Save as Recurring. In

the Edit Recurring Schedule window, enter the necessary Adding and deleting transaction lines,
information and click Save. For more information, see ‘Recurring
transactions’ on page 178.
subtotals and headers in sales
transactions
 If you want to record the sale without printing or sending You can add and delete transaction lines, headers and
it, click Record (for a sales quote, click Save Quote). subtotals in sales transactions.
 If you want to record the sale and create a purchase order,
click Create PO. The quote or order is recorded and the To insert a blank line
purchases window appears. For more information, see ‘To
create a purchase order from a sale’ on page 84. 1 In the Sales window, click anywhere in the line below
where the blank line is to appear.
2 Go to the Edit menu and choose Insert Line. A blank line
will appear in the scrolling list with the cursor positioned
in the Description column.

ENTERING SALES 58
To insert a header To insert a subtotal
You can group several line items by inserting a header. 1 In the Sales window, click anywhere in the line below the
1 In the Sales window, click anywhere in the line below items to be subtotalled.
where the header is to appear. 2 Go to the Edit menu and choose Insert Subtotal. A line
2 Go to the Edit menu and choose Insert Header. A blank line appears displaying the subtotal of the amounts that
will appear in the scrolling list with the cursor positioned appear above the subtotal line and below the last
in the Description column. subtotal, if there is one.

3 Type the text for the header. The text appears in grey.

To delete a blank line, line item, header or subtotal

4 Press TAB to complete the header entry.
1 In the Sales window, click anywhere in the blank line, line
item, header or subtotal you want to delete.
2 Go to the Edit menu and choose Delete Line.

Recording sales with insufficient on-hand item quantities

If you track item quantities and values, and you want to Allow negative on-hand quantities and
record a sales invoice for an item with insufficient on-hand
quantities, you can:
values
 record the sale and allow a negative on-hand item If you want, you can set a preference to allow the recording of
quantity and value to be recorded for the item sales with insufficient on-hand quantities. With this
 build, buy or backorder the item. preference set, the sale of an item that is not in stock results
in a negative on-hand item quantity and value.

NOTE :This feature affects your inventory reporting Allowing

negative item amounts to be recorded in your inventory affects
the reporting of inventory values and cost of goods sold. This
feature may not be suitable for some businesses. Consult your
accountant or financial adviser before using this option.

RECORDING SALES WITH INSUFFICIENT ON-HAND ITEM QUANTITIES 59

When you record the sale of an item with insufficient on-hand Build, buy or backorder items
quantities, an estimated item cost is recorded for the sale.
The estimated cost used depends on the item information If you attempt to record a sales invoice with an insufficient
available, as described in the following table. on-hand quantity, and you do not allow the recording of sales
with insufficient quantities, the Backorder List window
Cost appears. In this window, you need to build or buy the required
Description quantity, or create a customer sales order (backorder) for the
type
unavailable quantity, before you can record the sale.
Average Average cost is used if you have sufficient on-hand
cost stock for which an average price can be determined. Before you begin Before you can auto-build an item in the
For example, if you have ten units of an item on-hand, Backorder List window, you need to set up your item details.
but make a sale for 12 units, average cost is based on For more information, see ‘Auto-building items’ on page 131.
the value of the ten units in stock. If you want to record a bill using this window, you need to
Last Cost Last cost is used if the average cost is unavailable. For enter a default supplier for the item. For more information,
example, if you have purchased an item before but see ‘Creating items’ on page 124.
currently have none on-hand, the last purchase price is
used. To build, buy or backorder items
Standard Standard cost is used if you have never purchased an When you record a sale and you have insufficient on-hand
Cost item before, and you have entered a standard cost in quantity of an inventory item, the Backorder List window
the item information card.
appears. You will need to make an entry in this window before
Zero cost Zero cost is used if you have never purchased the item you can complete the sale.
before and you select this option when recording the
1 Go to the Sales command centre and click Enter Sales. The
sale.
Sales window appears.
When you record a purchase to replenish the items, a journal 2 Enter the details of a sale. (See ‘Entering sales’ on
entry automatically records the price variation between the page 55.)
estimated cost and the actual cost, if there is one. 3 Click Record. If you have insufficient on-hand quantities,
the Backorder List window appears.
To allow the recording of sales with insufficient
on-hand quantities
1 Go to the Setup menu and choose Preferences. The
Preferences window appears.
2 Click the Inventory tab and select the Allow the Sale of
Items with Insufficient On-Hand Quantities option.

RECORDING SALES WITH INSUFFICIENT ON-HAND ITEM QUANTITIES 60

 This window lists items that are either out of stock or
would be as a result of recording the sale. NOTE : Multiple items with insufficient quantities You can
use the Backorder List window to perform various tasks.
4 Choose one of the following options: However, you can only perform one of these tasks at a time
and in the following order: build, buy and then backorder. For
To... Do this... example, if you want to backorder some items and buy
others, you need to buy the required items first and then
Auto-build 1 Click in the Build column next to the item you return to this window (by clicking Record in the Sales
items want to auto-build and then click Build. The window again) to complete the backorder.
Auto-Build Items window appears.
2 Click Build Items. The Build Items window 5 Complete the sale. For more information, see ‘Complete
appears.
the sale’ on page 58.
3 Click Record to build the finished item.

Record a 1 Click in the Buy column next to the item you

purchase want to purchase and then click Buy. The
Enter Purchase window appears.
2 Select Purchase as the status from the list in
the top left corner and complete the
purchase. For information about completing
the purchase, see ‘Entering purchases’ on
page 78.

Record a Click in the Backorder column next to the item

sales order you want to place on backorder and then click
Backorder. The Sales window appears with the
Ship and Backorder columns adjusted. A sales
order is automatically recorded for the item
when you record the invoice.

Changing the status of a sale

The following sale types can be converted:

Sale type Can be converted to…

Sale type Can be converted to… Order • invoice

Quote • order Invoice The status of an invoice cannot be

• invoice changed.

CHANGING THE STATUS OF A SALE 61

You can change the status of a sale from the Sales window or To convert a quote to an order or invoice
from the Sales Register window.
1 Locate and display the quote. To do this:
 In the Sales window, type or select the name of the
customer whose quote you want to convert. Select the
quote from the Select from List window that appears
and click Use Sale, or
 In the Sales Register window, click the Quotes tab. Find
the quote using the search filters at the top of the
window, and highlight it.
2 Convert the quote to an order or invoice. To do this:
 Click Order (in the Sales window) or Change to Order
(in the Sales Register window) to convert the quote to
an order, or
 Click Invoice (in the Sales window) or Change to Invoice
(in the Sales Register window) to convert the quote to
an invoice.
The Sales window appears with the selected status.
Three new fields appear: Paid Today, Payment Method
and Balance Due.
3 Make any necessary changes to these and other fields. For
example, you might want to change the transaction date
to today’s date.
4 Click Record. The new order or invoice is created.
The original quote will remain in the Sales Register
window unless you have indicated in the Sales view of the
Preferences window that you want quotes to be deleted
once they are converted to orders or invoices.

To convert an order to an invoice

You can convert an order to an invoice from the Sales window
or from the Sales Register window. If you want to convert
several orders at once, see ‘To simultaneously convert several
orders to invoices’ below.

CHANGING THE STATUS OF A SALE 62

1 Locate and display the order. To do this: To simultaneously convert several orders to invoices
 In the Sales window, type or select the name of the
You can simultaneously convert several orders to invoices in
customer whose order you want to convert. Select the
the To Do List window.
order from the Select from list window that appears
and click Use Sale, or 1 Click To Do List from any command centre. The To Do List
 In the Sales Register window, click the Orders tab. Find window appears.
the order using the search filters at the top of the 2 Click the Orders tab to display a list of all your orders.
window, and highlight it.
3 If you want to view the details of a specific order, click the
2 Click Invoice (in the Sales window) or Change to Invoice zoom arrow ( ) to the left of the customer’s name.
(in the Sales Register window) to convert the order to an
4 Select the orders you want to convert to invoices by
invoice.
clicking in the select column ( ) next to them.
3 Review and update the information in the Sales window as
5 Click Record as Actual. A window appears, requiring you
necessary. For example, you might want to change the
to type a date for the selected transactions. This is the
transaction date to today’s date.
date that the transactions will be recorded in your sales
4 Click Record. The new invoice is created and the original journal.
order is removed.
6 Type the date and click OK.

Reviewing your sales information

There are several tools that you can use to review your sales
Tool Description See
information.
Analyse The Analyse Sales window provides a page 65
Tool Description See Sales graphical snapshot of your sales
activities.
Business Use Business Insights to analyse sales below
Insights and customer information. Sales reports Sales reports help you keep track of page 66
your sales activities.
To Do List The To Do List displays all open sales, page 65
recurring sales and orders sorted by Sales history History lets you view seven years of page 66
overdue dates. sales history for an item, a customer
or an employee.
Analyse The Analyse Receivables window page 65
Receivables displays ageing information for all
open invoices.

REVIEWING YOUR SALES INFORMATION 63

 You can use this information to:
Tool Description See
 Contact customers for overdue payments Identify
Sales The Sales Register window gives you page 173 which customer payments are the most overdue or
Register a complete picture of your sales which customers owe you the most money.
activity—open and closed invoices,
orders, quotes, returns, credits and
so on.

Find Find Transactions helps you find page 173

Transactions individual sales transactions quickly.

Transaction The Transaction Journal lists journal page 175

Journal entries of your sales and other
transactions.

To analyse sales information using Business Insights

Business Insights presents a summary of your sales
information, including which customers owe you money and
how much money is overdue. You can also see how much your
customers owe you for each ageing period, as well as the sales
history of your customers.
To find information specific to your needs, sort the table
columns by clicking a column heading. For example, you can
sort the list of outstanding invoices to find the most overdue
invoice or the largest overdue amount.
You can use Business Insights to analyse customer information
and sales performance.

To analyse customers
1 Go to the Accounts command centre and click Business
Insights. The Business Insights window appears.
2 View the Customers who owe me money panel.
This panel shows the total you are owed and details of
each overdue customer payment (based on their invoiced
credit terms), including the number of days overdue.
3 Click Analyse customers to view graphs and information
about the money your customers owe you and the
payment history of each customer.

REVIEWING YOUR SALES INFORMATION 64

  Renegotiate a customer’s credit terms View the 4 If you want to send a collection letter to customers with
customer’s outstanding balances and payment history, overdue payments:
such as the average number of days it takes for them to a Select those customers by clicking in the select column
pay you. ( ) next to the customer’s name.
4 If you want to copy a graph and use it in another b If you have installed OfficeLink, click Mail Merge to
document, right-click it and choose: create the letter directly in your word processor.
 Copy to Clipboard. This copies the graph to the Otherwise, click Disk, choose a file format and click
Windows clipboard, ready to paste into a document. Save.
 Save As. Choose where you want to save the image and
click Save. This saves the graph as an image file, so you To analyse your receivables
can use it later.
1 In the Sales command centre, click the Analysis down
5 If you want to copy the data from a table and paste it in arrow ( ).
another document where you can edit it, such as an Excel
2 Select Receivables from the Analysis list. The Analyse
spreadsheet:
Receivables window appears.
a Right-click the table and choose Copy to Clipboard.
This copies the data to the Windows clipboard 3 Click Filters and choose the time periods and any other
criteria you want to view.
b Open the document or spreadsheet and press CTRL+V
to paste. Note that table totals are not included in the 4 Click OK. The information you selected appears in the
pasted data. Analyse Receivables window.
6 Click Close to return to the main Business Insights
window. To analyse your sales activities
The Analyse Sales window provides various illustrations—in
To view a list of all unpaid sales sorted by days overdue graphs or in lists—of your sales activities.
1 Click To Do List in any command centre. The To Do List 1 In the Sales command centre, click the Analysis down
window appears. arrow ( ).
2 Click the A/R (accounts receivable) tab. A list of all unpaid 2 Select Sales from the Analysis list. The Analyse Sales
sales appears. window appears.
3 The Overdue column shows the number of days an invoice 3 Click Filters and choose the sales figures, time periods and
is overdue. (A negative number in the Overdue column other criteria you want to view.
indicates that the payment is not yet due.) The number of 4 Click OK. The information you selected appears in the
days an invoice is overdue is calculated by checking the Analyse Sales window.
original date of the invoice, comparing it to today’s date
and looking at the customer’s credit terms. 5 Use the buttons in the Analyse Sales window to view
charts showing your sales activities.

REVIEWING YOUR SALES INFORMATION 65

To view sales reports To view sales history
There are several sales reports that can help you track your You can view sales history for an item, a customer or an
sales activities. For example, you can run an Aged Receivables employee.
Summary report to view your customers’ current balances 1 Display the Item Information window (via the Item List in
sorted by ageing periods. The Sales Item Summary report the Inventory command centre) for an item or the Card
shows you which inventory items are selling best. The Referral Information window (via the Cards List in the Card File
Source report is useful for finding out which referral source is command centre) for a customer or an employee.
bringing your business the most money.
2 Click the History tab.
1 Go to the Reports menu and choose Index to Reports. The
Index to Reports window appears. The History tab displays a total of seven years of sales
history for the item or card: the five years preceding the
2 Click the Sales tab. A list of available sales reports appears. current financial year (as displayed in the Company
For information, see Chapter 13, ’Reports,’ starting on Information window), the current financial year and the
page 184. next year.

NOTE : Employee sales history To record an employee’s sales

history, that employee must be selected as the salesperson
on the Sales window.

Receiving payments

When customers make payments against invoices you have You can also record payments from your customers in the
issued to them, you record the payments in the Receive Bank Register window. If you are recording several customer
Payments window. You can record the payments against one payments and do not want to record detailed information
or more of the customer’s outstanding invoices. If you do not (such as payment methods and discounts) for each payment,
want to create an invoice for a customer, you can enter their the Bank Register window can save you time. For more
payment in the Receive Money window. See ‘To record money information, see ‘To enter a transaction in the Bank Register
you receive’ on page 39. window’ on page 46.

RECEIVING PAYMENTS 66
The options for recording receipts and invoice payments are  Deposit to Account. Select this option and select
summarised in the following diagram. the required bank account in the adjacent field.
 Group with Undeposited Funds. Select this option if
you want the deposit to be recorded in the
undeposited funds account (and not in a bank
account). After you have grouped all the deposit
transactions you want, you can then make a bank
deposit. For more information, see ‘To prepare a bank
deposit’ on page 41.
 If you received a credit card payment, select Group with
undeposited funds.
After you have grouped all the deposit transactions you
want, you can make a bank deposit. For more information,
see ‘To prepare a bank deposit’ on page 41.
3 In the Customer field, type or select the customer’s name.
4 Type the amount received.
5 If you want to record the payment method, select the
method in the Payment Method field. Click Details if you
want to enter further details about the payment. For
example, if you are being paid by credit card, you can
record the credit card number and expiry date.
6 If you want to, change the memo and payment date. You
can also change the ID number that is automatically
NOTE : Customer payments at point of sale If customers make generated. However, we recommend that you use the
payments when purchasing merchandise or services and you are default number to make sure you do not enter duplicate
issuing them an invoice, you can type the payment amount in the IDs.
Paid Today field of the invoice. See ‘Enter additional information
about the sale’ on page 57.

To record payments against invoices

1 Go to the Sales command centre and click Receive
Payments. The Receive Payments window appears. 7 In the scrolling list in the bottom half of the window,
indicate which sales are covered by the payment by
2 Choose the account that will be used to deposit the
entering amounts in the Amount Applied column. If the
payment.
customer is paying a deposit for an order, look for the
 If you received a cheque:
word Order in the Status column.

RECEIVING PAYMENTS 67
 If a customer overpays, you should still enter the amount
received. The full payment should be entered in the
B Amount Received field and in the Amount Applied column
in the scrolling list. When you record the payment, a credit
C invoice for the overpaid amount is created automatically.
D This can either be refunded to the customer or applied to
a future invoice. For more information, see ‘To apply a
customer credit to an open invoice’ on page 74.
A
8 Click Record to record the customer payment.
A Discount If you intend to award an early-payment discount
for a sale, assign the discount to the appropriate
invoice in this column. Note that you won’t be
able to assign a discount to an invoice that is not
being settled in full. If you want to give the
customer a discount, you can give them a
customer credit. For more information, see
‘Customer credits’ on page 73.

B Amount Type how much of the customer payment you

Applied want to apply to each sale in this column.

C Finance If part of the payment was used to pay finance

Charge charges, type the finance charge amount here.
For more information, see ‘Finance charges paid
by customers’ on page 72.

D Out of The Total Applied amount (plus finance charges)

Balance must equal the amount that appears in the
Amount Received field, and the Out of Balance
amount must be zero before you can record the
transaction.

RECEIVING PAYMENTS 68
Printing payment receipts

For each cash receipt transaction you record, a corresponding To print payment receipts
receipt can be printed. Receipt transactions can be recorded
using the following windows: 1 Go to either the Sales or Banking command centre and
click Print Receipts. The Review Receipts Before Printing
 Bank Register window appears.
 Receive Money 2 If you print receipts on preprinted stationery, type the
 Receive Payments number of the first receipt in the Number of First Receipt
in Printer field.
 Sales (New Invoice and New Order using Paid Today)
3 Type the number of receipts you want to print in the Print
 Settle Returns & Debits (Receive Refund view).
field.
Receipt transactions for which receipts cannot be printed
4 If you want to filter the information to be displayed on the
are:
customer receipt, click Advanced Filters. For more
 reversed receipt transactions information, see ‘Advanced filters’ on page 195.
 voided receipts 5 Click in the select column ( ) next to each receipt you
 bank transactions such as bank deposits or interest want to print.
earned. 6 Click Print.
Payment receipts correspond directly to receipt transactions. For more information about printing and customising forms,
That is, when you record a receipt transaction, the see Chapter 14, ’Forms,’ starting on page 192.
information you entered in the transaction can be printed on
a payment receipt. Because of this relationship, if you change,
reverse or remove a receipt transaction, the payment receipts
that have been printed may no longer be valid.

PRINTING PAYMENT RECEIPTS 69

Credit control

In MYOB software, you can control credit by: 3 Click Actions and choose Edit Credit Limit & Hold. The
 setting and enforcing customer credit limits. See ‘Credit Credit Limit & Hold window appears.
limits’ below.
 placing customer accounts on hold. See ‘Credit holds’ on
page 71.
 adding finance charges to customer statements. See
‘Finance charges paid by customers’ on page 72.

Credit limits
A credit limit is the maximum amount of credit you allow a
customer to charge to their account. You can set a default 4 Type the customer’s credit limit in the Credit Limit field.
credit limit for all new customers or set a specific credit limit
5 Click OK. The Card Information window appears.
for a single customer.
6 Click OK to return to the Cards List window.
To enforce credit limits, you can set your preferences to:
 warn users before recording a sale that will exceed a To receive a warning when a customer exceeds the
customer’s credit limit
credit limit
 prevent certain users from recording a sale that will
exceed a customer’s credit limit. When you use this 1 Go to the Setup menu and choose Preferences. The
preference, you set an override password to allow Preferences window appears.
approved users to record the sale. 2 Click the Sales tab.
3 Select the If Credit Limit is Exceeded on Sale preference
To set or change the credit limit for a single customer and select Warn and Continue from the drop-down list.
1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List.
The Cards List window appears.
2 Click the Customer tab and select the customer for whom 4 Click OK.
you want to set a credit limit.

CREDIT CONTROL 70
To prevent the recording of a sale when a customer Credit holds
exceeds the credit limit
You can place a credit hold on a customer’s account to
1 Log in to your MYOB company file as Administrator. prevent further sales being made to the customer. For
2 Go to the Setup menu and choose Preferences. The example, you may want to place a customer on credit hold
Preferences window appears. when the customer’s account is overdue.
3 Click the Sales tab.
To place a customer on credit hold
4 Select the If Credit Limit is Exceeded on Sale preference
and select Prevent Unless Overridden from the list. The 1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List.
Credit Limit Override Password window appears. The Cards List window appears.
2 Click the Customer tab and select the customer that you
want to place on credit hold.
3 Click Actions and choose Edit Credit Limit & Hold. The
Credit Limit & Hold window appears.
4 Select the Place this customer on Credit Hold option.

5 Type an override password and password confirmation.

6 Click OK. The Preferences window appears.

NOTE : Changing the credit limit override password If you

are logged into your company file as the Administrator, you 5 Click OK. The Card Information window appears.
can change the credit limit override password in the Credit
Limit Override Password window. To open this window, 6 Click OK to return to the Cards List window.
choose Preferences from the Setup menu, click the Sales tab
and then click Set Override. NOTE :Recording sales to customers on credit hold To
record a new sale, you will need to remove the credit hold. To
do this, deselect the Place this customer on Credit Hold
7 Click OK to close the Preferences window. option in the Credit Limit & Hold window for the customer’s
card.

CREDIT CONTROL 71
Finance charges paid by customers window. For more information, see ‘To record payments
against invoices’ on page 67.
Finance charges are amounts added to an outstanding
balance as a penalty for late payment. A finance charge is To receive finance charge payments
added to a customer’s statement. The amount paid by a
customer to cover the charge is then recorded in the Receive 1 Select Receive Payment from the Sales command centre.
Payments window. The Receive Payments window appears.
2 Type the full amount received and fill in the transaction
To set up finance charges details. See ‘To record payments against invoices’ on
page 67.
1 Go to the Setup menu, choose Linked Accounts and then
Sales Accounts. 3 Type the late fee amount in the Finance Charge field and
click Record.
2 Select the I assess charges for late payment option and
select an income account to record the late payment Tracking finance charges Although the history of finance
charges. charges is not tracked, you can perform an account inquiry
3 Click OK. (using Find Transactions) on the income account you have set
up to record late charges.
4 Go to the Card List in the Card File command centre, then
select the Customer tab. The finance charges payable by your customers only appear
on their statements, so you may want to keep copies of the
5 In the % Monthly Charge for Late Payment field of the statements sent to customers.
Selling Details tab of the customer card you want to
charge, set the percentage you will be charging for late How finance charges are calculated For each open invoice,
payments and click OK. MYOB software calculates its due date using the terms
specified in the Selling Details tab of the Card Information
To record a finance charge window. The overdue balance is then increased by 1/30th of
the monthly charge for late payment for every day it is
1 Go to the Sales command centre and click Print/Email
overdue.
Statements. The Review Statements Before Delivery
window appears.
2 Click Advanced Filters and select the Add Finance Charges
to Amount Due option.
3 Select any other report filters you want to apply and click
OK.
For more information about customer statements, see
‘Send customer statements’ on page 237.
When your customer pays the late-payment charge, enter the
amount in the Finance Charge field of the Receive Payments

CREDIT CONTROL 72
The monthly charge is calculated by multiplying the amount Therefore, if you want to delete a finance charge payment,
overdue by the % Monthly Charge for Late Payment value you you must delete both transactions. If only one entry is
specified in the customer’s card. deleted, the
If the customer makes a partial payment during the overdue Receivables Reconciliation Summary report may show an
period, the finance charge is adjusted accordingly. out-of-balance amount equal to the finance charge.
When you delete one of the entries, you are reminded to
Deleting finance charges When you enter a finance charge
delete the other entry for the finance charge. Note that a
in the Receive Payments window, two transactions are
warning appears even though you may have already deleted
recorded—the full customer payment, including the finance
the corresponding invoice or payment.
charge, is recorded in the receipts journal and a transaction
for the finance charge is recorded in the sales journal.

Customer credits

Recording credits 3 If you want, you can make a few changes to the customer
credit note (such as changing the date and memo), but
You can create a customer credit note in the following ways: you cannot change the accounts, amounts and quantities
that are associated with the credit.
 Reverse an existing sale. Use this method if you are
crediting the customer for the entire sale. 4 Click Record Reversal. A customer credit appears in the
Sales Register window.
 Manually create a credit. Use this method if you are
crediting the customer for part of a sale.
To manually create a credit for a non-item sale
To reverse a sale Use this method if you want to credit the customer for a part
of a non-item sale.
To reverse a sale, the sale transaction must be unchangeable,
that is, the Transactions CAN’T be Changed; They Must Be NOTE : Before you manually create a credit of this type, you
Reversed option must be selected in the Security view of the need to have an account for tracking returns and allowances.
Preferences window. Check your accounts list for an income account named ‘Sales
Returns and Allowances’. If it doesn’t exist, you need to create it.
1 Find and display the invoice for the sale. See ‘Finding a For more information about creating an account, see ‘To create
transaction’ on page 172. an account’ on page 22.
2 Go to the Edit menu and choose Reverse Sale. A credit
note appears in the Sales window. Note that the invoice 1 Go to the Sales command centre and click Enter Sales. The
amount is a negative amount. Sales window appears.

CUSTOMER CREDITS 73
2 Type or select the customer you are creating a credit for. 4 Click Layout, choose Item and then click OK.
3 Select the Invoice status from the drop-down list in the 5 In the Ship column, type the number of items being
top left corner of the window. returned as a negative number. The costs of the items
4 Click Layout, choose Miscellaneous and then click OK. appear as negative amounts.

5 In the Description column, enter a description of the 6 Click Record. A customer credit appears in the Sales
credit for your records. Register window.

6 Select the account to be credited. This is normally an

income account called ‘Sales Returns and Allowances’. Settling credit notes
7 In the Amount field, type the amount of the credit as a
negative amount. You can choose to settle a customer credit by:
 applying the credit to one or more of the customer’s open
invoices, thereby reducing the amount of money the
customer owes you, or
 recording a refund payment.

To apply a customer credit to an open invoice

1 Go to the Sales command centre and click Sales Register.
The Sales Register window appears.
2 Click the Returns & Credits tab. A list of customer credits
appears.
3 If the credit you want to settle is not showing, select
Customer from the Search By list to display a credit for a
particular customer. Enter the customer’s name in the
8 Click Record. A customer credit appears in the Sales adjacent field and press TAB. A list of credits for that
Register window. customer appears.
4 Highlight the credit you want to apply and click Apply to
To manually create a credit for an item sale
Sale. The Settle Returns & Credits window appears, listing
Use this method if you want to credit the customer for part of all open invoices assigned to the customer.
an item sale.
1 Go to the Sales command centre and click Enter Sales. The
Sales window appears.
2 Type or select the customer you are creating a credit for.
3 Select the Invoice status from the drop-down list in the
top left corner of the window.

CUSTOMER CREDITS 74
5 Enter the amounts you want to apply to one or more open 3 If the credit you want to settle does not appear, select
invoices in the Amount Applied column. Customer from the Search By list. Enter the customer’s
name in the adjacent field and then press TAB. A list of
credits for that customer appears.
4 Select the credit you want to refund and click Pay Refund.
A refund cheque for the amount of the credit appears in
the Settle Returns & Credits window.

If the Apply Customer Payments Automatically to Oldest

Invoice First preference is set, amounts will appear next to
the oldest invoices in the Amount Applied column.
However, you can apply the credit amount to any one
transaction or you can divide it among many transactions
in the list. Note that the total amount you apply in the 5 In the Account field, enter or select an account.
Amount Applied column must equal the amount that For example, if you’re paying a credit card refund and you
appears in the Credit Amount field. This amount comes group all your credit card sales, choose your undeposited
from the customer credit you selected above. funds account.
6 Enter an amount in the Finance Charge field if you want to 6 If you want to, change other information in the window,
apply part of a customer credit to any unpaid finance such as the transaction date.
charges the customer may have accrued.
7 If you are paying by cheque and you have already written
7 Click Record to apply the credit. it, select the Cheque Already Printed option.
8 Specify how you want to send a remittance advice by
To record a refund payment
selecting a delivery option from the Remittance Advice
1 Go to the Sales command centre and click Sales Register. Delivery Status list and then click Record.
The Sales Register window appears.
2 Click the Returns & Credits tab. A list of customer credits
appears.

CUSTOMER CREDITS 75
Dealing with a customer who is also a supplier

If your business sells goods and services to a business from b In the Customer field, type or select the customer’s
which you also make purchases, you need to record the name.
transactions using a separate customer and supplier card. You c Type the amount that you are offsetting against an
can then record a contra payment to offset the receivable invoice and click Record.
and payable amounts.
2 Record a payment made to the supplier:
Before you can record contra payments, you need to create a a In the Pay Bills window, type or select the Contra
bank account called Contra Suspense. For more information, Suspense account in the Pay from Account field.
see ‘To create an account’ on page 22.
b In the Supplier field, type or select the supplier’s name.
c Type the amount that you need to offset against a
To record contra payments
purchase.
1 Record a payment from the customer. After these entries are made, your bank accounts will not
a In the Receive Payments window, click Deposit to have been affected; yet the receivable and payable accounts
Account and type or select the Contra Suspense have been reduced. The Contra Suspense account should be
account. zero.

Accounting for bad debts

When you know that a debt will not be recovered, you need to d In the Customer field, type or select the customer’s
write it off. name.
1 Create a Bad Debt expense account in your accounts list. e In the Description field, type a description of the
For more information, see ‘To create an account’ on transaction.
page 22. f In the Acct No. field, type or select the account for Bad
2 Create a credit sale for the customer. Debts.
a Go to the Sales command centre and click Enter Sales.
If you account for bad debts by posting a provision to an
asset account, you can select that account.
b In the Sales window, click Layout.
g In the Amount field, type the bad debt amount as a
c In the Select Layout window, click Miscellaneous and
negative number.
then click OK.
h Click Record.

DEALING WITH A CUSTOMER WHO IS ALSO A SUPPLIER 76

 In the Settle Returns & Credits window, apply the credit
against the customer’s original open invoice.

ACCOUNTING FOR BAD DEBTS 77

6 Purchases

PURCHASES
This chapter explains how to enter information about your purchases. You record a purchase by specifying the supplier details, the
purchase form layout (item, service, professional or miscellaneous), status of the purchase (quoted, ordered or billed) and details of the
purchased items or services.

This chapter also explains how to pay your suppliers for these purchases, how to deal with a supplier who owes you money (settling a
supplier debit) and how to analyse your entire purchasing activity with a variety of reports and analytical tools.

Creating a supplier card

Before you can record a purchase order, you need to create a 7 Enter contact details for the supplier.
card for your supplier. If you want to enter more contact information, select
Address 2 from the Locations list and enter the additional
To create a supplier card details. You can enter contact details for five locations.
1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List. 8 Click the Card Details tab. You can enter notes about the
The Cards List window appears. supplier, insert a picture and assign attributes to group
2 Click New. The Card Information window appears. and sort the card.

3 Select Supplier from the Card Type list. If you want to... See
4 Select the designation of the card: company or individual.
insert a picture page 218
5 Type the name of the supplier and press TAB. Additional
assign identifiers to the card page 209
fields appear.
assign an attribute from a custom list page 209
6 Enter a code to identify this supplier in the Card ID field.
For more information, see ‘Card identification codes’ on enter additional information in a custom field page 217
page 217.

76
 9 Click the Buying Details tab and enter your buying details. 10 [Optional] Click the History tab and type the dollar value
of the purchases made prior to your conversion month.
You can also type or select the date that the contact
became a supplier.
11 Click OK to close the Card Information window.

A
C

A Buying The selections you make here will be used,

information by default, on quotes, orders and bills that
you create for this supplier. You can override
these selections when recording the
purchase.

B Credit The credit terms you entered earlier appear

terms here by default. You can override them here
for this supplier. The credit terms entered
here are used as the default terms for all
purchases from the supplier, but can be
changed at any time.

C Tax The supplier’s tax information is entered

information here. If the supplier’s tax status takes
precedence over that of the item or service
being sold, select the Use Supplier’s Tax
Code option. For more information, see
‘Assigning tax codes to cards’ on page 166.

77 CHAPTER 6 PURCHASES
Entering purchases

You can enter a purchase as a quote, order, receive item or bill. Bank Register window Entering a purchase in the Bank
 You can enter a quote to store an estimate or quote you Register window is a fast way to enter a purchase transaction.
received from one of your suppliers. A quote has no However, you can enter less detail about the purchase than if
impact on your inventory levels and can be changed to an you entered it in the Purchases window. For more information,
order or a purchase when you are ready to purchase. see ‘To enter a transaction in the Bank Register window’ on
page 46.
 An order is a purchase where no service or item has been
received. While orders do not affect your financial figures,
they are included in your inventory reports. Orders do not Entering a purchase transaction
create transactions unless you have paid a deposit to the
supplier. An order can be changed to a purchase but not to Complete the following steps to enter a purchase
a quote. transaction:
 A receive item purchase records the receipt of items you
have ordered but have not yet been billed for. When you Task See
record items received, the item is added to your inventory 1 Enter information about the supplier below
and the cost of the item is added to an accrual account for
inventory items until you record a purchase for it. You 2 Choose the type of purchase page 79
record items received against an order. 3 Enter the items or services you are purchasing page 79
 A bill is usually created when you receive the items or 4 Enter additional information about the page 80
services you ordered and are required to pay the supplier purchase
(that is, you have been charged for the purchase). 5 Complete the purchase page 81
Recording a bill will update the appropriate accounts,
including the account for tracking payables. Bills can be
open (unpaid), closed (paid) or debit (negative purchase).
A bill cannot be changed to a quote or an order.
Task 1: Enter information about the
You can enter a purchase in:
supplier
 the Purchases window 1 Go to the Purchases command centre and click Enter
 the Bank Register window. Purchases. The Purchases window appears.

The procedure described in this section is for entering 2 In the Supplier field, select the supplier’s name.
purchases in the Purchases window, which enables you to The terms shown in the Purchases window are the terms
record full details about a transaction. recorded in the supplier’s card.

ENTERING PURCHASES 78
 3 Complete the fields as described in the table below. Task 3: Enter the items or services you
A B C D
are purchasing
The scrolling list in the middle of the Purchases window is
where you enter details of what you are buying. In this area,
you enter item numbers, descriptions, account numbers (or
A Click the zoom arrow ( ) to alter the terms for this account names, depending on your selection in the
purchase only. If you want to change the credit terms for all Preferences window) and other information about your
future purchases to this supplier, you must make that transaction.
change on the Buying Details tab of the supplier’s card.
One row in the scrolling list is one line item of the transaction.
B Type the purchase order number or accept the default You can enter as many line items for a purchase as you want.
number in the Purchase # field.
The fields in the scrolling list differ according to the type of
C If the supplier gave you an invoice number, enter it in the purchase you are creating. The following illustration shows
Supplier Inv# field.
the fields for a purchase with an Item layout and a Bill status.
D If the purchase amounts you want to enter include tax,
select the Tax Inclusive option. Do not change this option Item layout
after entering an amount in the Amount column.

Task 2: Choose the type of purchase A B C D E F G H I J K

Choose the status and layout for the purchase. The default A Bill The quantity you have been invoiced for.
layout displayed in the Purchases window is determined by B Received This field is read-only. It displays the quantity of
the selection you made when you set up purchase details items received. For more information, see
(using the Purchases Easy Setup Assistant) or created the ‘Receiving items without a supplier invoice’ on
supplier’s card. page 82.

1 Check whether the default layout is appropriate. C Backorder The quantity of the item back ordered. An order
for this amount will be created automatically when
There are four layouts to choose from: Service, Item, you click Record.
Professional and Miscellaneous. To change the default
D Item Pressing TAB here displays the item list from which
layout:
Number you can choose the item being purchased.
a Click Layout. The Select Layout window appears.
E Descriptio A description of the item appears automatically.
b Choose the layout you want to use and click OK. n You can change this if you want.
2 Select the status from the list in the top left corner of the
window: Quote, Order, Receive Item or Purchase. Receive
Item only appears if you choose Item layout.

79 CHAPTER 6 PURCHASES
 F Location [MYOB Premier range only] If you store this item in separate and subtotal different groups of line items on one
purchase. For more information, see ‘Adding lines, headers and
multiple locations, you can select the location
subtotals to purchases’ on page 81.
where the item will be received. For more
information, see ‘Multiple inventory locations’ on
page 128.

G Price The price of the item appears automatically. You Task 4: Enter additional information
can change this if you want.
about the purchase
H Disc% [Optional] The volume discount as a percentage.
The fields that appear at the bottom of the Purchases
I Total The total price is calculated automatically.
window differ, depending on the type of purchase you are
J Job [Optional] Selecting a job number here assigns a creating.
line item to a specific job.
For more information about jobs, see ‘Setting up
jobs and sub-jobs’ on page 222. B C

K Tax Type or select a tax code for the line item. A D

F
The following illustration shows the fields for a purchase with E
a Service layout and a Bill status. This also applies to the G
Professional and Miscellaneous layouts.
A Optional Enter optional details, such as a comment, shipping
Service layout fields method and the date the goods or services were
promised.

B Freight Type any charges for freight.

A B C D C Freight tax Type or select the tax code for the freight charges.

A Descriptio A description of the goods or services purchased. D Tax Click the zoom arrow ( ) if you want to view or
n change the tax amounts assigned to the sale.

B Acct # or The account to assign to the purchase. Pressing TAB E Journal Memo The journal memo is generated automatically. You
Account here displays the accounts list from which you can can change it if you want.
Name choose an account.
F Paid Today Type an amount here to indicate how much money
This should be an expense or cost of sales account.
you paid at the time of the purchase or, if you are
You should not select your payables account for
creating an order, how much money you gave as a
ordinary purchases.
deposit.
C Amount The amount you have been invoiced.
G Bill Delivery If you want to print or email the purchase in a
D Tax Type or select a tax code for the line item. Status batch, select the required delivery method from
the list. For more information, see ‘Sending forms in
a batch’ on page 194.
NOTE : Add lines, subtotals and headers to purchases You can
add lines, headers and subtotals to purchases to make it easy to

ENTERING PURCHASES 80
 NOTE : Recap transaction Before you record this transaction, To… Do this...
you can use the recap transaction feature to view the journal
entries that will be created when the transaction is recorded. Fax Click Send To and choose Fax. A window from your
This is useful for confirming that the journal entries are posted fax software appears. Send the fax, using your fax
to the correct accounts. To recap, choose Recap Transaction software as you normally do.
from the Edit menu. Save as Click Send To and choose Disk. In the window that
PDF appears, enter a name and location for the PDF file
and click Save.

Task 5: Complete the purchase

After you have finished entering the details in the Purchases Adding lines, headers and subtotals to
window, there are several ways to complete the transaction. purchases
TIP : Save the purchase as a recurring purchase Click Save as You can add lines, headers and subtotals to purchases.
Recurring. In the Edit Recurring Schedule window, enter the
necessary information and click Save. For more information, see
‘Recurring transactions’ on page 178. To insert a blank line
1 In the Purchases window, click in the line below where the
 If you want to record the purchase without printing or blank line is to appear.
sending it, click Record. 2 Go to the Edit menu and choose Insert Line.
 If you want to record the purchase and print, send or save
it as a PDF, complete the relevant procedure below. To insert a header
You can group several line items by inserting a header.
To… Do this...
1 In the Purchases window, click in the line below where the
Print Click Print and choose the type of form you want
header is to appear.
to use. For more information about printing, see
Chapter 14, ’Forms,’ starting on page 192. 2 Go to the Edit menu and choose Insert Header. A blank line
will appear in the scrolling list with the cursor positioned
Print Click Print and choose Preview to preview the
preview purchases form for this transaction. in the Description column.
Note that the transaction will be recorded before 3 Type the text for the header. The text appears in grey.
the form is displayed.

Email Click Send To and choose Email. Review and make

entries in the Email window and click Send. The
email, which will include a PDF (Portable
Document Format) attachment, will be sent to
the Outbox of your default email software. Send 4 Press TAB to complete the header entry.
the email from your email software.

81 CHAPTER 6 PURCHASES
To insert a subtotal To delete a blank line, line item, header or subtotal
1 In the Purchases window, click in the line below the items 1 In the Purchases window, click anywhere on the blank line,
to be subtotalled. line item, header or subtotal you want to delete.
2 Go to the Edit menu and choose Insert Subtotal. A line 2 Go to the Edit menu and choose Delete Line.
appears displaying the subtotal of the individual amounts
that appear above the subtotal line and below the last
subtotal, if there is one.

Receiving items without a supplier invoice

If you receive items from a supplier and have not been Before you can record items received without a supplier
invoiced for them, you may not know the actual amount invoice, you need to set up an accrual account for them.
payable to the supplier. However, if you inventory these items,
you will need to add them to your on-hand inventory before
you can sell them. But, as you do not know the amount Setting up an accrual account for items
payable, you shouldn’t record an amount owed to the supplier received without a supplier invoice
at this time.
Instead, you can record the receipt of these items using a When you record items received without a supplier invoice,
purchase transaction with a Receive Item status. When you you need to allocate the anticipated purchase amount to a
record a purchase with a Receive Item status, you enter an creditors accrual account.
estimated purchase amount, which is then allocated to an If the account doesn’t exist, you need to create it. The
accounts payable accrual account. Your accounts payable is account should be a liability account named, for example,
not affected at this time. AP Accrual - Inventory. For information on creating an
Later, when your supplier invoices you for the items, you can account, see ‘To create an account’ on page 22.
record a bill with the actual purchase amount. When you Before you can allocate transactions to this account, you
record the bill, the actual purchase amount is allocated to need to make it the default linked account for items received
your accounts payable and the estimated amount is removed without a supplier invoice.
from the accrual account.

RECEIVING ITEMS WITHOUT A SUPPLIER INVOICE 82

 To link an account for items received 2 Click Receive Items. The Purchases window appears with
the Receive Item status.
1 Go to the Setup menu, choose Linked Accounts and then
Purchases Accounts. The Purchases Linked Accounts
window appears.
2 Select the I can receive items without a Supplier bill
option.
3 In the Liability Account for Item Receipts field that
appears, type or select the accrual account, for example,
AP Accrual - Inventory.
4 Click OK.

Recording items received without a

supplier invoice
You need to record items received against a supplier purchase
order. If the order already exists, simply record the items
received against the order. If no order exists, you can create
one when you record the items received.

To record items received against an order

You can record items received against an existing order in the
Purchases window or from the Purchases Register window.
1 Locate the order:
 In the Purchases window, type or select the name of the
supplier whose order you want to update. Select the
order from the list that appears and click Use Purchase,
or
 In the Purchases Register window, click the Orders tab.
Find the required order and highlight it.

83 CHAPTER 6 PURCHASES
3 In the Receive field, type the item quantity received. 4 Select Receive Items from the status list in the top-left
4 [MYOB Premier range only] If you keep items at multiple corner of the window.
locations, type the location where you received the items
in the Location field, or select it from the list. Note that
the Location field only appears if you have multiple
locations.
5 Click Record. The items are recorded in your inventory and
the original order is updated with the number of items
received.
When you receive the supplier’s bill, you need to convert
the order to a purchase. For more information, see ‘To
convert an order to a bill’ on page 86.

To create an order when you record items received

If there is no purchase order for the items received, you can
create an order when you record the receipt. 5 Enter the purchase date and your order number.
1 Go to the Purchases command centre and click Enter 6 In the Ordered field, type the quantity you ordered. This
Purchases. The Purchases window appears. can be more than the quantity received.
7 In the Receive field, type the quantity received.
NOTE : Recording items received from the Inventory
command centre You can also record items received by 8 In the Item Number field, type the number of the item
clicking Receive Items from the Inventory command centre. received, or select it from your items list.
The Purchases window appears with the Receive Item
purchase status. 9 [MYOB Premier range only] If you keep items at multiple
locations, type the location where you received the items
in the Location field, or select it from the list. Note that
2 In the Supplier field, type the supplier’s name, or select it the Location field only appears if you have set up multiple
from the list. locations.
3 If the Item layout does not appear: 10 In the Price field, enter the estimated price for the items.
a Click Layout. The Select Layout window appears.
11 Click Record. The items are recorded in your inventory and
b Select Item and then click OK. a purchase order is created with the number of items
received.
When you receive the supplier’s bill, you need to convert
the order to a purchase. For more information, see ‘To
convert an order to a bill’ on page 86.

RECEIVING ITEMS WITHOUT A SUPPLIER INVOICE 84

 Creating a purchase order from a sale
If you want to order items to fulfil a sale, you can create a 5 Enter the cost of the items in the Price column.
purchase order using sales quote or sales order details that
you have recorded.

To create a purchase order from a sale

1 Go to the Sales command centre and click Sales Register.
The Sales Register window appears.
2 Locate and select:
 a quote—click the Quotes tab and select the required
quote
 an order—click the Orders tab and select the required
order.

3 Click Create PO. The Purchases window appears with the

new purchase order displayed. The items you entered for
the sale automatically appear as line items on the
purchase order.
4 Select a supplier in the Supplier field. Note, if you have
nominated a supplier for these items in the item setup,
this supplier will appear by default.

85 CHAPTER 6 PURCHASES
6 Complete the purchase order as you normally would. For 7 Click Record. The new purchase order is created and the
example, you may want to change the transaction date to original sales quote or order remains in the Sales Register
today’s date, or add items to the order. window.

Changing the status of a purchase

If you enter a quote or an order, you can easily convert it to a 6 Click Record. The bill or order is recorded.
bill once the amount is payable. A quote can be converted to The original quote will remain in the Purchases Register
an order or a bill. An order can only be converted to a bill. window unless you have indicated in the Preferences
Quotes and orders must be converted to bills to show as window that you want quotes to be deleted once they are
payable. recorded as orders or bills.

To convert a quote to an order or a bill To convert an order to a bill

You can convert a quote to an order or a bill from the You can convert an order to a bill in the Purchases window or
Purchases window or from the Purchases Register window. from the Purchases Register window. If you want to convert
1 Go to the Purchases command centre and click Purchases several orders to bills simultaneously, see ‘To simultaneously
Register. The Purchases Register window appears. convert several orders to bills’ on page 87.
2 Click the Quote tab. 1 Go to the Purchases command centre and click Purchases
3 Find the required quote and select it. Register. The Purchases Register window appears.

4 If you want to convert the quote to: 2 Click the Orders tab.
 an order, click Change to Order. The Purchases window 3 Find the required order and select it.
appears. 4 Click Change to Bill. The Purchases window appears,
 a bill, click Change to Bill. The Purchases window displaying the bill.
appears.
5 If you want to, you can update the information in this
5 If you want to, you can update the information in the window, such as the transaction date.
Purchases window, such as the transaction date.
6 Click Record. A new bill is recorded and the original order
is removed from the Purchases Register.

CHANGING THE STATUS OF A PURCHASE 86

 To simultaneously convert several orders to bills 3 Select the orders you want to convert to bills by marking
the select column ( ).
You can simultaneously convert several orders to bills in the To
Do List window. 4 Click Record as Actual.

1 Click To Do List from any command centre. The To Do List 5 In the window that appears, enter a date for the selected
window appears. transactions. This is the date that the transactions will be
recorded in your accounts.
2 Click the Orders tab to display a list of all your orders.
6 Click OK.
If you want to view details about a specific order, click the
zoom arrow ( ) to the right of the supplier’s name.

Reviewing your purchase information

There are several tools that you can use to review your
Tool Description See
purchases information.
Purchases The Purchases Register window gives page 173
Tool Description See Register you a complete picture of your
purchase activity—open and closed
Business Use Business Insights to analyse below purchases, orders, quotes, returns,
Insights purchases and supplier information. and so on.

To Do List The To Do List displays all open page 88 Transaction The Transaction Journal window lists page 175
purchases, recurring purchases and Journal journal entries of your purchases and
orders, sorted by due date. other transactions.

Analyse The Analyse Payables window page 88

Payables provides details of your purchase To view purchases information using Business Insights
activities.
Business Insights presents a summary of your purchases
Purchase Purchase reports help you keep track page 89 information, including which suppliers you owe money to and
reports of your purchase activities. how much is overdue. You can also see how much you owe
Purchase Purchase history lets you view seven page 89 suppliers for each ageing period, as well and view your
history years of purchase history for an item purchases history with your suppliers.
or a supplier.
To find information specific to your needs, sort the table
Find The Find Transactions window helps page 173 columns by clicking a column heading. For example, you can
Transactions you find purchase transactions find the most overdue supplier payments or the largest
quickly.
overdue amounts.

87 CHAPTER 6 PURCHASES
1 Go to the Accounts command centre and click Business 2 Click the A/P tab. A list of all unpaid purchases appears.
Insights. The Business Insights window appears. The Overdue column shows the number of days a bill is
2 View the Suppliers I need to pay panel. overdue (a negative number in the Overdue column
This panel shows the total payments you owe suppliers indicates that the payment is not yet due). The number of
and details of each overdue supplier payment (based on days a bill is overdue is calculated by checking the original
their credit terms), including the number of days overdue. date of purchase, comparing it to today’s date and
looking at your credit terms with the supplier.
3 Click Analyse suppliers to view graphs and information
about the money you owe suppliers and the payment
To analyse payables
history of each supplier.
You can use this information to: The Analyse Payables window enables you to view detailed
information about how much you owe suppliers and how long
 Keep on top of your supplier payments Identify which
you have owed them. This analysis is based on all purchases
supplier payments are due or which suppliers you owe
and payments recorded in your company file.
the most money to.
 Negotiate a payment or discount with a supplier View 1 Go to the Purchases command centre and click Analysis.
your payment history with the supplier, such as the The Analyse Payables window appears.
average number of days it takes you to pay them. 2 Click Filters. The Ageing Date window appears.
4 If you want to use one of the graphs or tables in another 3 Set your filters in the Ageing Date window and click OK.
document, right-click it and choose:
4 Select the required view of the Analyse Payables window:
 Copy to Clipboard. This copies the graph or table to the
 The Summary view displays all the money that you owe
clipboard, ready to paste into a document. Note that
suppliers, totalled by supplier.
you can edit table information after it is pasted in a
 The Supplier Detail view displays all the money that you
document.
owe the supplier selected in the Supplier Detail field.
 [Graphs only] Save As. Choose where you want to save
 The Purchase Detail view displays all the transactions
the image and click Save. This saves the graph as an
image file, so you can use it later. assigned to the purchase selected in the Purchase Detail
field.
5 Click Close to return to the main Business Insights
window. The information in this window is based on the entries you
made above in the Ageing Date window, and the
For more information about the calculations shown in selections you made in the Ageing fields in the Reports &
Business Insights, see the Help Centre. Forms tab of the Preferences window.

To view a list of all unpaid bills sorted by days overdue

You can view a list of all unpaid bills in the To Do List and enter
supplier payments for those purchases.
1 Click To Do List in any command centre. The To Do List
window appears.

REVIEWING YOUR PURCHASE INFORMATION 88

 To view purchase reports your reports, see Chapter 13, ’Reports,’ starting on
page 184.
There are several purchase reports that can help you track
your purchase activity. For example, you can run a Payables
To view purchase history
Reconciliation Summary report if you want to analyse your
payables at a given date. The Analyse Purchases Items You can view the purchase history for an item or a supplier.
Spreadsheet report shows you the inventory items which are
1 Display the Item Information window for an item or the
costing you the most money.
Card Information window for a supplier.
1 Go to the Reports menu and choose Index to Reports. The
2 Click the History tab.
Index to Reports window appears.
The History tab displays a total of seven years of purchase
2 Click the Purchases tab. A list of purchase reports appears.
history for the item or card: the five years preceding your
For information on displaying, customising and printing
current financial year (as displayed in the Company
Information window), the current year and the next year.

Paying bills
If you have recorded a bill, you pay the supplier in the Pay Bills When you use the Bank Register window to make supplier
window. In this window you can record the payments to one payments, the entire payment is automatically allocated to
or more of your outstanding bills. the oldest bill first. For more information, see ‘Entering
You can also make payments to suppliers in the Bank Register transactions in the Bank Register window’ on page 46.
window, especially if you have several bills to pay and do not You can pay several outstanding bills at once in the To Do List
need to record detailed information for each payment. window. For more information, see ‘To pay several bills at
once’ on page 91.

89 CHAPTER 6 PURCHASES
The options for recording payments are summarised in the 4 [Optional] Change the memo and payment date if
following diagram. necessary.
5 In the scrolling list in the bottom half of the window,
indicate which bills are covered by the payment by
entering amounts in the Amount Applied column.

D
E

A B C

A Pay All Click Pay All if you are settling your account in
full. The total payment amount appears in the
Amount field and the individual payment
amounts are applied to each open bill.

B Discount If you are taking an early-payment discount for

a purchase, assign the discount to the
appropriate bill in this column.
Note that you cannot assign a discount to a bill
that you are not settling in full. If this is the
case and you want to record a discount that
the supplier has given you, you can create a
supplier debit. See ‘Creating supplier debits’
on page 91.
To pay bills
C Amount The amount of the payment you want to apply
1 Go to the Purchases command centre and click Pay Bills. Applied to each bill. The amounts you apply in this
The Pay Bills window appears. column are accumulated in the Total Applied
field.
2 If you want to change the default account to pay the bill,
type or select a different account in the Account field. D Finance If part of the payment was used to pay finance
Charge charges, enter the finance charge amount here.
3 Type the supplier’s name or select the supplier from the
list using the search icon ( ). E Out of The Out of Balance amount must be zero
Balance before you can record the transaction.
This field will show an amount if there is any
NOTE :If you receive an alert message If you have
outstanding supplier debits with this supplier, a message variance between the Total Paid amount and
may appear. You will have the opportunity to settle the the Amount field in the top half of the window.
supplier debits immediately or at a later date. See ‘Settling If this happens, correct the amounts in the
supplier debits’ on page 92. Amount Applied and Finance Charge fields.

PAYING BILLS 90
 6 If you are recording a cheque payment and the cheque has To pay several bills at once
already been written, or if you are recording a transaction
that doesn’t require a printed cheque (such as a You can pay several bills at once in the To Do List window. The
petty-cash payment or Internet payment), select the linked account for paying bills will be used for all supplier
Cheque Already Printed option. payments made from this window.

7 If you want to send remittance advice in a batch, select an 1 Click To Do List in any command centre. The To Do List
option from the Remittance Advice Delivery Status list. window appears.

After you have recorded a number of payments, say, the 2 Click the A/P tab. A list of all unpaid bills appears.
day’s payments, you can print or email remittance advices 3 If you want to view details about a specific purchase, click
in a batch. For more information, see ‘Forms’ on page 192. the zoom arrow ( ) next to the bill.
8 If you want to preview the remittance advice or cheque 4 Click in the select column ( ) next to each bill you want
for this transaction, click Print and then choose Preview to pay.
Cheque or Preview Remittance Advice. Note that the 5 Click Pay Bills.
transaction is recorded before it is displayed.
6 In the window that appears, enter a date for the selected
9 If you want to print a cheque or remittance advice now, transactions. This is the date that the transactions will be
click Print and select the form type you want to print. recorded in your accounts.
Note that the payment is recorded before it is printed.
7 Click OK and then click Close.
10 Click Record.

Creating supplier debits

A supplier debit is money that a supplier owes you. To reverse an existing purchase
Your company file transactions must be set to unchangeable
Recording supplier debits before you can reverse a purchase; that is, the Transactions
CAN’T be Changed; They Must be Reversed option must be
You can create a supplier debit in one of two ways: selected in the Security tab of the Preferences window.
 Reverse an existing purchase. Use this method if you have 1 Find and display the purchase. For more information, see
been debited for the entire purchase. ‘Finding a transaction’ on page 172.
 Manually create a debit. Use this method if you have been 2 Go to the Edit menu and choose Reverse Purchase. A
debited for part of a purchase. supplier debit appears in the Purchases window.

91 CHAPTER 6 PURCHASES
3 If you want, you can make some changes to the supplier 4 Click Layout, select Item and then click OK.
debit (such as changes to the date and memo), but you 5 In the Bill field, type the quantity of the item you are
cannot change the accounts, amounts and quantities that returning as a negative number.
are associated with the debit.
6 In the Item Number field, type the item number or select
4 Click Record Reversal. it from the list. The cost of the item is displayed as
negative amount in the Total field.
To manually create a debit for a non-item purchase
7 Click Record.
1 Go to the Purchases command centre and click Enter
Purchases. The Purchases window appears.
2 In the Supplier field, type the supplier’s name or select it
Settling supplier debits
from the list. You can settle a supplier debit in one of two ways:
The terms and delivery address shown in the Purchases  Apply the debit to an unpaid purchase. Use this method to
window are the details recorded in the supplier’s card. apply the supplier debit to one or more of your unpaid
3 Select Bill from the list in the top left corner of the purchases from the supplier, or
window.  Receive a refund. Use this method to record the receipt of
4 Click Layout, select Miscellaneous and then click OK. a refund cheque from the supplier.
5 In the Description field, type the reason for the supplier
debit. To apply a supplier debit to an unpaid purchase
6 In the Acct # field, type the account number to be 1 Go to the Purchases command centre and click Purchases
debited or select it from the list. This is normally an Register. The Purchases Register window appears.
expense account called Purchases Returns. 2 Click the Returns & Debits tab.
7 In the Amount field, type the amount of the debit as a 3 Select Supplier from the Search By list. Enter the supplier’s
negative amount. name in the adjacent field. A list of debits for that supplier
8 Click Record. appears.
4 Highlight the debit you want to apply and click Apply to
To manually create a debit for an item purchase Purchase. The Settle Returns & Debits window appears,
1 Go to the Purchases command centre and click Enter listing all open purchases that you have made from the
Purchases. The Purchases window appears. supplier.

2 In the Supplier field, type the supplier’s name or select it 5 Enter the amount you want to apply to a purchase in the
from the list. The terms and delivery address shown in the Amount Applied column.
Purchases window are the details recorded in the If the Apply Supplier Payments Automatically to Oldest
supplier’s card. Bill First preference is selected in the Purchases view of the
3 Select Bill from the list in the top left corner of the Preferences window, amounts will appear next to the
window. oldest purchase in the Amount Applied column. You can

CREATING SUPPLIER DEBITS 92

 apply the debit amount to any one transaction or you can To record a refund cheque
split it over any of the transactions in the list, but the total
amount you apply in the Amount Applied column must 1 Go to the Purchases command centre and click Purchases
equal the amount that appears in the Debit Amount field. Register. The Purchases Register window appears.
2 Click the Returns & Debits tab.
3 Select Supplier from the Search By list. Enter the supplier’s
name in the adjacent field. A list of debits for that supplier
appears.
4 Highlight the debit that is being refunded and click
Receive Refund. A refund cheque for the amount of the
supplier debit appears in the Settle Returns & Debits
window.

6 If you want to apply part of the supplier debit to any

unpaid finance charges you have accrued, type an amount
in the Finance Charge field.
7 Click Record to apply the supplier debit.
If the transaction is unbalanced, that is, if the total
amount entered in the Amount Applied column doesn’t
equal the amount displayed in the Debit Amount field at
the top of the window, a message appears. Click OK to
close the message and then check that the amounts you 5 Click Record to record the refund cheque.
have applied to the various transactions are correct.

93 CHAPTER 6 PURCHASES
Adding finance charges paid to suppliers

Finance charges are amounts added to an outstanding Deleting finance charges

balance as a penalty for late payment to one of your suppliers.
If your supplier has added a finance charge to your account, If you enter a finance charge in the Pay Bills window, two
you can enter the amount in the Pay Bills window. transactions are recorded:
 the full supplier payment, including the finance charge, is
recorded in the disbursements journal, and
Setting up and recording finance
charges  the finance charge is recorded in the purchases journal.

Before you can record finance charges, you need to select an Therefore, if you want to delete a finance charge
account for tracking the charges. Go to the Setup menu, payment, you must delete both transactions. If only one
choose Linked Accounts and then Purchases Accounts. Select entry is deleted, the Payables Reconciliation Summary
the I pay charges for late payment option and select an report may show an out-of-balance amount equal to the
expense account to record the late payment charges. finance charge. When you delete one of the entries, you
will be reminded to delete the other entry for the finance
Although you cannot track the history of finance charges, you
charge. Note that the warning will appear even though
can perform an account inquiry (using Find Transactions) on
you may have already deleted the corresponding
the finance charge linked account to view the amounts paid.
payment.

ADDING FINANCE CHARGES PAID TO SUPPLIERS 94

7 Paying your employees

PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

Payroll is only available in MYOB Premier Plus.

You can use the Payroll feature to process pays for wages and salary. The software can calculate overtime rates, allowances, deductions,
employer expenses, , EPF [Malaysia] or CPF [Singapore] and entitlements, such as annual leave and sick leave.

In your MYOB software, the components of an employee’s pay, such as wages and entitlements are called payroll categories. These are
assigned to an employee’s card to calculate their standard pay. Deductions and expenses determine what are known as payroll
deductions. These are amounts withheld for later payment to the appropriate authority or agency.

When you process pays, you can vary an employee’s pay by overriding the standard pay values, such as the actual number of hours worked
and the number of days of annual leave taken. Note that unless specified, this chapter will show screenshots and payroll information for
both Malaysia and Singapore.

Payroll setup tasks

Before your can pay your employees, you need to complete

the following tasks: NOTE : Using the Easy Setup Assistant to set up payroll You can
also use the Easy Setup Assistant to set up payroll. See ‘Set up
payroll’ on page 31 for more information.
Step Action See

1 Enter your company’s general payroll page 95

information

2 Create payroll categories page 96

3 Create a card for each employee page 105

4 Enter payroll information for each employee page 105

94
 Entering general payroll information

[Malaysia] General payroll information [Singapore] General payroll

window information window

A A
B B
C C
D
D

A Enter your company’s current payroll year. Note that this field is A Enter your company’s current payroll year. Note that this field is
not available if you have created the current payroll year in the not available if you have created the current payroll year in the
Payroll Year page of the Payroll Easy Setup Assistant. Payroll Year page of the Payroll Easy Setup Assistant.

B The default number of hours in a work week and a work day appear B The default number of hours in a work week and a work day appear
in the Number of Hours in a Full-Time Work Week and Number of in the Number of Hours in a Full-Time Work Week and Number of
Hours in a Full-Time Work Day fields respectively. You can change Hours in a Full-Time Work Day fields respectively. You can change
this information based on your company’s normal working week this information based on your company’s normal working week
and day. and day.

C Enter the employer tax file number, employer EPF number, and C Enter the employer tax reference number, and employer CPF
employer SOCSO number. These information will appear in the number. This information will appear in the statutory forms such
statutory forms such as Borang CP159, Borang EA, Borang as IR8A and CPF Payment Advice.
CP39/CP39A, Borang A, and Borang 8A. Note that the Borang
CP39, Borang CP39A, Borang A and Borang 8A statutory forms will D When you load the CPF table, the CPF Table Revision Date displays
appear in future releases of your MYOB software. the latest revision date.

D When you load the tax and SOCSO table, the Tax Table Revision
Date and SOCSO Table Revision Date fields display the latest
revision dates.

95 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

Creating payroll categories

An employee’s pay is made up of separate components, such A default list of payroll categories is generated when you
as normal wages, overtime, EPF [Malaysia] or CPF [Singapore], create your company file. You may want to review these
and so on. In MYOB software, these components are called categories and tailor them to suit your business needs. See
payroll categories, and they are grouped into five types: ‘To create a payroll category’ below and ‘To edit a payroll
wages, EPF [Malaysia] or CPF [Singapore], entitlements, category’ on page 104.
deductions, and expenses.
To create a payroll category
Payroll category Description
1 Go to the Payroll command centre and click Payroll
Wages All monies paid to an employee for labour Categories. The Payroll Category List window appears.
or services rendered on a daily, hourly, or
salary basis.

EPF [Malaysia] EPF benefits contributed by the employer

and employee, including voluntary and
mandatory contributions.

CPF [Singapore] CPF benefits contributed by the

employer and employee, including
voluntary and mandatory contributions.

Entitlements Items such as holiday and sick leave,

which employees accrue under the terms
of their work agreement.

Deductions Amounts withheld by the employer and 2 Click the tab corresponding to the type of payroll
paid to other organisations on behalf of category you want to create.
the employee.
3 Click New. The Information window for the selected
Employer expenses Employer-paid benefits other than EPF payroll category type appears.
[Malaysia] or CPF [Singapore]. The
employer pays the expenses directly to 4 Type a name for the payroll category.
other suppliers. For example, rent for the
employee’s accommodation paid to the
property owner.

CREATING PAYROLL CATEGORIES 96

 5 Make the required selections for the payroll category. See [Malaysia] Wages Information window
the following topics for information about the options
available for each payroll category type: To open the Wages Information window, go to the Payroll
 ‘[Malaysia] Wages Information window’ below. command centre and click Payroll Categories. In the Payroll
 ‘[Singapore] Wages Information window’ on page 98. Category List window that appears, click New.
 ‘[Malaysia] EPF Information window’ on page 99.

 ‘[Singapore] CPF Information window’ on page 100.

 ‘Entitlements Information window’ on page 100. A

 ‘Deduction Information window’ on page 101.

 ‘Employer Expense Information window’ on page 102.

B
6 Click Employee. The Linked Employees window appears.
7 Select the employees whose pay will include this payroll C
D
category, then click OK. E
8 If you are creating:
 a Wage category, click Exempt and select the EPF,
SOCSO, tax and deductions [Malaysia] or CPF and
deductions [Singapore] that do not apply to the new
category
 a Deduction category, click Exempt and select the tax A Select either Salary, Hourly or Daily to specify whether the
[Malaysia] or the CPF [Singapore] categories for which calculation will be a set amount per pay period or based upon the
you want to subtract the deduction amount from the hours or days worked.
monthly net wages prior to calculating tax [Malaysia] or Wage categories that will be linked to entitlements (such as Annual
CPF [Singapore] Leave) must be specified as Daily for all employees (even those paid
a salary) for the entitlements to be processed correctly. See
 an Employer Expense category (and you have selected a
‘Entitlements Information window’ on page 100 for more
percentage of wages as the calculation basis), click information.
Exempt and choose the wage categories that will not
B If you select Hourly or Daily as the type of wages, the Pay Rate fields
contribute to the value of the expense.
appear.
9 Click OK and then click OK again to return to the Payroll • If you want to use the base pay rate entered in the Payroll Details
Category List window. tab view of each employee’s card, select Regular Daily Rate
Multiplied by (or Regular Hourly Rate Multiplied by) and type 1.
• If you want to multiply the base pay rate by a certain amount for
this category, select Regular Daily Rate Multiplied by (or Regular
Hourly Rate Multiplied by) and type the appropriate number. For
example, type 2 for double time or 1.5 for time and a half.
• If you want to enter a fixed rate that will apply for all employees,
regardless of their base pay rate, select Fixed Daily Rate of (or
Fixed Hourly Rate of) and then type the amount.

97 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

C [Salary and Daily wages only] Select the Bonus/Lump Sum Payment [Singapore] Wages Information
option if you want to use this wage category to calculate tax for
lump-sum payments, for example, bonuses and director’s fees.
window
D If you select the Bonus/Lump Sum Payment option, the Calculate To open the Wages Information window, go to the Payroll
Tax based on previous year Tax Rate option appears. Select this command centre and click Payroll Categories. In the Payroll
option if the tax calculated for this lump-sum payment should be Category List window that appears, click New.
based on the previous year’s tax rate.

E If you want to override the employees’ wage expense account

(entered in the Payroll Details tab view of their card) for this
particular wage, select the Optional Account option and type or A
select the override account in the field that appears.

B
C

A Select either Salary, Hourly or Daily to specify whether the

calculation will be a set amount per pay period or based upon the
hours or days worked.
Wage categories that will be linked to entitlements (such as Annual
Leave) must be specified as Daily for all employees (even those paid
a salary) for the entitlements to be processed correctly. See
‘Entitlements Information window’ on page 100 for more
information.

CREATING PAYROLL CATEGORIES 98

 B If you select Hourly or Daily as the type of wages, the Pay Rate fields [Malaysia] EPF Information window
appear.
• If you want to use the base pay rate entered in the Payroll Details To open the EPF Information window, go to the Payroll
tab view of each employee’s card, select Regular Daily Rate command centre and click Payroll Categories. In the Payroll
Multiplied by (or Regular Hourly Rate Multiplied by) and type 1. Category List window that appears, click the EPF tab and then
• If you want to multiply the base pay rate by a certain amount for click New.
this category, select Regular Daily Rate Multiplied by (or Regular
Hourly Rate Multiplied by) and type the appropriate number. For
example, type 2 for double time or 1.5 for time and a half.
• If you want to enter a fixed rate that will apply for all employees,
regardless of their base pay rate, select Fixed Daily Rate of (or A
Fixed Hourly Rate of) and then type the dollar amount.
B
C [Salary and Daily wages only] Select one of the Income Type C
options as a basis to calculate the CPF contribution. Income Type
can be: D
• Ordinary refers to an employee’s base salary, allowance, and
overtime payment
• Additional refers to an employee’s bonus, leave payment,
incentive, and payments created at intervals of more than one
month.

D If you want to override an employee’s wage expense account A Specify the accounts you want to use to track the EPF amounts:
(entered in the Payroll Details tab view of their card) for this
• Linked Expense Account is the expense account to which you
particular wage, select the Optional Account option and type or
charge employer contributions. If you specified a Default EPF
select the override account in the field that appears.
Expense account when setting up payroll, that account will
appear here by default.
• Linked Payable Account is the liability account to which the EPF
amounts accrue. If you specified a Default EPF Payable account
when setting up payroll, that account will appear here by default.

B If you want the EPF amount accrued to appear on employees’ pay

advices, select the Print on Pay Advice option.

C Choose the Calculation Basis for the employer contribution.

• To specify that the EPF amount should be calculated as a
percentage of the employee’s total wages, select Equals x Percent
of Total Wages and enter the percentage.
• To specify a constant EPF amount to be contributed each month,
select Equals x Ringgit per Month and enter the amount.

D Choose the Calculation Basis for the employee contribution.

• To specify that the EPF amount should be calculated as a
percentage of the employee’s total wages, select Equals x Percent
of Total Wages and enter the percentage.

99 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

[Singapore] CPF Information window D The Base on Schedule Rate option is only available when the CPF type
you select is CPF Deductions. Base on Schedule Rate enables
To open the CPF Information window, go to the Payroll automatic calculation of CPF deduction when you enter the
command centre and click Payroll Categories. In the Payroll deduction amount according to the gross wage rate. If you choose
this option, make sure you enter the deduction amount for the gross
Category List window that appears, click the CPF tab and
wage you create; otherwise the CPF deductions will not be
then click New. calculated.

E Choose the Calculation Basis for the employee contribution.

• To specify a fixed deduction amount to be contributed each pay
A period, select Equals x Dollars per Pay Period and enter the
B amount.
• To specify that the CPF amount should be calculated as a
C
percentage of the employee’s gross wages, select Equals x Percent
D of Gross Wages or x whichever is greater and enter the
percentage. You can also enter an amount next to the x whichever
is greater field to determine whichever higher CPF amount is used
for CPF deduction. This option only appears when the
contribution type selected is CPF Expenses.
E F The Threshold option is only available when the CPF type is CPF
F Expenses. Select this option to specify a threshold amount and how
the amount will be used in the CPF calculation. Select of up to or less
or equal. Then, enter the monthly wage threshold.

Entitlements Information window

A The CPF Type can be CPF Deductions or CPF Expenses. Select the
appropriate type from the list. There are two default entitlements for Malaysia and
Singapore—annual leave and sick leave accruals. You can
B Specify the accounts you want to use to track the CPF amount:
change the set up of these entitlements to suit your
• Linked Expense Account is the expense account to which you
charge employer contributions. If you specified a Default CPF company’s policy.
Expense account when setting up payroll, that account will To open the Entitlements Information window, go to the
appear here by default. This account only appears when the CPF Payroll command centre and click Payroll Categories. In the
type selected is CPF Expenses.
Payroll Category List window that appears, click the
• Linked Payable Account is the liability account to which the CPF
amounts accrue. If you specified a Default CPF Payable account
Entitlements tab and then click New.
when setting up payroll, that account will appear here by default.

C If you want the CPF amount accrued to appear on employees’ pay

advice, select the Print on Pay Advice option.

CREATING PAYROLL CATEGORIES 100

 B If you want the entitlement amount to appear on the pay advice,
select the Print on Pay Advice option.

C If you want to carry over any entitlement leave balance from the
previous year, select the Carry Remaining Entitlement Over to Next
Year option.
A
D Each entitlement category must have a Linked Wages Category. For
example, the Annual Leave Entitlement could be linked to the Annual
Leave wage category and the Sick Leave Entitlement could be linked
to the Sick Leave wage category. If you create a new entitlement, you
must link it to a daily wage category.
When employees use their entitlements, for example, by taking a
holiday, you allocate the days taken against the linked wage category
B (in this example, the annual leave wage category). The employee’s
C accrued leave balance is reduced by the days taken.
Note that you can link multiple wage categories to an entitlement.
D This enables you to provide and track different types of the same
entitlement. For example, you can link the Annual Leave Pay wage
category and Annual Leave Taken wage category to the Annual Leave
entitlement. When an employee takes either type of leave, the Annual
Leave entitlement is reduced by the days taken.

A Select the appropriate calculation basis:

• Select User-Entered Amount per Pay Period if you want to enter a Deduction Information window
specific number of days accrued in each employee’s standard pay
or manually enter the number of days accrued when processing To open the Deduction Information window, go to the Payroll
their pays. command centre and click Payroll Categories. In the Payroll
• Select Base on Service Years if you want the employee
entitlements to be automatically calculated based on the number
of years of service (which is determined by the start dates
entered in your employee cards). If you choose this option, ensure
that you have entered the start date in each employee’s card,
otherwise the entitlement will not be calculated.
Complete the table by typing the number of days that your
employees are entitled to accrue for each year of service. In the
example above, an employee who has served 3 years is entitled to
accrue 9 days of annual leave.
Note: You can specify up to ten rows in the table. Employees who
have served more than the highest number of years specified in
the table will be entitled to the number of days entered in that
row.

101 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

Categories List window that appears, click the Deductions D Calculation Basis can be one of the following choices:
tab and then click New. • Select User-Entered Amount per Pay Period if you want to
manually enter a specific amount for each employee, each pay
period. Note that manually entered deductions should be
entered as negative values.
A • To enter a percentage of any of the wage categories, select
Equals x Percent of. This option becomes unavailable when you
B select Tax deductible (Zakat). This amount will be deducted until
C the deduction limit (see below) is reached.
D Enter a percentage and then type or select a wage category upon
which the calculation is to be based. Alternatively, you can select
Gross Wages, which totals all wage categories (daily, hourly and
E salary) you pay an employee.
• To deduct a specified amount per pay period, per month or per
year, select Equals x Ringgit per [Malaysia] or Equals x Dollars per
[Singapore]. Enter the amount and select the period. This amount
will be deducted until the limit (see below) is reached.
A Linked Payable Account is the account in which all the deducted E Select one of these options for Limit:
money will be accrued. By default, the account displayed is from the • Select No Limit if there is no limit on the amount of money that
Default Deductions Payable Account you specified when setting up can be deducted from the employee’s pay for this category.
payroll. You can change this default account if you want to track the • If you want the maximum deduction amount to be a percentage
deduction separately. of a wage category (or Gross Wages), select Equals x Percent of.
B If this deduction will not be paid to a third-party, select the Not a Enter the amount and then type or select the wage category. For
deduction withheld for third party option. Any amounts deducted example, a deduction might be RM500 per pay period up to a
using this category will not appear in the Pay Deductions window. maximum of 50% of the employee’s base salary. This option
becomes unavailable when you select Tax deductible (Zakat).
For example, you would select this option if you want to use the
category for employee purchase reimbursements. • If you want the maximum deduction amount to be a fixed
amount per pay period, per month or per year, select Equals x
C [Malaysia only] Select the Tax deductible (Zakat) option to deduct Ringgit per [Malaysia] or Equals x Dollars per [Singapore]. Enter
Zakat when calculating tax. Note that once you use this deduction the amount and select the period. For example, a deduction
category to record your employees’ pays, you cannot deselect this might be 10% of the employee’s wages up to RM10,500 per year.
option.

Employer Expense Information window

Employer expense payroll categories are used to record
expenses paid by employers on behalf of their employees. For
example, rent payments to a property owner. Employer
expense amounts are not paid to employees, as such, they are
not included in the calculation of the employee’s monthly pay.
To open the Employer Expense Information window, go to the
Payroll command centre and click Payroll Categories. In the

CREATING PAYROLL CATEGORIES 102

 Payroll Categories List window that appears, click the
A
Employer Expense tab and then click New.
B

C
D

E
F

A Linked Expense Account is the account to which you are charging this
expense. If you specified a Default Employer Expense account when
setting up payroll, that account will appear here by default.

B Linked Payable Account is the liability account to which your expense

will accrue. If you specified a Default Deductions Payable account
when setting up payroll, that account will appear here by default.

C If you want employer expense amounts to appear on employees’ pay

advice, select the Print on Pay Advice option.

D Calculation Basis can be one of the following choices:

• To enter a percentage of any of the wage or deduction
categories, or a percentage of all the wage categories (by
choosing Gross Wages), select Equals x Percent. This expense will
be charged until the expense limit is reached.
• To deduct a specified amount per pay period, per month or per
year until the limit is reached, select Equals x Dollars per x
[Singapore] or Equals x Ringgit per x [Malaysia].

103 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

E Limits can be used to place a ceiling on the expense. For example, for To edit a payroll category
an expense of $300 per pay period and a limit of 2% of gross wages,
a pay with gross wages of $10,000 yields an expense of only $200 (i.e.
1 Go to the Payroll command centre and click Payroll
2%). Select one of these options for Limit: Categories. The Payroll Category List window appears.
• Select No Limit if there is no limit to the expense for this category.
• If you want the maximum expense to be a percentage of a wage or
deduction category or for all the wage categories, select Equals x
Percent of. For example, an expense may be $200 per pay period
up to a maximum of 20% of the employee’s salary.
• If you want the maximum expense to be a fixed amount per pay
period, per month or per year, select Equals x Dollars per x
[Singapore] or Equals x Ringgit per x [Malaysia]. For example, an
expense might be 5% of the employee’s wages up to $10,000 per
year.

F Employer expenses are only payable if wages exceed a specified

amount per month. Enter this amount in the Threshold: Calculate
once eligible wages of x have been paid for the month field. When
determining if the wages on a pay exceed the minimum wage 2 Click the tab corresponding to the type of payroll
threshold per month, other pays processed in that month are category you want to edit—Wages, EPF [Malaysia] or CPF
included.
[Singapore], Entitlements, Deductions or Expenses.
3 Click the zoom arrow ( ) next to the payroll category you
Editing payroll categories want to edit. The information window for that category
appears.
4 Make the required selections for the payroll category. See
NOTE :Payroll categories linked to employee cards If you edit a
payroll category that is linked to employee cards, any changes the following topics for information about the options
you make will apply to all employee cards linked to that category. available for each payroll category type:
 ‘[Malaysia] Wages Information window’ on page 97.

 ‘[Singapore] Wages Information window’ on page 98.

 ‘[Malaysia] EPF Information window’ on page 99.

 ‘[Singapore] CPF Information window’ on page 100.

 ‘Entitlements Information window’ on page 100.

 ‘Deduction Information window’ on page 101.

 ‘Employer Expense Information window’ on page 102.

5 Click OK.

CREATING PAYROLL CATEGORIES 104

 Creating employee cards

To create an employee card 6 From the Location list, select the address for which you
want to specify the employee’s contact details.
1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List.
The Cards List window appears. 7 Complete the address fields and any other contact
details.
2 Click New. The Card Information window appears.
8 [MYOB Premier Plus only] If you want to enter payroll
3 Select Employee in the Card Type field. information for the employee, continue with step 4 in ‘To
4 Type the employee’s last name and press TAB. enter payroll information for an employee’ below.
5 Type the employee’s first name. 9 Click OK and then click Close to exit the Cards List
window.

Entering employee payroll information

Once you have created payroll categories (see page 96) and To enter payroll information for an employee
an employee card (see below), you can enter the employee’s
payroll information.Note that the following screenshots are 1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List.
from Singapore’s card information. The Cards List window appears.
2 Click the Employee tab and select an employee.
Restrict access to employee information User IDs can be set
3 Click Edit. The Card Information window appears.
up to restrict access to employee payroll, banking and
contact information stored in the card file and in reports. You
can select the full restrictions, such as disallowing access to
the employee card file, or you can set specific restrictions,
such as viewing employee banking details. If you want to
prevent a user from editing and viewing all payroll details, you
need to restrict access to payroll reports as well as to
employee card information and Payroll command centre
functions. You can set these restrictions in the access profile
of each user ID. For more information, see ‘Managing user
accounts and company files’ on page 248.

105 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

 Enter the employee’s personal details
TIP : Creating departments and positions You can create,
4 Click the Payroll Details tab. edit and delete departments and positions by going to the
Lists menu and choosing Departments or Positions.

10 Choose the delivery method for the employee’s pay slip. If

the pay slip is to be emailed, enter the employee’s email
address.
11 If applicable, enter the employee’s official last day when
you have an employee who has terminated their
employment.

NOTE : Official Last Day and Stop Payroll Processing For

information about the Official Last Day and Stop Payroll
Processing fields, see ‘Terminating an employee’s
employment’ on page 122.

12 [Malaysia] If applicable, enter your employee’s ASB and

5 Enter your employee’s date of birth and select your LUTH number.
employee’s gender.
6 Enter the employee’s passport number, select the marital Enter wage information
status and residential status, and enter the employee’s
13 Click Wages and enter the wage information for this
religion.
employee.
7 Enter the employee’s identification details.
 [Singapore] Enter the employee’s identification card
number or foreign identification number, race, and
nationality. If the employee is a permanent resident,
enter their permanent resident number and residency
start date.
 [Malaysia] Enter the employee’s new and old
identification card number, race, and nationality.
8 Enter the employee’s start date and employment
category.
9 Select the employee’s department, status and position.

ENTERING EMPLOYEE PAYROLL INFORMATION 106

 c In the Hours in a Full Time Work Day field, type the
NOTE :Pay Basis and Pay Frequency are fixed The Pay Basis number of hours the employee usually works each day.
and Pay Frequency are set to Salary and Monthly respectively.
The daily rate is automatically calculated.
These details cannot be changed.
NOTE : Hours in a Full Time Work Day The default value
a Enter the default pay rates. Refer to the following table displayed derives from the General Payroll Information
window or Payroll Information page in the Payroll Easy
to determine the fields that you need to complete.
Setup Assistant. The default value for both Malaysia and
Singapore is eight hours.
Pay Basis Fields to complete

Salary Type the appropriate salary amount in the

Monthly Salary field.
The hourly and daily rates are automatically
calculated. However, you can change them if
required. Wages that are paid on an hourly or
daily basis will use the rates that you specify in
the Hourly Rate and Daily Rate fields.

Hourly Type the default rate in the Hourly Rate field.

You can change the daily rate if required.
Wages that are paid on a daily basis will use the
rate that you specify in the Daily Rate field.

Daily Type the default rate in the Daily Rate field.

You can change the hourly rate if required.
Wages that are paid on an hourly basis will use
the rate that you specify in the Hourly Rate
field.

b In the Hours in a Full Time Work Week field, type the

total number of hours that an employee works in a
week. The hourly and daily rates are automatically
calculated.

NOTE : Hours in a Full Time Work Week The default value

displayed is taken from the General Payroll Information
window or Payroll Information page in the Payroll Easy
Setup Assistant. For Malaysia, the default value for a full
time week is forty-eight hours while Singapore is
forty-four hours.

107 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

 d If the employee’s wage expense account is different c In the EPF No field, type the employee’s provident fund
from the default account, type or select the required number.
account in the Wages Expense Account field. 15 Click in the select column ( ) next to each CPF
e Click in the select column ( ) next to each wage [Singapore] or EPF [Malaysia] category that applies to the
category that applies to the employee. employee.

Enter CPF [Singapore] or EPF [Malaysia] information Enter entitlement, deduction and expense information
14 Click CPF [Singapore] or EPF/SOCSO [Malaysia] and enter 16 Click Entitlements and click in the select column ( ) next
the employee’s provident fund details. to each entitlement that applies to the employee.
If the employee has entitlement days owing to them,
enter the number of days in the Carry Over column of the
appropriate entitlements. Note that you cannot enter
entitlement details if you have selected the Stop Payroll
Processing option in the Personal Details view.

NOTE : Entitlement days accrued and taken The Accrued

and Taken columns show the number of days that the
employee has accrued and taken during the current payroll
year. These columns will update automatically when you
record pays for the employee.

17 Click Deductions and click in the select column ( ) next

to each deduction that applies to the employee.
18 Click Employer Expenses and click in the select
If you are in Singapore: column ( ) next to each expense that applies to the
a From the CPF Scheme list, select your employee’s employee.
central provident fund scheme. The central provident
fund scheme determines the CPF rate applied for the Enter tax information
employee.
19 Click Taxes and enter the information that is required for
b In the CPF No field, type the employee’s central
provident fund number. the employee’s IR8A [Singapore] and EA [Malaysia] forms:
If you are in Malaysia: If you are in Singapore:
a In the SOCSO No field and Scheme list, type the a Type the employee’s tax file number.
employee’s social security number and select the social b If you want to indicate on the IR8A form that the tax is
security scheme. Note that the social security borne by the employer, select the Tax Borne by
determines the employee’s SOCSO calculation. Employer option.
If you are in Malaysia:

ENTERING EMPLOYEE PAYROLL INFORMATION 108

 a Type the employee’s tax file number. b If necessary, change the employee’s standard pay details
c Type the LHDNM branch where the employee has by overriding the values that appear in the Days, Hours
registered. or Amount column next to a payroll category.
d Select a tax category to determine whether the
employee’s income is taxable.
e [Optional] Enter the total number of child relief for an
employee who is entitled for tax relief. This field is only
available when you select Category 2 or Category 3 in
the Tax Category.
f [Optional] Type a country code for the employee. Note
that the country code will appear on CP39 forms in
future releases of your MYOB software.

Enter standard pay details

20 Click Standard Pay. The employee’s default pay details
appear. The default values are determined by the payroll
categories selected and values entered in the previous
steps.

a [Optional] If you track financial information using

categories, select a category from the Default
Category list.

109 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

 register reports). They are not recorded as transactions in
NOTE :Payroll categories with a calculated value The value your accounts.
of a payroll category with Calculated displayed in the Days,
Hours or Amount column (for example, mandatory CPF 22 If you use the Time Billing function to track time the
contributions) is calculated when you process a pay. employee spends to complete work for clients and
customers, click Time Billing and enter the employee’s
c [Optional] If you want to assign a job number to a time billing rate and cost per hour. For more information,
payroll category for this employee, click in the Job see Chapter 9, ’Billing for time,’ starting on page 144.
column and enter or select a job number.
Enter payment method information
Enter pay history and time billing information 23 Click the Payment Details tab and select the method you
21 If you have already paid the employee in the current use to pay the employee in the Payment Method list.
payroll year, click Pay History and type the amounts you If you select the Bank Instructions payment method, enter
have paid in the Activity column next to each relevant the employee’s bank account number and name. In the
payroll category. You can enter pay history for specific Statement Text field, type the description that should
months, quarters, year to date, or for a specific month in appear on the employee’s bank statement.
the last year. 24 Click OK. The Cards List window reappears.
Amounts entered in the Pay History window appear on 25 Click Close to return to the Payroll command centre.
payroll reports not derived from payroll activity (such as

Timesheets

Timesheets can be used to record the time worked by your When you record timesheet information for a pay period, you
employees or to record hours worked by employees in include the timesheet details in employee pays. For more
addition to their standard pay. If you pay employees for information, see ‘Task 2: [Optional] Include employee
time-billing activities, you can also enter activity details on timesheets’ on page 114.
timesheets and use these details to create activity slips.
NOTE : Creating a timesheet entry when recording an activity
The timesheet feature is optional. If your employees work a slip You can create a timesheet entry from the Activity Slip
fixed number of hours or days per pay and you do not pay view of the Enter Activity Slip window by selecting the Include
employees for time-billing activities, there’s no need for you Hours on Timesheet option. This allows you to enter greater
to use this feature. However, if you pay employees for detail about the activity. See ‘Creating activity slips’ on
page 149.
additional hours worked, such as overtime, you can record
these hours using timesheets.
Before using timesheets, you need to set a preference.

TIMESHEETS 110
 To set up timesheets 2 In the Employee field, type or select the employee’s name.
The employee’s timesheet, with any previously entered
1 Go to the Setup menu and choose Preferences. The details for the period shown, appears.
Preferences window appears.
2 Click the System tab. NOTE :Grey values in the date columns A grey value in a
date column indicates hours or days paid.
3 Select the I Use Timesheets for [...] and My Week Starts on
[...] preference.
3 If you are recording details for a week other than the
4 If you use timesheets to record:
current week, select the required week:
 time billing and payroll information, select Time Billing
 click the back arrow ( ) to select a previous week
and Payroll from the I Use Timesheets for [...] list.
 click the forward arrow ( ) to select a future week
 payroll information only, select Payroll from the I Use
 click the calendar icon ( ) to select a week from the
Timesheets for [...] list.
calendar that appears.
5 Select the first day of your pay week from the My Week
Starts on [...] list. If your pay period starts on a different
day each period, for example, you pay monthly, you can
select any day.
6 Click OK.

To enter a timesheet
1 Go to the Payroll command centre and click Enter
Timesheet. The Enter Timesheet window appears.

111 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

4 Enter timesheet details in one of the following ways: 6 Click OK.
If you recorded time-billing activity details on this
If you want to... Do this…
timesheet, an activity slip is created. You can review or
Enter the hours or 1 For each payroll category, type or modify the activity slip information in the Enter Activity
days for each payroll select an hourly or daily payroll Slip window or the Enter Timesheet window.
category worked category in the Payroll Category
field.
2 If you have selected an hourly Delete timesheet entries
payroll category, type the hours
worked each day in the date fields. You can delete unpaid timesheet entries at any time by
If you have selected a daily payroll clearing all timesheet details for a week or by deleting a
category, select whether the timesheet line entry.
category applies to the full day or
half of the day. When you delete timesheet entries with activity details, the
You can also: linked activity slip is also deleted.
• record time-billing details
(depending on your selection in the
To clear a timesheet for a week
Preferences window)
• type a description in the Notes field 1 In the Enter Timesheet window, select the employee and
• assign a job number. the required week.
Use the same details Click Copy From Previous. The 2 Click Clear Timesheet. All unpaid details for the selected
as the previous week employee’s timesheet details for the week are cleared.
previous week appear.

To delete a timesheet line entry

1 In the Enter Timesheet window, select the employee and
the required week.
2 Click in the line entry you want to delete.
3 Choose Delete Line from the Edit menu.

5 If you want to enter a timesheet for another week, repeat

from step 3 above.

TIMESHEETS 112
 View timesheet reports  Timesheets—to view all timesheets entered for a
specific week.
To view timesheet reports  Unprocessed Timesheets—to view all unprocessed
timesheets.
1 Go to the Reports menu and select Index to Reports.
For information about reports, see ‘Producing reports’ on
2 Click the Payroll tab and select: page 184.

Processing your payroll

The Process Payroll assistant guides you through the process Before you begin Before you process pays, you need the
of recording your employees’ pays. following information:
In some windows of the Process Payroll assistant, you can  days and hours worked by hourly and daily employees
click Back to return to a previous window to review and  holiday and sick leave days taken
change the entries you have made. You can also quit the
assistant while you are in a window that has a Cancel button.  details of any other wage amounts, such as sales
If you quit the assistant, you will need to start from the commissions and bonuses.
beginning.
Task See
Excluding employees from pay processing You can
1 Select the pay period page 114
temporarily remove an employee from the pay run by making
their employee card inactive. For example, if you employ 2 [Optional] Include employee timesheets page 114
seasonal workers and full-time employees, you may want to 3 Select and edit employee pays page 115
make the seasonal workers’ employee cards inactive during
the off season. 4 Record employee pays page 117

To make an employee card inactive, open the employee’s Card 5 Process payments page 118
Information window and click Inactive Card in the Profile tab 6 Print payroll advices page 118
view.

113 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

Task 1: Select the pay period  If you are processing a pay for an individual employee,
click Process individual employee, and type or select
1 Go to the Payroll command centre and select Process the employee in the adjacent field.
Payroll. The Select Pay Period window appears. 3 In the Processing date field, type the date on which you
are processing the pays. The Processing Period displays
the default month of the processing date that you select.
4 If you do not use timesheets, click Next and then continue
with ‘Task 3: Select and edit employee pays’ on page 115.

Task 2: [Optional] Include employee

timesheets
If you record employee hours on timesheets, the Select Pay
Period window lists employee timesheets for the specified
pay period. Initially, all timesheets are selected to be included
in the pay period.

NOTE : This option is only available if you have selected the

timesheets preference. See ‘To set up timesheets’ on page 111.
NOTE : Warning message A warning message appears each
time you access the Process Payroll feature. If you turn off
the message, and later want the message to reappear, go to 1 In the Pay period start and Pay period end fields, type or
the Setup menu, choose Preferences, and, in the Security select the date range for the timesheets you want to
tab, select the Warn Before Process Payroll option.
include in the pay run. The list will update to show all
timesheets entered in the selected period.
2 Select the employee group you are processing.
2 To change, view or exclude a timesheet:
 If you are processing pays for all employees, click
Process all employees paid, and select either Monthly or If you want to... You need to...
Bonus/Lump Sum Payment in the adjacent field.
Exclude a timesheet click in the select column ( )
NOTE :Paying bonuses or lump-sum payment If you are next to it.
processing pays for bonuses or lump-sum payment
outside your normal pay period, select the Bonus/Lump Change the timesheet click the zoom arrow ( ) next to
Sum Payment option. When you select this option, your details of an employee the employee’s name and make the
employees’ standard pay details in the Select & Edit required changes in the Enter
Employee’s Pay (see ‘Select and edit employee pays’ on Timesheets window.
page 115) window are cleared.
View the details of click Display Unprocessed
unprocessed timesheets Timesheets.

PROCESSING YOUR PAYROLL 114

 3 When you have finished, click Next to continue. The Select  assign job numbers to payroll category amounts (see
& Edit Employee’s Pay window appears. page 116).

To change hours or days worked for an employee

Task 3: Select and edit employee pays
You may need to change the standard hours or days worked
The Select & Edit Employee’s Pay window displays the by an employee if they are not being paid for a full standard
standard pay details and timesheet amounts (if applicable) pay period, for instance, if they have only worked a portion of
for employees who are paid according to the selected pay their usual hours or days.
frequency.
NOTE : Editing hours or days recorded on a timesheet You can
edit an employee’s timesheet hours and days in the Pay Employee
window. However, any timesheet adjustments you make here will
not update the timesheets, timesheet reports or, if you record
time-billing activities, activity slips.

1 In the Select & Edit Employee’s Pay window, click the

zoom arrow ( ) next to the employee’s name. The Pay
Employee window appears.

To select and edit pays

1 If you want to exclude an employee from the pay run, click
in the select column ( ) next to the employee’s name.
2 If you want to view the pay details for all employees
before you record their paycheques, click Preview Pay
Details. The Payroll Verification report appears.
3 If you need to change the pay details for an employee, 2 Change the hours or days worked for the applicable wage
click the zoom arrow ( ) next to the employee’s name. In categories and press TAB. The payroll category amounts
the Pay Employee window that appears, you can: are calculated automatically and displayed in the Amount
 change the hours and days worked (see page 115)
column.
 record holiday and sick leave (see page 116)
 record any other types of pay (see page 116)

115 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

3 Click OK. The Select & Edit Employee’s Pay window timesheet for the current pay period that includes the
reappears. category.
Note that you can only view the timesheets for the current
4 Repeat from step 1 for each employee whose hours or days pay period; you can not edit them.
you want to change.

3 Click OK. The Select & Edit Employee’s Pay window

To record holiday and sick leave
reappears.

NOTE : Holiday and sick leave days recorded on a timesheet If NOTE : Automatic adjustment is made to entitlement days
you have entered holiday and sick days on a timesheet, you do balance When you record the transaction, the days of leave
not need to follow this procedure. taken in the pay will be subtracted from the number of days
the employee has accrued in the pay.

1 In the Select & Edit Employee’s Pay window, click the

zoom arrow ( ) next to the employee’s name. The Pay To record other types of pay
Employee window appears.
NOTE :Other types of pay recorded on a timesheet If you have
entered other types of pay—such as lump-sum payment and
bonuses—on a timesheet, you do not need to use this procedure.

Before you enter these details, the wage categories you

intend to use should already be assigned to the employee. For
information on assigning a wage category to an employee,
see ‘To enter payroll information for an employee’ on
page 105.
1 In the Select & Edit Employee’s Pay window, click the
zoom arrow ( ) next to the employee’s name. The Pay
Employee window appears.
2 In the Hours, Days or Amount fields next to each
appropriate wage category, type the amounts you want
2 In the Days column, type the number of sick or holiday to record.
days for the appropriate wage category and press TAB.
3 Click OK. The Select & Edit Employee’s Pay window
NOTE : View the timesheets If you entered amounts for the
reappears.
selected pay category on a timesheet prior to processing
the employee’s pay, click the zoom arrow to view the first To assign jobs to payroll category amounts
Job numbers can be assigned to payroll category amounts to
track the wage expense of work performed. You can assign
one or more jobs to each payroll category.

PROCESSING YOUR PAYROLL 116

 1 In the Select & Edit Employee’s Pay window, click the c Click OK. The Pay Employee window reappears.
zoom arrow ( ) next to the employee’s name. The Pay 4 Click OK. The Select & Edit Employee’s Pay window
Employee window appears. reappears.
You can also assign a default job to an employee in the
Standard Pay section of the employee’s card. For more
information, see ‘To enter payroll information for an
employee’ on page 105.

Task 4: Record employee pays

1 In the Select & Edit Employee’s Pay window, click Record
to record the pays.

NOTE :Changing the details of a recorded pay If you need to

change a recorded pay, continue processing your payroll. When
you have finished processing, reverse or delete the incorrect
transaction and then process a new pay for the individual
2 Type or select the job number in the Job column employee. For more information on reversing or deleting a
transaction, see ‘Changing or deleting a transaction’ on
corresponding to the payroll category. page 176.
3 If you want to assign multiple jobs to a payroll category:
a Click in the Job column corresponding to the 2 If a confirmation window appears, click Continue.
appropriate payroll category and then click the search
icon ( ).
b In the Allocate Jobs window that appears, click in the
select column ( ) next to each applicable job and type
the amount in the Amount column.

117 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

3 When the pays are recorded, the Process Payments d Click Record.
window appears. You can print paycheques by going to the Payroll
command centre and clicking Print Paycheques.
3 If you pay your employees by cash:
a Select the bank account from which the cash you are
paying will be withdrawn.
b Select Cash in the Payment Method field.
c Select the payments you want to pay in cash by clicking
in the select column next to the payments.
d Click Record.

4 If you pay your employees by bank instructions:

a Select the bank account the payments will be made
from.

NOTE : Enter your bank account details You can only

select a bank account for which you have entered the
bank instruction details. If you have not entered these
Task 5: Process payments details, you will be prompted to do so.

The Process Payments window displays the number of b Select Bank Instructions in the Payment Method field.
cheques, bank instructions, and cash payments that have c In the Your Bank Statement Text field, type the text that
been recorded in the pay run. you want to have appear on your bank statement.
You can process the payments now (see the procedure below) d Select the payments you want to pay by clicking in the
or later by going to the Payroll command centre and clicking select column next to the payments and click Record.
Prepare Payments (if you want to process them later, 5 When you have finished processing the payments, click
continue with ‘Print payroll advices’ on page 118). Cancel. The Process Payments window appears.
6 Click Next. The Print Payroll Advice window appears.
To process the payments
1 Click Prepare Payment. The Prepare Payments window
appears. Task 6: Print payroll advices
2 If you pay your employees by cheque:
a Select the bank account the payments will be made NOTE : If you paid employees by cheque in a previous step If you

from. pay employees by cheque, and you have printed paycheques for
them, the pay details for these employees are already included
b Select Cheque in the Payment Method field. on their paycheque stub. You do not need to do this step.
c Select a payment you want to pay by cheque by clicking
in the select column next to the payment.

PROCESSING YOUR PAYROLL 118

 To provide your employees with details of their pay, you can To print customised payslips
print the Payroll Advice report or print a customised payslip.
1 Click Print Customised Payslips. The Review Pay Slips
NOTE : Printing and emailing pay slips after processing a pay
Before Delivery window appears.
run If you want, you can provide employees with details of their
pay after processing your pay run. To do this, click Print/Email
Pay Slips from the Payroll command centre, the Review Pay Slips
Before Delivery window appears. You can print a Payroll Advice
report (see ‘To print the Payroll Advice report’ below) or you can
print a customised payslip (see ‘To print customised payslips’, on
page 119).'

To print the Payroll Advice report

1 Click Display Payroll Advice. The Report Display window
appears with the pay details for your employees.
2 Click Print. The Print window appears.
3 Click Print or OK. The Print Payroll Advice window
reappears. 2 Click the To Be Printed tab.
3 In the Print [...] Copies of Each Selected Pay Slip field, type
the number of pay slips you want to print per employee .
4 Select your customised payslip form:
a Click Advanced Filters. The Advanced Filters window
appears.
b In the Selected Form for Pay Slips field, select a
customised form.
c Click OK. The Review Pay Slips Before Delivery window
reappears.
5 Click in the select column ( ) next to each payslip you
want to print.
6 If you want to view details of a particular payslip, click the
zoom arrow ( ) next to it.

4 If you have completed processing your employee’s pay, 7 Click Print. The Print window appears.
click Finish to exit the Process Payroll Assistant. 8 Click Print or OK. The Print Payroll Advice window
reappears.

119 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

9 If you have completed processing your employee’s pay, To email pay slips
click Finish to exit the Process Payroll Assistant.
1 Click Print/Email Pay Slips. The Review Pay Slips Before
Delivery window appears.
Print/ email pay slips 2 Click the To Be Emailed tab.

You can provide employees with details of their pay by 3 Click in the select column ( ) next to the employees you
printing or emailing pay slips. You can do this when you click for whom you want to email pay slips.
Print/Email Pay Slips from the Payroll command centre. 4 If you want to change an employee’s email address, select
the employee’s name and type a different address in the
To print pay slips Email Address field.

1 Click Print/Email Pay Slips. The Review Pay Slips Before 5 Type the subject title and message of the email or accept
Delivery window appears. the default subject and message. If you want to change
the default message, click Email Defaults and make your
required changes.
6 If you want to customise or filter the information, or to
change the type of form that will be sent, click Advanced
Filters. For more information, see ‘Advanced filters’ on
page 195.
7 Click Send Email.

2 Click the To Be Printed tab.

3 In the Print [...] Copies of Each Selected Pay Slip field, type
the number of pay slips you want to print per employee.
4 If you want to customise or filter the information, or to
change the type of form it will be printed on, click
Advanced Filters. For more information, see ‘Advanced
filters’ on page 195.
5 Click in the select column ( ) next to the employees you
are printing pay slips for.
6 Click Print.

PROCESSING YOUR PAYROLL 120

 Payroll deductions

A payroll deduction is an amount withheld from an 4 Select the type of deduction you are paying from the
employee’s pay that must be paid to an appropriate authority Deduction Type list.
or agency, for example, deductions, expenses, and CPF By default, all payroll categories for the selected
[Singapore] or EPF, SOCSO and tax [Malaysia] payments. deduction type are included in the payment.
Your payroll deductions are recorded when you process your 5 If you do not want to include all payroll categories:
payroll. When you need to pay these amounts, you can use the
a Click the search icon ( ) in the Payroll Categories
Pay Deductions window.
field. The Select from list window appears.
b Deselect categories by clicking in the select column
To pay your payroll deductions
next to each payroll category you want to exclude.
1 Go to the Payroll command centre and click Pay c Click OK. The Pay Deductions window reappears.
Deductions. The Pay Deductions window appears.
6 Select the period for which you are paying the deductions
to the relevant authority or agency:
 If you selected Deductions or Expenses in the
Deduction Type field, enter the period in which the
deductions were withheld in the Dated From and the
Dated To fields.
 If you selected CPF [Singapore] or EPF, SOCSO, Taxes
[Malaysia] in the Deduction Type field, select the
processing period for which you want to make
payments in the Processing Period field.
The payroll deductions withheld during the specified
period appear in the Payroll Category section.
7 Click in the select column next to the payroll deduction
amounts you want to include with this payment.
The total of the selected payroll deductions appears in
the Total Payment fields.

2 In the Pay from Account field, type or select the account 8 If you selected CPF [Singapore] or EPF [Malaysia] in the
you are making the payment from. Deduction Type field, and you need to pay anextra charge:
a Click the zoom arrow next to the Extra Charges field.
3 In the Supplier field, select the card for the authority or
The Extra Charges window appears.
agency to whom the withheld amount is being paid.

121 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

 b Enter the amount and the account you want to post the b Click Advanced Filters. The Advanced Filters window
charge to. appears.
c Click OK. The Pay Deductions window reappears. c Select All from the Cheque Type list.

9 Click Record to save the transaction. d Click OK. The Review Cheques Before Printing window
reappears.
10 If you want to print a cheque for this transaction:
e Select the cheque you want to print and then click Print.
a In the Banking command centre, click Print Cheques.
The Review Cheques Before Printing window appears.

Terminating an employee’s employment

When an employee leaves your company, you need to record 5 Click the zoom arrow. The Termination Details window
specific information about the termination and submit forms appears.
to the appropriate institutions:
[Singapore]
 Central Provident Fund Board
 Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS)
[Malaysia]
 Employees Provident Fund (EPF)
 Inland Revenue Board (IRB)
 Social Security Organisation (SOCSO)

To record details about the termination 6 Type a reason for termination and click Record. The Card
Information window reappears.
1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List.
The Cards List window appears. 7 Select the Stop Payroll Processing option when you have
processed your employee’s final pay. The employee will no
2 Select the employee whose employment is being longer appear in any payroll Select from List windows.
terminated and click Edit. The Card Information window
appears.
3 Click the Payroll Details tab.
4 Type the date of termination in the Official Last Day field
and press TAB. A zoom arrow appears.

TERMINATING AN EMPLOYEE’S EMPLOYMENT 122

 Reviewing payroll information

The following tools can help you manage your payroll. record or the amounts posted to the accounts. Instead, make
adjusting entries on the employee’s next pay.
Tool See Changing an employee’s pay history on their employee card
Pay history View an employee’s pay history in below can also affect the calculation of payroll deductions, such as
their employee card. EPF [Malaysia] or CPF [Singapore].
Entitlement View an employee’s entitlement page 124
balance balance in their employee card. To view an employee’s pay history
Analyse Payroll Use the Analyse Payroll window to page 125 1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List.
window view a summary of an employee’s The Cards List window appears.
payroll data. It can help you detect
possible inaccuracies in the 2 Click the Employee tab and select the employee whose
amounts you’re paying to, and pay history you want to view.
deducting from, your employees. 3 Click Edit. The Card Information window appears.
Review payroll Use payroll reports to view payroll page 125 4 Click the Payroll Details tab.
deductions details.
5 Click Pay History. The Pay History section displays the
Find Use the Find Transactions window page 173
totals of each payroll category for the specified month,
Transactions to search for an account, card or
window payroll category.
quarter, year to date, or for last year’s specific month.

Viewing pay history

Every time you process an employee’s pay, the amounts from
that payment are recorded in the employee’s pay history.
The Pay History section of an employee’s card is used to enter
the employee’s pay history when you are setting up payroll
and, later, to review their pay history. You can also use the Pay
History to enter the opening pay history for CPF [Singapore]
calculation.
If you have paid an employee the wrong amount, do not
attempt to correct it by adjusting their pay history. Altering
an employee’s pay history does not affect the original pay

123 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

6 Select a pay history period from the Show Pay History for 4 Click Entitlements. The Entitlements section displays the
list. total number of days an employee is entitled to take as
sick and annual leave.

Viewing an employee’s entitlement

balances
The Entitlement section in the Payroll Details tab of an
employee’s card displays the entitlement amounts that have
been carried over from the previous payroll year, the
entitlement amounts for the year to date, and the total
entitlement amounts owing to the employee.
For example, an employee has 10 days of accrued annual leave
carried over from the last payroll year. In the current payroll
year, the employee is entitled to 12 days of annual leave and
has taken 4 days of annual leave (up to the month of April
2009). The Payroll Details window will display:
 10 days in the Carry Over column
 4 days in the Accrued column 5 If necessary, type the entitlement days carried over from a
 4 days in the Taken column previous period in the Carry Over column next to the
entitlement category.
 10 days in the Balance column.
6 Click OK, then click Close to return to the Card File
Note that the Accrued column only displays the accumulated command centre.
days of leave entitled to the employee when you process the
employee’s pay.

To view or edit an employee’s entitlement balances

1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List.
The Cards List window appears.
2 Click the Employee tab and select the employee. Click
Edit. The Card Information window appears.
3 Click the Payroll Details tab.

REVIEWING PAYROLL INFORMATION 124

 Analysing payroll Reviewing payroll deductions
The Analyse Payroll window provides details of payroll The payroll deduction reports show which payroll deduction
information and can help you detect possible inaccuracies in amounts have been withheld from employee payments, and
the amounts you are paying to and withholding from your which amounts have been paid, for any given period.
employees.  Payroll Deductions by Category report—lists payroll
deduction amounts that have been withheld.
To analyse your payroll
1 Go to the Payroll command centre and click Analysis. The Deductions Payment Register report—lists payroll
Analyse Payroll window appears. deduction amounts that have been paid.
2 Enter the employee’s name and the pay period you want to
analyse.
 The Payroll Summary section on the left of the window
shows totals for the selected pay period.
 The Payroll Details section on the right of the window
show the wages, deductions, entitlements, and
employer expenses that have been recorded for the
selected pay period.

125 CHAPTER 7 PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES

8 Inventory

INVENTORY
The inventory feature enables you to track the quantity and value of the items you have in your inventory. You can:

 compensate for inventory variations. For example, you may find that, from time to time, your recorded inventory levels differ from
what is on the shelves. These variations can be caused by data-entry errors, spoilage and theft, etc.
 revalue your inventory. Sometimes the quantity of items recorded may be correct, but their values are incorrect. For example, a range
of items may become outdated.
 track the assembly of individual items into finished items. Many retailing and manufacturing businesses combine a number of
inventory items to create finished items. For example, a retailer may combine a bottle of perfume, lotion and bath salts to make up a
gift pack.

Creating items

Before you begin to track your inventory, you need to create a maintenance tasks. For example, you may need to record an
record for each item of inventory. An item can be: inventory adjustment to write-off damaged stock.
 a physical unit that your company may buy, sell or Select... For...
inventory
I Buy this Item Items or services you want to include on an
 a service that your company wants to include on item item purchase order.
invoices, for example, ‘Shipping’, ’Handling’, and so on. This includes items that are not for resale,
When you create an item record, you can choose to buy, sell and you do not need to track their
or inventory the item. These selections determine what quantities and values. For example, items
for office use only.
functions you can use the item with. For example, if you want
It can also include raw materials you use as
to include a service item on an invoice (such as installation), components to build other inventory
you need to specify that you sell the item. items.
An item that you inventory is an item whose quantities and
values you want to track. Maintaining an accurate record of
on hand levels of these items requires you to do regular

124
  In the Cost of Sales Account field, type or select the
Select... For...
account you want to use to record the costs associated
I Sell this Item Items or services you want to include on an with producing this item.
item invoice.  In the Income Account for Tracking Sales field, type or
I Inventory this Item Items you buy or sell and whose quantity select the account you want to use to record the
and values you want to track. income you receive from the sale of this item.
It can also include intermediate goods used  In the Asset Account for Item Inventory field, type or
in the productions process, such as parts select the account you want to use to record the total
used to manufacture finished goods. value of this item.
 In the Expense Account for Tracking Costs field, type or
Inventory opening balances If you have existing on-hand select the account you want to use to record costs
quantities of inventory items, you need to record the opening associated with purchasing this item.
inventory level for each item. For more information, see ‘Enter
your inventory opening balances’ on page 36. 7 Click the Buying Details tab. The Buying Details view of
the Item Information window appears. Complete the
To create an item fields as explained below.

1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Items List.

The Items List window appears.
2 Click New. The Item Information window appears. A E
B
3 In the Item Number field, type a unique identifier and C
press TAB.
4 In the Name field, type the name of the new item. D

TIP : Copy From button To copy another item’s information

to this item record, click Copy From. From the displayed list,
choose the item whose information you want to copy. All
information for that item will be copied to the current item
record except the item number, item name, supplier number,
auto-build information and history information.
A [Optional] Enter the standard cost of an item.
To use the standard cost price as the default price of an
5 Specify whether you buy, sell and/or inventory this item item, select Use Standard Cost as the Default Price on
by selecting the relevant options. Purchase Orders and Bills preference in the Preferences
window (Inventory tab).
As you select the options, fields appear next to them.
These fields change according to the combination of B Type the unit of measure (such as ‘each’ or ‘unit’) by which
you purchase the item. The buying unit is printed on the
selections you make. purchase order. For example, if you buy eggs by the carton
6 Enter the appropriate accounts: unit, when you order five units in a purchase you are ordering
five cartons.

125 CHAPTER 8 INVENTORY

 C Enter the number of items that comprise a single buying 8 Click the Selling Details tab. The Selling Details view of
unit. This is the number that is added to your on-hand the Item Information window appears. Complete the
inventory. For example, if you buy eggs by the carton unit fields in this tab as explained below.
but want to track their purchase individually, enter 12 as the
number of items per buying unit. When you order one carton
unit, your item inventory is updated by twelve items. If you A E
leave this field blank, the value defaults to one.
B F
D Enter the restocking information:
C
• Enter the minimum level of this item you want to keep in
your inventory. When you drop below this level, a re-order
reminder appears in the To Do List. D
• Enter the supplier from whom you usually re-order this
item.
• Enter the supplier’s number for the item.
• Enter a re-order level quantity for the item here. If you
have set a minimum level for restocking alert, you can
create an order for the items easily using the Stock Alert
tab in the To Do List. The default quantity showing on the
order will be taken from this field. A Type the retail price of one selling unit.

E Choose the tax code you want to use when you purchase B Type the selling unit of the item (such as ‘each’ or ‘unit’).
this item. Note that you can override the tax code when you You can type up to five characters. The selling unit is
record the purchase. printed on the item invoice. If for example you sell by the
six-pack, when you sell five units, you will be selling five
six-packs.

C Type the number of items that comprise a single unit in this

field. This is the number that is subtracted from your
on-hand inventory for every selling unit. For example, if you
sell by the six-pack, enter 6 as the number of items per
selling unit. When you sell one six-pack, your item
inventory is reduced by six items.

D [MYOB Premier range only] You can set pricing levels for
different customers. See ‘Creating custom price levels’ on
page 140.

E Select the tax code you want to use when you sell this
item. Note that you can override the tax code on invoices.

F If you want to indicate that all prices on the Selling Details

tab are tax inclusive, select the Prices are Tax Inclusive
option. Deselect this option to indicate that the prices are
tax exclusive.

CREATING ITEMS 126

 9 Click the Items Details tab and enter additional
information about the item.
10 [MYOB Premier range only] If this item is stored in multiple
locations, click the Locations tab and select the default
location for buying and selling the item.
11 Click OK.

127 CHAPTER 8 INVENTORY

Average Cost, Last Cost and Standard Last Cost is the most recent purchase price for the item.
Cost Standard Cost can be used instead of the last purchase
price as the default price on purchases. To use the standard
Average Cost is calculated as the total cost of an item (the
cost price as the default price, select Use Standard Cost as
total amount you have paid to purchase the item or the cost
the Default Price on Purchase Orders and Bills option in the
entered when you transferred the item into inventory)
Preferences window (Inventory tab).
divided by the number of units of that item you have on hand.

Making inventory adjustments

From time to time you may need to adjust item quantities and 2 Enter details of the adjustment.
values. For example, if items get damaged, you may have to
write off some of your inventory or revalue it.
Use the Adjust Inventory function to make an adjustment to
one or a few items. If you need to update the quantities of
several items, use the Count Inventory function, see
‘Performing stocktakes’ on page 135.
A B C D E
NOTE : Print the Items List Summary report When making
inventory adjustments, you may find it useful to print the Items A Enter the item number by clicking in the Item Number
List Summary report. This report displays on-hand quantities and column. Press TAB and then select the item from the list that
values of your items. appears.

B Enter the quantity variation amount in inventory units, not

buying or selling units. If you enter a positive number, that
To make an inventory adjustment number is added to your on-hand inventory. If you enter a
negative number, that number is subtracted from your
1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Adjust
on-hand inventory.
Inventory. The Adjust Inventory window appears.
C Enter the cost of each unit transferred into or out of
inventory. The average cost of the item appears by default.
If these are new items, enter their purchase cost.

D The Amount field displays the quantity multiplied by the

unit cost.

E The allocation account is usually a cost-of-sales or expense

account.

MAKING INVENTORY ADJUSTMENTS 128

 3 Click Record to save the inventory adjustment. Example 3 In the following example, the inventory
The following are some examples of inventory adjustments. adjustment will increase the number of items on hand by two
but will not adjust the total value of the items. The average
Example 1 In the following example, the inventory cost of the items will decrease as a result of this adjustment.
adjustment will increase the number of units on hand by two
and the total value of the items on hand by $200.

Example 4 In the following example, the inventory

adjustment will increase the total value of the items on hand
Example 2 In the following example, the inventory by $200 but will not change the number of items on hand.
adjustment will decrease the number of units on hand by two The average cost of the items will increase as a result of this
and the total value of the items on hand by $200. adjustment.

Multiple inventory locations

MYOB Premier range only.

NOTE :Primary location The primary location is automatically
If you hold inventory in multiple locations, you can keep track created in your company file. When you set up multiple
of item quantities held at each location by recording: locations, your existing stock is assigned to this location. You can
change the primary location ID and name, if you want, but you
 the location at which a purchased item is received (see cannot delete it. For instructions on how to move items from the
‘Entering purchases’ on page 78) primary location to another location, see ‘To record inventory
movements’ on page 131.
 the location from where a sold item is shipped (see
‘Entering sales’ on page 55)
 the movement of items between locations (see If you want to use multiple locations, you need to create a
‘Recording inventory movements between locations’ on record for each inventory location. When you create one or
page 131). more locations, a Location field is added to the Purchases and
Sales windows. When you record an item purchase or sale, you
The multiple locations feature is optional. If you do not track can enter the receiving or selling location for the item in this
inventory quantities and values, or all your inventory is held at field.
one location, there’s no need for you to use this feature.

129 CHAPTER 8 INVENTORY

You can select a default receiving and selling location for your 6 Click OK. The new location appears in the Locations List
items. For more information see ‘To create an item’ on window.
page 125.

To create inventory locations

1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Locations.
The Locations List window appears.
2 Click New. The Location Information window appears.
3 In the Location ID field, type an identifier (of up to ten
characters) for the new location and press TAB.

7 Click Close.

4 Enter the name and address of the location and contact

details.
5 If you do not receive items at or sell items from this
location (for example, this location is your storage
warehouse), click Items cannot be sold or shipped from
this location.
If you select this option, you can only move items to and
from this location by using the Move Items feature.

MULTIPLE INVENTORY LOCATIONS 130

 Recording inventory movements 3 Record the quantities held at each location
between locations A B
Use the Move Items window to record the movement of
inventory between your locations.
Although a transaction is not created when you move
inventory items, you can display the Item Movement Audit
Trail report to view the details of inventory movements. C

To record inventory movements

1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Move
Items. The Move Items window appears with a list of all
your items, on-hand quantities and locations.

NOTE :Moving items using the Item Information window

You can also record an item movement by clicking Move A The On Hand column shows the total quantity available in
Items in the Location tab view of the Item Information your inventory across all locations.
window.
B Increase the quantity for locations receiving items and
reduce the quantity for locations where items are moved
2 Select the item you want to move. You can locate an item from.
by scrolling or by typing the item number in the Search C The value in the Out of Balance field must be zero before
field. you can record the movement.

4 Repeat step 3 for each item you want to move.

5 Click Move Items to record the movements.

131 CHAPTER 8 INVENTORY

Building items

Building items is the process of taking two or more items, 4 [MYOB Premier range only] If you store an item at multiple
known as components, to make up another item, known as a locations, select the location where the item is held. Note
finished item. that this field only appears if you use more than one
You do this by transferring the inventory quantities of the location in your company file. For more information, see
components to that of the finished item. For example, you ‘Multiple inventory locations’ on page 129.
could transfer the inventory quantity of timber and fabric 5 Enter the unit cost of each item to be included in the
(components) to furniture (the finished item). build.
You can build items in two ways: 6 Click Record to save the inventory transfer.
 manually, for a one-off transfer of inventory. See To build
items manually, below.
Auto-building items
 automatically, for a transfer you make repeatedly. See
Auto-building items, below. For items that you repeatedly build, you can use the
Note that before you can build a finished item, you need to Auto-Build function to build the finished items.
create an item record for it. Before you can build a finished item using the Auto-Build
function, you need to define what items are needed to build
To build items manually the item.

1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Build TIP : Auto-build from the To Do List You can also auto-build
Items. The Build Items window appears. items using the To Do List. (In the Stock view of the To Do List,
select the items you want to build and click Order/Build.)
2 Type or select the item numbers of the finished item you
want to make and the component items you want to
transfer. To define an Auto-Build item
3 Type the transfer quantity. Type a positive number for the
finished item (this number is added to your on-hand 1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Items List.
inventory). Type a negative number for the component The Items List window appears.
items (this number is subtracted from your on-hand 2 Click the zoom arrow ( ) of the item you want to build.
inventory). The Item Information window appears.
The value in the Out of Balance field must be zero before 3 Click the Auto-Build tab.
you can record the transaction. That is, in the Amount 4 In the Minimum Level for Restocking Alert field, type the
column the amount for the finished item must be equal to minimum level of the item you want to have in inventory.
the sum of the amounts for the components.

BUILDING ITEMS 132

 5 Click Edit List. The Auto-Build Information window d Repeat from step a for each component required to
appears. build the new finished item.

6 In the List what it takes to build field, type the number of 8 Click OK when you have entered all the components.
item units you want to be made. If bulk quantities of 9 Click OK and then click Close to return to the Inventory
materials are purchased to build an item, it may be easier command centre.
to specify the materials required to build a greater
quantity of the item, such as 10 or 20.
7 Enter the details for each of the components required to
build the item.
a Click in the Item Number column and press TAB. Your
items list appears.
b Select a component item required to build the new
finished item and then click Use Item. The details of the
component appear in the Item Number and Name
columns.
c In the Quantity column, type the number of component
items required to build the specified quantity of the
finished item.

133 CHAPTER 8 INVENTORY

To auto-build an item
1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Auto-Build
Items. The Auto-Build Items window appears.

4 Review the entries in this window to make sure that the

quantities, unit costs and total inventory values are
correct. Note that the quantities of the components in
the list appear as negative numbers, while the quantities
of the finished items in the list are shown as positive
A B numbers.
A This column displays all items that you have designated as 5 Click Record to update your inventory quantities and
finished items. values.
B The On Hand, On Order and Net on Hand columns show
the current levels of your finished items.

C Type the number of finished items you want to build.

2 Type the quantity of finished items you want to build in

the Qty. to Build column. (Click None if you want to
change all numbers in this column to zero).
3 Click Build Items to begin transferring component items
to finished items. The Build Items window displays the
details of the transfer that will occur when the finished
item is built.

BUILDING ITEMS 134

 Performing stocktakes

You entered your opening stock quantities in the Count To perform a stocktake
Inventory window when you set up your company file.
1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Count
You can also use the Count Inventory window to make Inventory. The Count Inventory window appears.
adjustments to item quantities during regular stocktakes or
any time you find discrepancies between the actual This window lists all the items and their current on-hand
quantities of items on hand and your records of those quantities. Quantities are inventory units, not buying
quantities. units or selling units. For example, if you buy soft drinks by
the six-pack and store it by the can, a quantity of 24 in the
Each inventory adjustment must be allocated to an account On Hand column means you have 24 cans in your inventory,
so your accounting records accurately reflect the reasons rather than 24 six-packs.
why your inventory needed adjusting. For example, you can
use an expense account —called ‘Shrinkage/Spoilage’—to 2 [MYOB Premier range only] If you store inventory at
track loss or theft of items. multiple locations, select the way you want to group your
items. You can group items by item number or by location.
Before you perform a stocktake 3 [MYOB Premier range only] If you store inventory at
multiple locations and you need to record a quantity for
 [MYOB Premier range only] Record any inventory an item that previously had no recorded on-hand quantity,
movements between locations before counting your select the Include Zero On-Hand Quantities option.
inventory. For more information, see ‘Multiple inventory
locations’ on page 129. 4 In the Counted column, type the actual quantities of the
items. Any discrepancy between the counted quantity
 Record any build item or auto-build transactions before and the on-hand quantity appears in the Difference
counting your inventory. Otherwise, a missing inventory column.
item that was used to build another item will be
accounted for as an expense, such as loss or shrinkage. For
more information, see ‘Building items’ on page 132.
 Count the actual items in your inventory. You can print the
Inventory Count Sheet report, which lists all your
inventory items, and manually record quantities on it.

NOTE :Inventory-count filtering options You can print the

Inventory Count Sheet either by clicking Print in the Count
Inventory window or from the Index To Reports window,
where you can also set report filters.

135 CHAPTER 8 INVENTORY

 8 If you didn’t enter a default adjustment account in step 6,
enter the accounts you want to use to track each item’s
5 Click Adjust Inventory. If there are differences between on change in quantity in the Account column for each line
hand and counted values, the Adjustment Information item.
window appears. If you entered a default adjustment account, that account
6 [Optional] You can select a default adjustment account for appears in the Account column for each line item.
tracking all the adjustments you entered in the Count 9 [Optional] Add a reason for the adjustment in the Memo
Inventory window. This account is normally an expense field (for example, ‘Annual stocktake 2009’).
account such as Shrinkage/Spoilage. It should not be your
inventory asset account. 10 Click Record.

If it’s necessary for you to use different accounts to track

the adjustments you made in step 4, do not enter an
adjustment account here. Instead, enter the accounts
next to each adjustment transaction, see step 8 below.
7 Click Continue. The Adjust Inventory window appears,
displaying a line item for each adjustment you entered in
the Count Inventory window in step 1.

PERFORMING STOCKTAKES 136

 Reviewing your inventory information

The following tools help you review your inventory To view a list of all items that need to be built or
information. purchased

Tool Description See The Stock Alert view of the To Do List displays all items that
need to be built or purchased to fulfil customer orders.
To Do List Displays an alert for items that need below
to be purchased or built.
In this window, you can:
 automatically record a transaction for the items that you
Analyse Gives you a list of all your items, page 138
Inventory including the number on hand, need to buy or build
number committed and number on  change the details of an order or auto-build transaction.
order. If you use multiple locations
for inventory items, you can group 1 Click To Do List from any command centre. The To Do List
the items by number or location. window appears.
Inventory Inventory reports help you keep page 138 2 Click the Stock Alert tab. A list of all items that need to be
reports track of your item quantities and ordered or built appears. The On Hand column shows the
value. quantity of each item actually on hand. The On Order
View history You can view the sales and purchase page 138 column shows the quantity of each item already on order.
transaction histories of an item or The Committed column shows the quantity of an item on
supplier for seven years. backorder for customers.
Find Find Transactions helps you find page 173 3 If you want to:
Transactions inventory transactions.  automatically order or build items, click the select

Items Gives you a list of your inventory page 174 column ( ) next to each item you want to build or
Register transfers, adjustments, sales and order and then click Order/Build. A date window
purchases for all items, or it can be appears with the current date displayed. If you want to,
filtered to show the history of a enter a different date and click OK.
single item.
An order will automatically be created for the items
Transaction Lists journal entries of your page 175 that need to be purchased. The restocking information
Journal inventory transactions. entered in the Buying Details view of the Item
Information window is used to determine the supplier
and quantity to order or the items to build.
 change the details of an order or auto-build
transaction, click the zoom arrow ( ) next to the
transaction. Complete the transaction in the window
that appears.

137 CHAPTER 8 INVENTORY

 When you have finished, close the To Do List. To view inventory reports
There are several reports that you can generate to keep track
To analyse inventory
of your inventory. The following are some of the reports you
The Analyse Inventory window shows detailed information may find useful. For information on finding, customising and
about your inventory. printing reports, see Chapter 13, ’Reports,’ starting on
page 184.
1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Analysis.
The Analyse Inventory window appears.  Analyse Inventory Summary report. The summary and
detailed versions of this report can serve as your order
2 Display the required view of the Analyse Inventory
book. You can view a list of all your sales orders and
window.
purchase orders for all or selected items.
For users of... The following views are available...  Items List Summary report. This report shows information
about your items including their on-hand quantities and
MYOB Accounting • Summary—displays all inventoried total value. The Items List Summary report also shows an
items.
item’s current average cost price, which is important to
• Item Number—displays all customer
know when making inventory adjustments. You can use
and supplier orders for a selected item.
this report to compare your total inventory value to the
MYOB Premier • Group by Item—displays all total of your inventory asset accounts.
range inventoried items.
• Group by Location—displays all  Price Summary report. This report lists your item prices,
inventoried items grouped by location and is useful for sending to your customers. You can
(if you have multiple locations). convert this report to HTML and post the list on an
• Item Number—displays all customer intranet or Internet site.
and supplier orders for a selected item.
To view sales and purchases history for an item
1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Items List.
The Items List window appears.
2 Click the zoom arrow ( ) next to the item you want to
view. The Item Information window appears.
3 Click the History tab. The History view displays the
purchase and sales history for the item for seven years: five
past years, the current year and the next year.

REVIEWING YOUR INVENTORY INFORMATION 138

 Setting item prices

You can change the default selling prices of the items you sell If an item is not listed, it means that you have not entered
using the Set Item Prices window. You can still change an the item, or have not selected the I Sell This Item option
item’s price at the point of sale, which will override the on the Profile tab of the Item Information window.
default price for that sale only. 2 Click in the Current Price column of an item and enter a
new price. Do this for each item price you want to change.
Average Cost and Last Cost
You can enter prices with up to four decimal places. The
Average Cost is calculated as the total cost of an item (the total amount is rounded to two decimal places on the
total amount you have paid to purchase the item or the cost invoice.
entered when you built an item) divided by the number of 3 Click OK.
units of that item you have on hand.
Last Cost is the most recent purchase price for the item. To update the prices of multiple items at once
1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Set Item
To change the price of an item
Prices. The Set Item Prices window appears.
1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Set Item 2 Click the select column ( ) next to the items that require
Prices. The Set Item Prices window appears. This window a price update.
lists all your inventory items and their current prices. The
last cost or the average cost of each item is shown, 3 Click Shortcuts. The Pricing Shortcuts window appears.
depending on whether the Last Cost button or the Avg
Cost button is clicked.

139 CHAPTER 8 INVENTORY

4 Indicate how you want the price rounded, the basis for 5 If you want to:
calculating the price, and so on.  update the items you marked in step 2, click Update x

For example, if you want to mark up the items’ prices by Items Only
10%, select the Percent Markup option and type 10 in the  update the prices of all items, click Update All Items.

adjacent field.

Customising inventory

Your MYOB software provides a number of inventory Creating custom price levels
customisation features:
 Custom price levels [MYOB Premier range only] You can MYOB Premier range only.
assign up to six price levels to different types of You can customise your pricing according to customer status
customers. For example, you can set a lower price for your and sales quantities.
wholesale and long-term customers.
For example, a level-three customer might pay $350 for a
You can also set up to five quantity breaks for each single quantity of the item, but if they purchase ten units of
customer type and offer a discounted price for each the item they will only have to pay $330 each for them. A
break. For example, you might have quantity breaks of five, level-four customer might be charged $310 and $290
ten, twenty, fifty and one hundred. For each of these respectively.
breaks, you can set six different price levels.
NOTE : Volume discounts The volume in the Volume Customer
 Custom fields You can ensure certain information is
Discount field in a customer’s card applies in addition to the
always recorded for an item, such as warranty, serial quantity-break price levels you set up.
number and manufacturer. Use these fields for information
that you do not need to use as report filters.
To set custom price levels, you can give each level a name and
 Custom lists You can record information about an item then type a price for each level for each quantity break.
and then run reports based on the custom lists. For
example, if you are running a trailer-rental business, you
To name your price levels
might have custom lists of colour, type, and location. This
means you could run a report to include only blue cage This task is optional. If you do not give names to price levels,
trailers at the Main Street station. default names will be used (Level A, Level B, and so on).
1 Go to the Lists menu, choose Custom List & Field Names
and then Price Levels. The Custom List and Field Names
window appears.

CUSTOMISING INVENTORY 140

 2 Enter names for the price levels as you want them to c Continue to enter up to five quantity breaks, and assign
appear in the Selling Details view of the Item Information up to six price levels. Note that each quantity break
window. must be greater than the previous quantity break.
3 Click OK.

To specify price levels and quantity breaks for an item

1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Items List.
2 Select the item and click Edit. The Item Information
window for the item appears.
3 Click the Selling Details tab.

6 Click OK.

To assign a price level to a customer

1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List.
The Cards List window appears.
2 Locate the customer card you want to assign a price level
to and click the zoom arrow ( ) next to it.
The base selling price you entered for this item in the 3 Click the Selling Details tab.
upper section of the Selling Details view appears at Level 4 Select the price level you want to assign to the customer
A (or whatever name you have chosen for this field). in the Item Price Level field.
4 In the remaining fields (Levels B to F, or whatever you If you do not assign one of the six price levels, the item’s
chose to name them), enter the selling price of this item. base selling price is used instead.
Make an entry for each price level you want to use.
5 Click OK.
5 If you want to specify quantity breaks for a price level:
6 Click Close.
a Enter the first quantity break in the first Over field and
enter the price for orders over the quantity break.
b In the next Over field, enter the new quantity break.
Assign a price for this quantity break.

141 CHAPTER 8 INVENTORY

Creating custom lists 3 Click New, enter the name of a list entry and then click OK.
For example, if you have a colour list, you could enter
Custom lists enable you to sort and group your inventory Yellow.
items on reports.
For example, when you run the Analyse Inventory Summary
report, you can just include items sorted by the same list
name, such as by location or colour.

To name a custom list

4 Repeat step 3 until you have created all your list entries.
1 Go to the Lists menu, choose Custom List & Field Names,
and then click Items. The Custom List and Field Names 5 Click Close to close the Custom Lists window.
window appears.
2 Enter a name for each custom list you want to create and
To assign a custom list entry to an item
click OK. These names will now appear in the Item 1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Items List.
Information window.
2 Click the zoom arrow ( ) to the left of the item. The Item
Information window appears.
3 Click the Item Details tab and select the required entry
from the custom list.

To create custom list entries Custom lists and inventory reports

1 Go to the Lists menu, choose Custom Lists and then Items. You can generate reports using your custom lists as report
The Custom Lists window appears. filters. For example, you can generate a report that includes
2 Select the list to which you want to add entries in the only those items with a certain list entry, such as the colour
Custom List field. red. For more information on setting report filters, see ‘Select
the data to be printed’ on page 188.

CUSTOMISING INVENTORY 142

 Creating custom fields Printing custom field entries on your purchase orders
and invoices
Custom fields can be used to record additional information
about an inventory item, but cannot be used to filter You can customise your invoices and purchases to include one
inventory reports. Examples of how you might name the or more custom fields. For more information on customising
custom fields are ‘Warranty,’ ‘ID No.’ and ‘Manufacturer’. forms, see Chapter 14, ’Forms,’ starting on page 192.

To name custom fields

1 Go to the Lists menu and choose Custom List & Field
Names and then Items. The Custom List and Field Names
window appears.
2 Type the new field names in the Name of Custom Field
fields and click OK.
These field names will appear on the Item Details tab of
the Item Information window for all items.

143 CHAPTER 8 INVENTORY

9 Billing for time

BILLING FOR TIME

Time billing is only available in the MYOB Premier range.

The time billing feature allows you to track the time spent by employees and suppliers to complete tasks and services (activities) for
clients and customers. You can also track incidentals (such as items used) to complete the work.

About the time billing feature

Time billing is suitable for businesses that predominantly sell An activity can be chargeable or non-chargeable. The ability
time (such as accountants and lawyers) and businesses that to track non-chargeable activities can be very useful for
sell both time and items (such as interior designers and businesses that want to record such costs as entertainment,
mechanics). which generally cannot be charged to the customer. The
You can establish billing rates based on the activity itself, activities can be entered individually or grouped together on
such as consulting at $40 per hour and photocopying at 10 activity slips. The information can be adjusted quickly to
cents per copy. You can also establish billing rates based on an generate time billing invoices, ready to send to your
hourly charge-out rate for a particular employee. For example, customers. Any items that you have sold to your customers
employee John Smith’s hourly consulting rate may be $60 per can also be included with the activities in a single time billing
hour and subcontractor Acme Industries’ charge-out rate invoice.
may be $80 per hour. You can even set an underlying cost to Time billing reports can be filtered to give you just the
the activity where, for example, you estimate that the cost to information you want. These reports monitor how you and
employ John Smith is $45 per hour and Acme is $60 per hour. your staff spend their time and whether it is spent profitably.

144
 Setting time billing preferences

You need to set preferences before you start billing for time:
Preference Description

Preference Description Including If you select the I Include Items on Time Billing
items on Invoices option in the Preferences window, you can
Special Special billing units is a useful feature for time billing include items on your time billing invoice and charge
billing units organisations that need to track billable time in units invoices your customers for both activities and items on a
of 1, 6, 10, 12, 15 or 30 minutes. The unit of time you single invoice. If this preference is marked, the
select here will be the default billing unit when you selection list that appears when entering a time
create hourly activity slips. For example, you can billing invoice includes both your activities and
select six-minute time billing units, where an hour items.
would be 10 billing units of time. Any activity slips Note that only items for which you have selected the
you have already created will be updated to use the I Sell This Item option in the Item Information
special billing unit of time. window can be included on a time billing invoice.
Rounding Time billing allows you to set a preference for how Timesheets This preference allows you to include time billing and
time in you want units of time to be rounded when you use activity slip information in an employee’s pay, and to
time billing the timer. create activity slips when you record employee hours
Choose to round up to next, down to previous or to using a timesheet.
nearest. For example, if you have chosen up to next
and are using 30-minute billing units, 10 minutes
would be rounded up to 30 minutes on an activity To set time billing preferences
slip. As another example, if you have chosen to
nearest and are using 30 minute billing units, 15 1 Go to the Setup menu and choose Preferences. The
minutes would be rounded up to 30 minutes on an Preferences window appears.
activity slip.
2 Click the System tab.
If you are not using a special billing unit of time—that
is, you are billing in hours—you can specify the 3 Select the required time billing preferences and options.
rounding increment. For example, if you want to
round the actual time you clock using the timer up to
the next minute, choose up to next and type 1 in the
Minute Increment field. That way, if you clock 21
minutes and 32 seconds of an activity, 22 minutes
will be entered automatically in the Units field. 4 Click OK.
Note: If you have specified a special time billing unit
and a rounding rule, the Minute Increment field here
is redundant and therefore not displayed.

145 CHAPTER 9 BILLING FOR TIME

Setting billing rates

You can set billing rates that will automatically appear when To set a billing rate for a customers
you create an activity slip. However, you can override these
rates when you create the activity slip. The billing rate can be You can set up billing rates for a customer on their card. This
set for the customer, supplier, or for the activity itself. option is useful if you perform the same activities for several
customers and want to charge each customer a different rate.
For example, for an activity such as the time spent
photocopying, you might use a flat rate for all customers, in 1 Display the Card Information window for the relevant
which case you would use the activity’s billing rate. For other customer and click the Selling Details tab.
activities, you might charge the customer according to the 2 Enter the hourly billing rate for the customer in the
employee who performed the activity, the billing rate Customer Billing Rate field and click OK.
depending on factors such as the expertise and experience of 3 Set the activity to use the customer’s billing rate (see ‘To
the employee. create an activity’ on page 147).

To set a billing rate for an activity

You can set up a billing rate for each activity regardless of the
customer you are billing or the employee or supplier who
performed the activity. The billing rate for an activity is set in
the Activity Information window (see ‘To create an activity’
on page 147).

SETTING BILLING RATES 146

 To set a billing rate for a supplier or employee 3 In the Cost per Hour field, type the hourly cost to you of
having this activity performed.
You can set a billing rate for an employee or supplier on their
card. This option allows you to bill an activity at different
rates according to the employee or supplier performing the
activity. You can also track the costs associated with having
the activity performed. This is particularly useful if you are
subcontracting work to a supplier.
1 Display the supplier’s or employee’s Card Information
window. Then do the following:
 Supplier cards—click the Buying Details tab.

 Employee cards—click the Payroll Details tab and then

click Time Billing.
2 In the Supplier Billing Rate field or the Employee Billing
Rate field, type the hourly billing rate, excluding tax, for
the supplier or employee.
4 Click OK.

Creating activities

The term activity is used to describe a task or service 2 Click New. The Activity Information window appears.
provided by your business for which you can track costs and
bill customers using time billing invoices. Activities are
primarily defined by their type—hourly or non-hourly—and
whether they are chargeable or non-chargeable.

To create an activity
1 Go to the Time Billing command centre and click
Activities List. The Activities List window appears.

147 CHAPTER 9 BILLING FOR TIME

3 In the Profile tab, type a unique identity code for the The default unit of measurement for hourly activities is
activity in the Activity ID field and press TAB. Hour. If you specified a special billing unit of time in the
4 In the Activity Name field, type a name for the activity. System view of the Preferences window, this field will still
be displayed as Hour, but time will be billed according to
5 Enter a description of the activity in the Description field. the special billing unit.
6 If you want the description of the activity to appear 8 In the Income Account field, type or select the account
instead of the activity name on time billing invoices, you want to use to track the income you receive for this
select the Use Description on Sales option. activity.
7 Specify the type and status of the activity. 9 In the Tax Code when Sold field, type or select the tax
code that you want to appear as the default when you
For this type... And this status... Do this... create a sales invoice for this activity.
Hourly Chargeable Choose the billing rate 10 Click OK. The new activity is listed in the Activities List
you want to use. The window.
rate is the price you
charge for one unit of
the activity. You can To change, inactivate or delete an activity
either:
• use the hourly rate If you want to... See
you set up on the
card for the change details of an activity page 168
customer, supplier
inactivate an activity page 168
or employee, or
• type a rate for this remove an activity from your records page 169
activity only in the
Activity Rate field.

Non-Chargeable Go to step 10.

Non-hourly Chargeable Enter the unit of

measurement in the
Unit of Measurement
field and activity rate in
the Activity Rate field.

Non-Chargeable Enter the unit of

measurement in the
Unit of Measurement
field and then go to
step 10.

CREATING ACTIVITIES 148

 Creating activity slips

Activity slips are used to record activities undertaken for a To create an activity slip
customer and form the basis for the invoices you send your
customer. 1 Go to the Time Billing command centre and click Enter
Activity Slip. The Enter Activity Slip window appears.
You can invoice the full amount for the activity or invoice part
of it, leaving the balance to a later date. 2 In the Activity Slip tab, enter details about the activity,
such as the name of the employee who performed the
You can create an activity slip in three ways. activity, the name of the customer for whom the activity
 Create a single activity slip. This allows you to enter the was performed, the activity ID number and the number of
most detail about the activity slip units to be charged.
 Create multiple activity slips. You can enter multiple 3 Type any adjustments in the Adjustment fields. Enter the
activity slips at once for an employee, while not entering number of units of the adjustment in the first field. You
quite as much detail for each. can override the amount of the adjustment that
automatically appears in the adjacent field.
 Create a timesheet. You can enter the hours per day an
employee spends to complete work for clients and You can enter adjustment units or amounts as negative
customers, while automatically creating an activity slip. numbers if you want to indicate fewer hours or a lesser
For more information, see ‘Timesheets’ on page 110. amount.
You can also create a timesheet entry by assigning an 4 If you have billed the customer on an invoice for part of
hourly payroll category to an activity slip. this activity, type the number of units already billed in the
first Already Billed field. (You can override the amount that
When you create an activity slip, you can select two
appears in the adjacent field.) Your entry is subtracted
cards—one for the employee or supplier who performed the
from the Billable units and amount. The total units and
activity for your company and the other for the customer for
amount that have not been billed yet appear in the Left to
whom your company performed the activity. If you are
Bill fields.
creating an activity slip for a chargeable activity, you must
enter both cards.
NOTE : Where Already Billed amounts are recorded If you
enter units or an amount in the Already Billed fields of the
Enter Activity Slip window, the amount won’t appear in the
Sales Journal or in the activity’s history. It will only be
recorded for the activity slip.

149 CHAPTER 9 BILLING FOR TIME

5 [Hourly activities only] If you pay the employee based on 1 Go to the Time Billing command centre and click Enter
the activity performed: Activity Slip. The Enter Activity Slip window appears.
a Select the Include Hours in Employee’s Pay option. 2 Enter the employee name, date and customer name.
b Enter an hourly wage payroll category in the Payroll
3 In the Activity field, type or select an hourly activity ID.
Category field. The timer fields appear at the bottom of the window.
The activity hours (units) recorded for this activity are 4 Click Start to start the timer. If you have not entered a
assigned to this wage category on the employee’s start time in the Start Time field, your computer’s current
timesheet. system time appears, and the timer starts incrementing
the time in the Elapsed Time field.
NOTE : Activity hours are assigned to timesheets on the
activity slip date When you record the activity slip, the
activity hours are assigned to the employee’s timesheet on NOTE : Entering a start time that is before the current system
the date entered on the activity slip. If you want to record time If you enter a start time that is before the current
activity hours over a number of days or pay periods, you system time, the difference will be added to the elapsed
need to record the hours in the Enter Timesheets window time measured by the timer. For example, if you entered 8:00
(see ‘Timesheets’ on page 110). a.m. in the Start Time field and then clicked Start at 9:00
a.m., 1:00:00 will appear in the Elapsed Time field and the
time calculated by the timer will be added to that amount.
6 Click Record. The activity slip is now recorded and will
appear on reports.
If you entered a chargeable activity on the activity slip,
the activity will be available for billing in the Prepare Time
Leave the Enter Activity Slip window open as you
Billing Invoice window.
undertake the activity. This allows the timer to track the
NOTE : If you change the view, the activity slip will be
time you spend on it.
recorded If you click the Multiple Activity Slips tab while 5 When you have completed the activity, or you want to
creating an activity slip and you have entered the minimum
pause the timer, click Stop.The current system time
required information in the Activity Slip view, the activity
slip will be recorded before the new tab appears. appears in the Stop Time field. The number of billing units
corresponding to the elapsed time appears automatically
in the Units field.
To create an activity slip using the timer You can edit the start and stop times. The entries in the
The Enter Activity Slip window has a timer that allows you to Actual Units and Elapsed Time fields will be updated
record the time you spend on an activity. When you have automatically.
completed the activity, the information is already in the Enter You can round your timer entries in the Units field
Activity Slip window, eliminating extra data entry. The timer automatically. See ‘Setting time billing preferences’ on
appears on activity slips for hourly activities only. page 145.
To use the timer, you must leave the Enter Activity Slip 6 If you want to resume timing the activity, click Start again.
window open until the activity is completed. You can still use The entry in the Stop Time field will be cleared. The timer
other programs or access other windows during this time.

CREATING ACTIVITY SLIPS 150

 will continue incrementing, starting from your current
elapsed time. NOTE : The Multiple Activity Slips view cannot be used to add
activity hours to a timesheet In the Multiple Activity Slips
7 [Hourly activities only] If you pay the employee based on view, you cannot choose to include an activity’s hours on a
the activity performed: timesheet.
a Select the Include Hours in Employee’s Pay option.
b Enter an hourly wage payroll category in the Payroll
To create multiple activity slips
Category field.
The activity hours (units) recorded for this activity are 1 Go to the Time Billing command centre and click Enter
assigned to this wage category on the employee’s Activity Slip. The Enter Activity Slip window appears.
timesheet. 2 Click the Multiple Activity Slips tab.
3 In the Employee or Supplier field, type or select the name
NOTE : Activity hours are assigned to timesheets on the
activity slip date When you record the activity slip, the
of the employee (or supplier) carrying out the activity.
activity hours are assigned to the employee’s timesheet on Any activity slips you have created for the employee or
the date entered on the activity slip. If you want to record supplier are listed, with each line representing a single
activity hours over a number of days or pay periods, you activity slip.
need to record the hours in the Enter Timesheets window
(see ‘Timesheets’ on page 110).

8 When you have completed the activity, click Record.

If you entered a chargeable activity on the activity slip,
the activity becomes available for billing in the Prepare
Time Billing Invoice window. 4 On the first blank line, enter details of the activity slip you
want to create.
NOTE :To reset the timer Click Clear at any time to clear the
Elapsed Time, Start Time, Stop Time and Units fields. 5 Press TAB or click Record to record the activity slip and
move the insertion point to the next line where you can
begin creating a new activity slip for the employee (or
supplier) you entered in the Employee (or Supplier) field.
Creating multiple activity slips
NOTE : Activity slips are recorded as you create them on a
In addition to being able to create single activity slips, you line-per-line basis Once you have entered an activity slip
can also create multiple activity slips simultaneously. In the and pressed TAB to move to the next line, the activity slip is
recorded. If you click Cancel after moving to the next line,
Multiple Activity Slips tab of the Enter Activity Slip window,
the previous activity slip is still recorded. A white zoom
one line in the list represents one activity slip. Although this arrow ( ) displayed next to an activity slip indicates that
view limits the information you can enter on the activity slip, the activity slip has been recorded.
you can view any activity slip in the Activity Slip view and
enter more detail at a later stage.
6 Repeat from step 4 for each activity slip you want to
create. When you have entered and recorded all the

151 CHAPTER 9 BILLING FOR TIME

 activity slips you want to create, click Cancel to close the
window.

Reviewing and changing activity slips

To review an activity slip 3 Select the activity slip you want to change and then click
Edit. The activity slip appears in the Enter Activity Slip
1 Go to the Time Billing command centre and click Activity window.
Log. The View Activity Log window appears.
4 Make the required changes either in the Activity Slip view
2 Enter the name of the employee or supplier who or the Multiple Activity Slips view and click OK or Record.
undertook the activity and, if you know it, the date range
within which the activity was undertaken. All activities
To delete an activity slip
that match the criteria are listed.
3 Click the Diary View tab and the Detail View tab to display You can not delete an activity slip that has been billed.
different types of information about the activity slip. 1 Go to the Time Billing command centre and click Activity
Click the zoom arrow ( ) next to an activity slip to view Log. The View Activity Log window appears.
the activity slip in the Enter Activity Slip window.
2 Enter the name of the employee or supplier who
performed the activity and, if you know it, the date range
To change an activity slip within which the activity was recorded. All activities that
If you want to review, edit or delete an activity slip, follow the match the criteria are listed.
relevant procedures below. 3 Select the activity slip you want to delete.
1 Go to the Time Billing command centre and click Activity 4 Go to the Edit menu and choose Delete Activity Slip.
Log. The View Activity Log window appears.
NOTE : Deleting activity slip details in timesheets When you
2 Enter the name of the employee or supplier who
remove timesheet entries with activity slip details, the linked
performed the activity and, if you know it, the date range activity slip is also removed.
within which the activity was recorded. All activities that
match the criteria are listed.

REVIEWING AND CHANGING ACTIVITY SLIPS 152

 Creating time billing invoices

There are two ways of creating a time billing invoice: Invoice window appears, listing any activity slips with
 In the Prepare Time Billing Invoice window. billable amounts for the selected customer.
(Recommended) Use this method if you want to record
full details of activities and activity slips. See ‘To create a
time billing invoice using the Prepare Time Billing Invoice
window’ below. A
 In the Sales window. Use this method for activities that do
not need to be recorded on activity slips. Note that the B
activity will not appear in time billing reports that use C
activity slip information. See ‘To create a time billing
invoice using the Sales window’ on page 154. D

To create a time billing invoice using the Prepare Time

Billing Invoice window
The Prepare Time Billing Invoice window allows you to enter A Filters Use these filters to find the required
and adjust the billing information for activity slips just as you activity slip(s).
would in the Enter Activity Slip window. As you make changes B Bill Type the amount or number of hours you
in the Prepare Time Billing Invoice window, your activity slip want to bill for each activity slip here. Any
records are updated automatically. activity slip with 0.00 units or $0.00 in the
Left to Bill column is considered billed in
1 Go to the Time Billing command centre and click Prepare full.
Time Billing Invoice. The Time Billing Customers window
appears. C Adjustment Type any adjustments you want to make in
this column.
2 Select the customer for whom you want to create a time
billing invoice and click OK. The Prepare Time Billing D Print Select the relevant option if you want to:
Options • sort activity slips according to job
number.
• consolidate all activity slips with the
same activity and job number on the
invoice.
• print the activity slip notes on the
invoice.

153 CHAPTER 9 BILLING FOR TIME

3 Click Prepare Invoice. The Sales - New Time Billing window
displays the details of the time billing invoice. NOTE : No activity slips for recurring time-billing
invoices You can save time-billing invoices as recurring
4 If you have selected the I Include Items on Time Billing invoices, but no activity slips will be created when you
Invoices option in the Preferences window, you can enter use the recurring sale in the future. Also, recording the
items on this invoice. See ‘Setting time billing recurring sale will not update the activity slips you used
to create the invoice in the Prepare Time Billing Invoice
preferences’ on page 145. window.
5 If you are invoicing for sold items, you can enter:
 the date in the Date field.

 the quantity being sold in the Hrs/Units field

To create a time billing invoice using the Sales window
 the item number in the Activity field or press TAB and
select the item from the list of items and activities that NOTE : Activities billed using this procedure will not appear in
appears most time billing reports No activity slip records will be
created if you use this method to create a time billing invoice.
 the price of the item in the Rate field
Most time billing reports are based on activity slip records,
 the appropriate tax code therefore, if you want to print time billing reports, you should
 the job number. create activity slips and then use the Prepare Time Billing Invoice
window to create the invoice.
6 If you want to group and subtotal the items and activities
separately on the invoice, you can do so by inserting
headers, blank lines and subtotals. For more information, 1 Go to the Sales command centre and click Enter Sales. The
see ‘Adding and deleting transaction lines, subtotals and Sales window appears.
headers in sales transactions’ on page 58. 2 In the Customer field, type or select the customer you
7 Enter additional information about the sale, such as the want to invoice.
salesperson, referral source and delivery. 3 Click Layout. The Select Layout window appears.
8 Complete the invoice in any of the following ways: 4 Select the Time Billing option to select the Time Billing
 Record the invoice. Click Record to record the invoice layout and then click OK.
but print it later. 5 For each billable activity enter:
 Print and record the invoice. Click Print and then choose
 the date the activity was performed
the form you want to use for this invoice. For more  the number of units or hours being billed in the
information about printing invoices, see ‘Sending Hrs/Units field
forms’ on page 193.
 the activity name or press TAB in the Activity field and
 Save the invoice as a recurring transaction. Click Save as
select the required activity from the list
Recurring. Enter the necessary information about the
 the rate charged for a single unit or hour of the activity
template in the Edit Recurring Schedule window and
in the Rate field
click Save. For more information about recurring
 [optional] the job number
transactions, see ‘Recurring transactions’ on page 178.
 the tax code, if the activity is taxable

CREATING TIME BILLING INVOICES 154

 6 If you are invoicing for sold items, enter: 9 Complete the invoice in any of the following ways:
 the date in the Date field  Record the invoice. To record without printing it, click

 the quantity being sold in the Hrs/Units field Record.

 the item number in the Activity field or press TAB and  Print and record the invoice. To print and record the

select the item from the list of items and activities that invoice, click Print and then choose the form you want
appears to use for this invoice. For more information about
 the price of the item in the Rate field printing invoices, see ‘Sending forms’ on page 193.
 the tax code if the item is taxable  Save the invoice as a recurring transaction. You can save

 the job number. the invoice as a recurring transaction so that you can
use it again in the future. Click Save as Recurring. Enter
7 If you want to group and subtotal the items and activities the necessary information about the template in the
separately on the invoice, you can do so by inserting Edit Recurring Schedule window and click Save. For
headers, blank lines and subtotals. For more information, more information about recurring transactions, see
see ‘Adding and deleting transaction lines, subtotals and ‘Recurring transactions’ on page 178.
headers in sales transactions’ on page 58.
8 Enter additional information about the sale, such as the NOTE : No activity slips for recurring time-billing

salesperson, referral source and comments. invoices You can save time billing invoices as recurring
invoices, but no activity slips will be created when you
use the recurring sale in the future. Also, recording the
recurring sale will not update the activity slips you used
to create the invoice in the Prepare Time Billing Invoice
window.

Work in progress

Work you have done for your clients that you have not billed If your work in progress routinely represents a significant
yet is called work in progress. Work in progress is indicated on amount of money, you should consider adjusting your
activity slips by a value other than zero in the Left to Bill field. accounting records to reflect it. Consult your accountant for
Your accounting records will only reflect a sales transaction advice on how to do this.
when you bill the activities. However, some accountants
consider that, from an accounting perspective, your clients
owe you for your work in progress even if you have not yet
billed your clients for it.

155 CHAPTER 9 BILLING FOR TIME

10 International transactions

INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS
International transactions (multiple currencies) are only available in the MYOB Premier range.

You can enter transactions in a number of currencies in addition to your local currency, the Malaysian ringgit or Singapore dollar. You can
record transactions in ringgit, dollars, pesos, pounds, euros, yen or any other currency you use when buying and selling goods and
services. You can also track overseas bank accounts and foreign assets and liabilities.

About the multiple-currency feature

If you deal in multiple currencies, it’s important to track the Every foreign currency account you create requires a
effects of currency exchange fluctuations on your business. companion account, known as an exchange account, to track
MYOB Premier provides detailed reports to help you manage changes in the value of the transactions assigned to the
both unrealised gains and losses (potential changes in the account. Only balance sheet accounts—asset, liability and
value of overseas transactions) and realised gains and losses equity accounts—can be assigned a foreign currency. All other
(the actual changes in the value of your assets, liabilities and types of accounts are tracked using your local currency.
equity that occur when you exchange foreign currency for Your local currency (for example, Malaysian ringgit or
your local currency). Singapore dollar) is set up automatically for you. As this
The multiple currencies feature is optional. If all your business currency is used to determine the value of all other
is conducted with customers and suppliers in your local currencies, it cannot be deleted and its exchange value is
currency (for example, Malaysian ringgit or Singapore dollar), fixed at 1. Before you begin entering transactions, you need to
there’s no need for you to use this feature. If you do want to select the appropriate currency for all your overseas
use it, you need to set a preference. customers and suppliers. Only one currency can be used for
You will also have to perform a number of setup tasks each customer or supplier (unless you choose to set up
described in this chapter. For example, you need to set up multiple cards for them). This ensures that your records
special accounts to track the transactions you make in each remain accurate and it speeds up the task of entering
currency. If, for instance, you plan to make sales in euros, you transactions.
need to create a separate receivables account for your sales in For simplicity, the examples in this chapter use the Singapore
Europe. dollar as the local currency.

156
Setting up multiple currencies

Before you can record transactions for multiple currencies, 4 Click OK to close the Preferences window.
complete the following setup steps.

Task See Task 2: Set up records for foreign

1 Select the multiple currency option below
currencies
2 Set up records for foreign currencies below Records for several commonly used foreign currencies, as well
3 Create accounts to track foreign currency below
as your local currency, have been set up by default.
transactions If you do business in any other currency, you will need to
4 Assign accounts to foreign currencies page 159 create a record for the currency and enter its current
exchange rate.
5 Assign currencies to foreign customers and page 159
suppliers 1 Go to the Lists menu and choose Currencies. The
Currencies List window appears.
Once the setup is complete, you can enter foreign currency 2 Click New. The Currency Information window appears.
transactions the same way you enter transactions based on
3 Enter details of the currency such as a code, name and
local currency.
current exchange rate. For detailed field help, click Help
and choose Help for This Window.
Task 1: Select the multiple currency At this stage, you only need to complete the Currency
option Profile tab.
4 Click OK and then click Close.
1 Go to the Setup menu and choose Preferences. The
Preferences window appears.
2 In the System tab, select the I Deal in Multiple Currencies Task 3: Create accounts to track
option. A message appears. foreign currency transactions
NOTE : This selection cannot be undone Once you begin In order to track transactions in a foreign currency, you must
entering multicurrency transactions, you cannot deselect create a number of accounts that use that currency rather
this option. than dollars. You cannot simply use the same accounts you use
for your local currency transactions because your currency
3 Click OK to prepare your company file for multiple and other currencies rarely trade at par with one another
currencies. (that is, one Singapore dollar rarely buys exactly one
monetary unit in any other currency).

SETTING UP MULTIPLE CURRENCIES 157

 If you make foreign purchases
NOTE : Foreign currency accounts linked to exchange accounts
A linked exchange account is needed for every foreign currency Following is a list of accounts you are likely to need if you
account you create. For example, if you create a yen cheque make payments to suppliers in a foreign currency:
account, it must be linked to a yen exchange account. MYOB
software uses these dual accounts so that both the foreign  Liability account for tracking payables (for instance,
currency amount and the local currency equivalent of a ‘Payables Accounts Euro’). This account must be assigned
transaction can be viewed in your balance sheet. the foreign currency and not your local currency.
 Bank account that will be used to pay debts in a foreign
You can let your MYOB software create the linked exchange currency. This can be your local currency account if your
account for you or you can select one yourself. To create an bank writes cheques for you in other currencies.
account yourself, see ‘To create an account’ on page 22. You  Asset account for deposits paid (if you make deposits on
need to select the correct currency and exchange account in orders). This account can be assigned the currency code
the Account Information window. for either the foreign currency or your local currency.
Before you create an account, we suggest you review the  Liability account for import duties collected (if you're
following sections to get an understanding of the accounts required to pay duty on goods you import). This account
you need to create. can be assigned the currency code for either the foreign
currency or your local currency.
If you make foreign sales
Following is a list of the accounts you are likely to need if you If you track unrealised gains and losses
accept payment from customers in a foreign currency. When you activate the multiple-currency feature in your
 Asset account for tracking receivables (for instance, MYOB company file, a Currency Gain Loss account is created
‘Receivables Accounts Euro’). This account must be automatically. If you plan to track unrealised gains and losses,
assigned the foreign currency and not your local currency. you need to create an income account for this purpose,
 Bank account where customer receipts in the foreign naming it ‘Unrealised Currency Gain/Loss’ or something
currency will be deposited. This can be your local currency similar.
account if your bank accepts deposits in other currencies. We recommend that you consult your accountant to
 Liability account for deposits received (if you allow determine whether your business needs to track unrealised
customers to make deposits on orders). This account can gains and losses and, if it does, the most appropriate way for
be assigned the currency code for either the foreign it to do so. See ‘Tracking currency gains and losses’ on
currency or your local currency. page 161 for more information.
Depending on your business, you may need to create
NOTE :Grouping with undeposited funds Only receipt additional accounts to track foreign bank accounts, assets
transactions that are in your local currency may be grouped with held overseas and the like. If you are unsure about the
undeposited funds. Also, you can only use your local currency
account as the linked account for undeposited funds. accounts, ask your accountant or an MYOB Professional
Partner.

SETTING UP MULTIPLE CURRENCIES 158

Task 4: Assign accounts to foreign NOTE : A card with transactions You cannot change the
currencies currency of a card that you have already used in transactions. You
will need to create a new card for the customer or supplier.
1 Go to the Lists menu and choose Currencies. The
Currencies List window appears. Any transactions recorded for a customer or supplier card will
2 Click the zoom arrow ( ) next to the currency you want be in the currency linked to the card.
to assign to one or more accounts. The Currency 1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List.
Information window appears. The Cards List window appears.
3 Select the required tab. Click either: 2 Click the zoom arrow ( ) next to the required card to
 the Receivable Accounts tab if customers pay you in display the Card Information window.
this currency or
3 In the Profile tab, type or select the currency you want to
 the Payable Accounts tab if you pay bills in this currency.
assign to the card in the Currency field. (The local
4 Enter the relevant accounts in the appropriate fields. In currency is selected by default.)
the bottom section of the window, select the options
that apply to your business. As you select options,
additional fields will appear and you can enter the
accounts you will use to track various parts of your
transactions such as deposits and discounts. Click OK.
4 Click OK.
For detailed field help, click Help and choose Help for This
5 Repeat this procedure for each card that you want to
Window.
assign a foreign currency, then click Close.
5 Repeat this procedure for each currency you want to
assign to the relevant accounts, then click Close.

Task 5: Assign currencies to foreign

customers and suppliers
The currency used to make a transaction is determined by the
currency assigned to the customer or supplier card you are
using.
A card can only use a single currency so if you deal with a
customer or supplier in multiple currencies, you will need to
create a separate card for each currency.

SETTING UP MULTIPLE CURRENCIES 159

Exchange rates

Foreign currency transactions can be recorded for: This will only affect the transaction that is currently
 Sales, Receive Payments, and Settle Returns & Credits displayed.

 Purchases, Pay Bills, and Settle Returns & Debits If you want to change the exchange rate for all future
transactions that use this currency, select the Update
 Spend Money, Receive Money, Reconcile Accounts and Current Exchange Rate in the Currency List with
General Journal entries. Transaction Exchange Rate option.
5 Click OK.
Specifying the exchange rate for a
transaction Using the Currency Calculator
When entering a transaction, you can either use the default If you receive a payment for a foreign currency invoice in your
exchange rate for the currency or enter a new rate for the local currency, you can use the Currency Calculator to
transaction. calculate the exchange rate based on the foreign and local
amounts, or to calculate the foreign amounts based on the
To change the exchange rate local amounts and the exchange rate.
1 Calculate the exchange rate using the Currency To access the Currency Calculator from any window in your
Calculator. See ‘Using the Currency Calculator’ below. MYOB software, click the Help menu at the top of the screen
2 Open a transaction window and enter the transaction and choose Currency Calculator.
details.
3 Click Rate at the bottom of the transaction window. The
Exchange Rate window appears.
4 Enter the new exchange rate in the Transaction Exchange
Rate field.

EXCHANGE RATES 160

Tracking currency gains and losses

Whenever you have a foreign bank account, changes in the

currency exchange rates between that country and your NOTE : Large foreign currency exposure If you have a large
foreign currency exposure, you may require a more detailed
home country can cause the value of your foreign currency to
analysis than posting to a single Currency Gain/Loss account
fluctuate. When your local currency weakens relative to the provides. In this case, we recommend that you consult your
foreign currency, the value of your foreign account increases, accountant for further advice about managing your foreign
creating a currency gain. When your local currency currency exposure.
strengthens, your foreign account experiences a loss in real
value. Your MYOB software can track these fluctuations.
Sales and purchases
Gains or losses in the value of a foreign account are
considered unrealised while the money is still sitting in the At the time a currency gain or loss is realised, that is, a
foreign account. Conversely, when the money is withdrawn payment is received or made, an automatic posting is made
from the account, either by using it to pay for a purchase or to the Currency Gain/Loss account and to the exchange
by converting it to local currency, the gain or loss is account for the foreign currency.
considered realised. The Currency Realised Gain/Loss report lists the currency
gains and losses that have been posted automatically through
sales and purchases during the month for foreign-currency
Tracking realised currency gains and transactions.
losses
Example You sell goods for $300 at an exchange rate of
Realised currency gains and losses on sales and purchases are $3.00 to the pound to a British customer. your MYOB
tracked differently to realised currency gains and losses on software records the sale at $300 and records the £100 as
deposits and withdrawals. owed by the British customer. The £100 is posted to British
For realised gains or losses on sales and purchases, a posting is receivables account: $200 to the British receivables exchange
made automatically to the Currency Gain/Loss account. account and $300 to the sales account.
For realised currency gains and losses on transfers—deposits The following month the British customer pays their account
and withdrawals—you need to make a general journal entry to by depositing £100 into your British bank account, but the
the Currency Gain/Loss account. exchange rate has changed from $3.00 to $2.75 to the pound.
The deposit is valued at $275.
When you activate the multiple-currency feature in your
MYOB company file, a Currency Gain/Loss account is created You originally made a sale of £100 that at the time was worth
automatically. $300. When you received payment, it was worth only $275.
Therefore the $25 difference is a realised currency loss, and

TRACKING CURRENCY GAINS AND LOSSES 161

will be posted to the British receivables exchange account Unrealised currency gains and losses
and to the Currency Gain/Loss account.
An unrealised gain or loss is a potential gain or loss at any
point in time between the recorded sale or purchase and the
receipt or issue of payment. No automatic postings are made
to track unrealised gains or losses on foreign currency
transactions.
Not all businesses need to track unrealised currency gains or
Transfers losses. You should check with your accountant to determine
whether your business needs to track them.
Currency gains and losses that occur through the transfer of
funds need to be recorded by a general journal entry. The Currency Unrealised Gain/Loss report lists the gain or loss
made on each foreign currency. You can then use this
At the end of the month, you can look at the value of your information to make adjustment postings to each of your
foreign accounts and use the Currency Calculator (from the foreign currency accounts for your balance sheet and also to a
Help menu at the top of the screen) to calculate their true profit and loss account.
values in local currency at that time.
You can then create a general journal entry where losses are
posted as credits to the exchange account with a
corresponding debit to your Currency Gain Loss account.
Gains are posted as debits with a corresponding credit to
your Currency Gain Loss account.

Example The original balance in your British bank account is

zero and you transfer £100 at an exchange rate of $3.00 to the
pound to it. The £100 is converted to S$300 and your MYOB
software posts £100 to the British bank account and $200 to
the British bank exchange account.
The following week you withdraw that £100 from the bank at
an exchange rate of $2.75 to the pound. Your MYOB software
values the withdrawal at $275. You put £100 into the account
that at the time was worth $300. When you withdrew the
£100 from the account, it was worth only $275. Therefore, the
$25 difference is a realised currency loss.
If you now looked at your balance sheet, you would see a zero
value for the British bank account, but $25 remaining in the
British bank exchange account. You need to post the $25 in
the exchange account to your Currency Gain Loss account.

TRACKING CURRENCY GAINS AND LOSSES 162

Miscellaneous transactions
Transferring funds to a foreign account 2 Select the customer. The currency for this customer card
is British pounds, so the Rate button displays GBP.
You may want to transfer funds from a local-currency account
You have received a cheque from your customer for
to a foreign account. This is done using the Spend Money
£5,000 for an outstanding invoice, and you want to bank
window.
it in your Singapore cheque account.
1 Go to the Banking command centre and click Spend
3 Process the customer payment in the usual way, but make
Money. The Spend Money window appears.
sure you enter your Singapore bank account when you
2 Click Currency. In the Exchange Rate window, choose the select the Deposit to Account option.
currency of the account into which you want to make a
deposit and click OK. 4 Click Rate to check the default currency rate for the
British pound. Change the rate from the default rate of
3 In the Pay from Account field, type or select the local $3.00 to $2.80 and click OK.
currency bank account from which the amount is being
withdrawn. 5 Enter £5,000 in the Amount Received field and allocate it
to the outstanding invoice.
4 Enter the date, amount, payee, and memo.
6 Click Record.
5 In the Account No. (or Name) column, type or select the
foreign account into which you want to make the deposit.
6 Click Record. Reconciling accounts containing
foreign transactions
Entering foreign-currency transactions When you are reconciling your bank statement, the foreign
in a local account currency transaction amounts listed in your statement will
often not match those listed in your MYOB company file. This
In MYOB software, you can enter foreign-currency
is because the exchange rate used by the bank is different
transactions in a local-currency account. For example, you can
from the rate used in your MYOB company file at the time of
accept a cheque from a customer in GB pounds and bank it in
the transaction. There are two methods by which you can
a Singapore bank account.
reconcile accounts containing foreign transactions:
Example Let’s look at an example of how to accept a
 If you have your security preferences set to allow records
foreign-currency cheque into a local-currency account. Our
to be changed, simply click the zoom arrow ( ) next to
example uses British pounds. Let’s also assume the exchange
the transaction in the Reconcile Accounts window to
rate has changed from $3.00 to $2.80 since you made the
display the original transaction. Click Rate and change the
original sale.
exchange rate to match the bank statement.
1 Go to the Sales command centre and click Receive
 If you have the security preferences set so that records
Payments. The Receive Payments window appears.
cannot be changed, click the zoom arrow ( ) next to the

MISCELLANEOUS TRANSACTIONS 163

 transaction, choose Reverse [...] Transaction from the Edit
menu, and re-enter the transaction with the correct
exchange rate.

MISCELLANEOUS TRANSACTIONS 164

11 Lists

LISTS
Your company file consists of different types of records —customers, accounts, recurring transactions, and so on. Records of the same
sort are grouped into lists.

Lists help you to keep track of the customers that owe you money, the items that you sell, the accounts or items being used, and so on.
Lists can be modified to suit your requirements. For example, you can modify account and job levels to alter how they appear in reports.
You can also inactivate records you use infrequently to keep your lists up to date.

Lists can be combined in a number of ways. For example, you can use a combination of custom lists, identifiers, contact logs and email
addresses to create a list of customers who have contacted you in the past six months. Accounts and cards of the same type can be
combined into one record. For example, you may want to combine the income accounts of two sales departments that have
amalgamated, or combine the cards of two customers whose businesses have merged.

Adding a record

Lists are made up of individual records. For example, each

To add this type of record... See
item in your items list is a record, as is each job in your jobs
list. You can add as many records as you want to a list. Inventory location [MYOB Premier range page 129
only]
To add this type of record... See Item page 124
Account page 22 Job page 222
Card page 203 Payroll Categories [MYOB Premier Plus page 96
only]
Category page 221
Position [MYOB Premier Plus only] page 165
Department [MYOB Premier Plus only] page 165
Recurring transaction page 178
Foreign currency [MYOB Premier range page 157
only] Sales and purchases information page 165

164
 To add this type of record... See To create a record using Easy-Add

Tax code below

Let’s assume you want to add a customer card while entering
a sale.
Time billing activity [MYOB Premier range page 147
only] 1 In the Sales command centre, click Enter Sales. The Sales
window appears.
Setting up departments or positions The departments and 2 Type the customer’s name and press TAB. If there is no card
positions that you create are used in the Card Information for this customer, the Select from List window appears.
window when you create an employee’s information.

To add a record
1 Go to the Lists menu and choose the list to which you
want to add a record.
For example, if you want to add a position, go to the Lists
menu, and choose Positions.
2 Click New. The entry window for the record you are
creating appears.
3 Type the information that is required and then click OK.
3 Click Easy-Add. A new customer card is added to your
cards list. You can now complete your task with the new
Adding records using Easy-Add card.

You can create new records easily using the Easy-Add feature. NOTE : Easy-Add is not available from some transaction
Accounts, cards, categories, comments, custom list items, windows In windows such as Spend Money, the type of card
you want to create is not immediately obvious, so Easy-Add
jobs, referral sources and shipping methods can be added to
is not available.
your lists when entering transactions.

Setting up tax codes

Tax codes are used to track tax paid to and by your business. To create a tax code
Each tax code represents a particular type of tax, which is
used to calculate tax on your transactions. 1 Go to the Lists menu and choose Tax Codes. A list of tax
codes appears.

165 CHAPTER 11 LISTS

2 Click New. The Tax Code Information window appears. Accounts List and double-clicking the required account from
3 In the Tax Code field, type a tax code (up to three the list.
characters) and press TAB.
Assigning tax codes to items Each item you create needs a
4 Complete the fields in this window. tax code assigned. You can assign a tax code for when you sell
an item and different code for when you buy the item. The tax
code you assign will apply to sales and purchases of that item,
unless you have specified that the customer’s or supplier’s tax
code be used instead (see ‘Assigning tax codes to cards’
below).
A
Tax codes can be assigned to items in the Buying and Selling
tabs of the Item Information window. For more information,
see ‘To create an item’ on page 125.
B
Assigning tax codes to cards You only need to select a
default tax code for customers and suppliers if the customer’s
or supplier’s tax status takes precedence over that of the item
or service being sold or purchased.
A Enter the tax code description, type and rate. If you  Customers tax codes Tax codes are assigned to
select the Goods & Services Tax type, also select the customers in the Selling Details tab of their Card
appropriate GST code. Information window.
B The fields in this section vary depending on the tax type. Make sure you select the Use Customer’s Tax Code option.
Make any other selections and then click OK. (If this option is not selected, the customer’s tax code will
not be used, even if one has been assigned.)

Assigning tax codes to accounts You can assign a tax code  Suppliers tax codes Tax codes are assigned to suppliers
in the Buying Details tab of their Card Information
to each account in your accounts list. The tax code you assign
window.
will then appear as the default tax code for transactions
where you allocate a deposit, cheque, or a non-item sale or Make sure you select the Use Supplier’s Tax Code option.
purchase to this account. (If this option is not selected, the supplier’s tax code will
not be used, even if one has been assigned.)
For example, you have assigned a tax code to your Electricity
expense account. When you write a cheque to settle your  Once you have assigned tax codes to customer and
electricity bill in the Spend Money window and allocate it to supplier cards, they will be used as the default codes for
this account, the tax code will appear in this window by sales and purchases. For example, the customer’s tax code
default. will override the item’s tax code in an item sale, and
override the allocation account’s tax code in a non-item
To allocate a tax code to an account, open the Edit Accounts
window by going to the Accounts command centre, clicking sale.

SETTING UP TAX CODES 166

 Finding a record
Records are stored and displayed in lists. For example, the Jobs Search fields The Cards List window, Activities window,
List window lists the jobs you have created, the Accounts List Items List window, and Locations window have a search
window lists your accounts, and so on. When lists get long, it feature that you can use to locate a record quickly. From the
can take time to locate a record. Use the following tools to Search by list, select a search filter and then type a few
find a record quickly. characters in the adjacent field. Then press ENTER or TAB.
The first matching record is selected.
Tabs Some lists are divided into separate views using tabs.
For instance, the Accounts List is divided into eight tabs each
representing an account type, making it easier for you to find
an account. For example, if you are looking for an asset
account, click the Asset tab. Within the tab window you can
scroll to find a record.

Advanced search filters You can use advanced search filters

such as recontact date and postcode to search for a single
card or a group of cards. To do this, click Advanced in the
Cards List window and enter the relevant filters to narrow
your search. The Cards List window will display only those
cards that fit your search criteria.

167 CHAPTER 11 LISTS

Changing a record

You can make changes to: To change a record

 accounts 1 Display the list to which the record belongs. For example,
 cards if you are making changes to an account, display the
Accounts List window; if you are changing an item, display
 categories
the Items List window, and so on. You can do this from the
 foreign currencies [MYOB Premier range only] Lists menu.
 tax codes 2 Locate the record you want to change in the list. Use a
 items search method described in ‘Finding a record’ on
page 167, if necessary.
 jobs
3 Once you locate the record, click the zoom arrow ( )
 time billing activities [MYOB Premier range only]
next to it. Details of the record are displayed.
4 Make the required changes and click OK.

Inactivating or reactivating a record

If you have accounts, cards, items, inventory locations [MYOB the Lists menu and choose Cards, or go to the Card File
Premier range only], activities, or jobs that you rarely use—for command centre and click Cards List.
example, a card you created for a one-off sale or 2 Locate the record you want to inactivate or reactivate and
purchase—inactivating them after use will remove them from click the zoom arrow ( ) next to it. The record’s details
selection lists. Your list of records will be shorter and finding appear. For cards, accounts, activities and items, click the
the record you need will be easier. You can still use an inactive Profile tab.
record in transactions by manually entering the record name.
3 Select or deselect the Inactive [...] option. For example if
you are inactivating an account, select the Inactive
To inactivate (or reactivate) a record
Account option. If you are reactivating a customer card,
1 Display the list to which the record belongs. You can deselect the Inactive Card option.
display the list from the appropriate menu or command
centre. For example, if you are inactivating a card, go to

CHANGING A RECORD 168

 Deleting a record

You can delete a record that you no longer use. However, a to delete the transactions before you can delete the
record must meet certain criteria before it can be deleted. For record.
example, most records cannot be deleted if they have been  a card that has not been used in a quote, order or recurring
used in transactions. template
 an item with a zero quantity in inventory
Deleting an account  an activity slip, provided the time billing invoice on which
it was billed has been deleted or purged [MYOB Premier
You can delete an account if: range only]
 the account is not a level-1 account  an activity, provided all the activity slips you have
 the account has a zero balance recorded for it have been purged [MYOB Premier range
 no journal entries are posted to the account only]

 none of your recurring templates uses the account  a foreign currency record that has not been linked to a
card [MYOB Premier range only].
 the account is not used as a linked account
 the account is not linked to an inventory item. To delete other records
1 Go to the Lists menu and choose the list to which the
To delete an account
record belongs. For example, if you are deleting an item,
1 Go to the Accounts command centre and click Accounts choose Items; if you are deleting a card, choose Cards, and
List. The Accounts List window appears. so on.
2 Click the zoom arrow ( ) next to the account you want to 2 Locate the record you want to delete and click the zoom
delete. The account details are displayed in the Edit arrow ( ) next to it. The record details appear in the
Accounts window. Information window.
3 Go to the Edit menu and choose Delete Account. 3 Go to the Edit menu and choose Delete [...]. For example, if
you are deleting a customer card, choose Delete Card.

Deleting other records

You can only delete:
 a card, foreign currency, tax code, item or job that has not
been used in a transaction. If transactions exist, you need

169 CHAPTER 11 LISTS

Combining records

In some situations you may want to combine two records. For When cards are combined, the non-transaction card
example, if you have records in your cards list for two suppliers information for the primary card—such as card name, address
who have merged their operations, or if you have separate and buying and selling details—is retained as the default
accounts for two departments whose sales figures you now information for the combined card. The transaction details
want to combine. for the secondary card are added to the primary card.
When you combine two records, you identify one as the Non-transaction information for the secondary card is
primary record and the other as the secondary record. The deleted.
primary record becomes the owner of all the transaction
details (transactions, jobs, history, and so on) currently linked To combine two cards
to the secondary record and the secondary record is deleted. 1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List.
The Cards List window appears.
NOTE :History for closed financial years is not combined When
you complete the Start a New Financial Year routine, the previous 2 Select the primary card. This is the card that the
financial year is closed and your transactions are locked. When transaction details will be transferred to.
you combine records, the history for closed financial years is not
updated; hence your historical reports will not display combined 3 Click Actions and choose Combine Cards. The Combine
amounts for these periods. Cards window appears.

Combining cards
You can combine customer, supplier and personal cards,
providing that the cards are of the same type.
You cannot combine:
 cards of different types
 cards with different currencies [MYOB Premier range only]
 cards if the primary card is inactive.

The primary card appears under the Primary - Move all

transactions to list. If you want to, you can choose a
different primary card from the list.

COMBINING RECORDS 170

 4 Select the secondary card from the Secondary - Remove To combine two accounts
all transactions from list.
1 Go to the Accounts command centre and click Accounts
CAUTION : The next action cannot be undone Before List. The Accounts List window appears.
continuing, check that you have selected the correct cards 2 Select the primary account. This is the account that the
to be combined. If you combine the wrong cards, you will
have to restore them from a backup and re-enter secondary account transaction history and opening
transactions posted to those cards since the backup. balance will be transferred to.
3 Click Combine Accounts. The Combine Accounts window
5 Click Combine Cards. A confirmation window appears. appears.
6 Click OK to confirm you want to combine the two cards.

Combining accounts
You can only combine accounts that are:
 local currency accounts [MYOB Premier range only]
 accounts of the same account type (for example, asset
and expense accounts cannot be combined) and
 detail accounts.
You cannot combine header accounts or accounts that are
linked to other accounts.
The primary account appears under the Primary - Move all
When accounts are combined, the non-transaction account
transactions to list. If you want to, you can choose a
information for the primary account—such as account name,
different primary account from the list.
description and bank details (for banking accounts)—is
retained as the default information for the combined 4 Select the secondary account from the Secondary -
account. The transaction details and opening balance of the Remove all transactions from list.
secondary account are added to the primary account.
Non-transaction information for the secondary account is CAUTION : The next action cannot be undone Before

deleted. continuing, check that you have selected the correct

accounts to be combined. If you combine the wrong
accounts, you will have to restore from a backup and
NOTE : Budgets and job budgets not combined Budgets and job re-enter transactions posted to the accounts since the
budgets for the secondary account are not added to the backup.
budgets and job budgets of the primary account. You need to
revise the budgets of the primary account after combining
them. 5 Click Combine Accounts. A confirmation window appears.
To confirm you want to combine the two accounts, click
OK.

171 CHAPTER 11 LISTS

12 Transactions

TRANSACTIONS
A transaction is an entry that changes the balance of accounts. Your MYOB software creates transactions when you record entries such as
sales invoices, purchase orders and inventory adjustments.

You can change, delete and reverse transactions—depending on how your preferences are set up.

If you have transactions that need to be entered periodically, you can set up recurring transaction templates. You can use these recurring
templates to store details of transactions you record regularly and to set up reminders to record them. You can also set up your MYOB
software to record recurring transactions automatically on their due date.

Finding a transaction

There are several ways to find a transaction. The method you

Use the... To find... See
use depends on the information you have at hand. These
methods are listed in the table below. Purchases transactions relating to purchases page 173
Register (such as open and closed bills)
Use the... To find... See quotes, orders, debits and returns.
This method is most efficient if you
Find journal entries, sales, purchases, page 173 know the transaction date or the
Transactions cheques, deposits, supplier and supplier’s name.
window customer payments.
Bank Register spend money, pay bills, receive page 174
Sales Register transactions relating to sales (such page 173 payments and receive money
as open and closed invoices) quotes, transactions.
orders, credits and returns. This
method is most efficient if you know
the transaction date or the
customer’s name.

172
 Use the... To find... See
To find a transaction using the Sales Register window
The Sales Register window lists all open and closed invoices,
Items inventory item transactions for a page 174
Register particular date range. This includes quotes, orders, returns and credits.
inventory adjustments, auto-build 1 Go to the Sales command centre and click Sales Register.
and move items transactions. The Sales Register window appears.
Transaction any transaction by source journal. page 175 2 Click the tab of the sales category you would like to
Journal
view—for example, Open Invoices.
window

To find a transaction using the Find Transactions

window
1 From any command centre, click Find Transactions. The
Find Transactions window appears.
2 Click the appropriate tab—for example, the Card tab to
search by card.
3 Filter your search using the Search By and date range
fields. For example, to search for all transactions made
during January 2009 relating to the customer Island Way
Motel, you would specify the following filters on the Card
tab.

4 If you want to narrow your search further: 3 Filter your search using the Search By and date range
fields.
a Click Advanced. The Advanced Filters window appears.
b Type or select your additional search filters, and click The transactions that match your search criteria appear in
OK. For more information, see ‘Advanced filters’ on the Sales Register window. You can view a transaction in
page 195. detail by clicking the zoom arrow ( ) next to it.

The transactions that match your search criteria appear in

To find a transaction using the Purchases Register
the Find Transactions window. You can view a transaction
window
in detail by clicking the zoom arrow ( ) next to it.
The Purchases Register window lists all open and closed
NOTE :Quotes and orders without applied payments do not purchases, quotes, orders, returns and debits.
appear in the Find Transactions window To find these types of
transactions, go to the Quotes and Orders views of the Sales 1 Go to the Purchases command centre and click Purchases
Register or Purchases Register. Register. The Purchases Register window appears.

173 CHAPTER 12 TRANSACTIONS

2 Click the tab of the type of purchase you would like to 3 In the Dated From and To fields, enter the date range
view—for example, All Purchases. during which the transaction was recorded.

3 Filter your search using the Search By and date range

fields. The transactions that match your search criteria appear in
The transactions that match your search criteria appear in the Bank Register window. You can view a transaction in
the Purchases Register window. You can view a transaction detail by clicking the zoom arrow ( ) next to it.
in detail by clicking the zoom arrow ( ) next to it.
To find a transaction using the Items Register window
To find a transaction using the Bank Register window
When the Items Register window is filtered to show a single
You can use the Bank Register window to find spend money, item, a running balance of the item’s quantities and values
pay bills, receive payments and receive money transactions. appears.
1 Go to the Banking command centre and click Bank 1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Items
Register. The Bank Register window appears. Register. The Items Register window appears.
2 Select the bank, credit card or petty cash account you 2 In the Search By field, select whether you want to view
used for the transaction in the Account field. transactions for all items or a single item.
3 If you selected Item at step 2, type or select the item
number in the field that appears to the right of the Search
By field.
4 In the Dated From and To fields, enter the date range
during which the transaction was recorded.

FINDING A TRANSACTION 174

 The transactions that match your search criteria appear in 4 If you want to search for a range of journal ID numbers,
the Items Register window. You can view a transaction in enter the range in the ID From and To fields.
detail by clicking the zoom arrow ( ) next to it. The transactions that match your search criteria appear in
the Transaction Journal window. You can view a
transaction in detail by clicking the zoom arrow ( ) next
to it.

To find a recurring transaction

1 Go to the Lists menu and choose Recurring Transactions.
The Recurring Transactions List window appears.

To find a transaction using the Transaction Journal

window
The Transaction Journal window groups all your accounting
entries into six journals: general, disbursements, receipts,
sales, purchases and inventory. It also enables you to display
all transactions.
1 Click Transaction Journal in any command centre (except
2 Locate the recurring transaction. You can:
Card File). The Transaction Journal window appears.
 sort the transactions by name, type or frequency
2 Click the appropriate tab—for example, the Sales tab to  search for a transaction by name, amount or due date.
find a sales invoice, the Disbursements tab to find a
cheque or supplier payment, and so on. For more information on changing the details of a recurring
transaction, see ‘Recurring transactions’ on page 178.
3 In the Dated From and To fields, enter the date range
during which the transaction was recorded.
All transactions between (and including) these dates will
be listed.

175 CHAPTER 12 TRANSACTIONS

Changing or deleting a transaction

If you are part way through entering a transaction, you can 2 Make the necessary changes and then click OK.
erase it and start again by choosing Erase [...] from the Edit
menu.
Occasionally, however, you may need to make changes to, or
Deleting a transaction
delete, a transaction you have already recorded. A transaction When you delete a transaction, it is permanently removed
can be edited or deleted only if it is changeable. A changeable from your records. Note the following when deleting a
transaction is identified by a white zoom arrow ( ) next to transaction:
it.
You can choose to make transactions changeable or Sales and purchases You can only delete a sale or purchase
unchangeable by selecting or deselecting the Transactions that does not have a payment applied to it. If you have
CAN’T be Changed; They Must be Reversed option on the recorded a payment for a sale or purchase, you must first
Security tab view of the Preferences window. By default, this delete the payment (including any discounts) and then delete
preference is set to changeable. the transaction. If you applied a supplier debit towards a
purchase, you must delete the debit (including the credit
If you want to maintain a strict audit trail, you should consider
note) before you can delete the purchase.
making your transactions unchangeable by setting this
preference. An unchangeable transaction is identified by a Group receipt transactions recorded in the undeposited fund
grey zoom arrow ( ) next to it. If you make your transactions account If you want to delete an individual receipt that was
unchangeable, you need to reverse the transaction to cancel recorded as part of a bank deposit of receipts grouped in the
its effect on your accounts—see ‘Reversing a transaction’ on undeposited funds account, you must first delete the bank
page 177. deposit. When you delete a bank deposit, all the cash receipts
included in the bank deposit are returned to the Prepare Bank
Deposit window. You can then delete the required receipt
Changing a transaction from this window.

Negative inventory You cannot delete a purchase that will

CAUTION : Transactions that cannot be changed You cannot
change a customer payment, supplier payment, refund cheque result in negative inventory on-hand.
or a bank deposit once it has been recorded. You can only delete
or reverse these transactions. Reconciled transactions If you delete a reconciled
transaction, your bank reconciliation will be out of balance.

To change a transaction
1 Find the transaction in its original transaction window. See
‘Finding a transaction’ on page 172 for instructions.

CHANGING OR DELETING A TRANSACTION 176

 To delete a transaction 2 Go to the Edit menu and choose Delete [...]. For example, if
you want to delete a sale, choose Delete Sale. The
1 Find the transaction in its original transaction window. See transaction is removed permanently from your records.
‘Finding a transaction’ on page 172 for instructions.

Reversing a transaction

If your accountant wants you to maintain a strict record of all  If you use the original date for the reversal transaction,
your accounting entries, you should reverse a transaction your prior month’s financials should be reprinted because
rather than change or delete it. they will have changed.
A reversal transaction is a new transaction that replicates the
original transaction, but with debit amounts shown as credit
amounts and vice versa. After posting a reversal transaction,
you have two transactions (the original and the reversal), but
the account balances appear as if the original transaction was
never posted.
A reversal transaction is automatically posted to the same
account for the same amount as the original transaction. You
cannot change the amount or account of a reversal
transaction.

Before you can reverse a transaction You can only reverse a

transaction if it is unchangeable. An unchangeable
transaction is identified by a grey zoom arrow ( ) next to it.
To make your transactions unchangeable, select the
Transactions CAN'T be Changed; They Must be Reversed
preference on the Security tab view of the Preferences
window. You can change this preference at any time.

Reversing a transaction can affect closed periods When

you reverse a transaction, be aware of the transaction date
you enter:
 If you use the current date when you reverse a transaction
from a prior month, the month-end financials for the prior
month will not reflect the reversal transaction.

177 CHAPTER 12 TRANSACTIONS

Customer and supplier payments Note that if an early 2 Go to the Edit menu and choose Reverse [...]. For example,
payment discount was applied to a sale or purchase, you also if you want to reverse a sale, choose Reverse Sale. A new
need to reverse the discount. You can find a discount transaction containing corresponding negative amounts
transaction by searching for a transaction with the memo to that of the original transaction appears.
‘Discount’ in the Find Transactions window. For more 3 If you want, alter the date and memo. Note that you
information about how to find a transaction, see ‘Finding a cannot change the accounts and amounts.
transaction’ on page 172.
NOTE : Recap transaction Before you record this transaction,
Negative inventory You cannot reverse a purchase that will you can use the recap transaction feature to view the journal
result in a negative on-hand inventory count. entries that will be created when the transaction is recorded.
To recap, choose Recap Transaction from the Edit menu.
To reverse a transaction
1 Find the transaction you want to reverse. See ‘Finding a 4 Click Record Reversal to record the reversal transaction.
transaction’ on page 172 for instructions. The transaction is reversed and all account balances are
returned to their previous levels.

Recurring transactions

If you have transactions that you record regularly—for Setting up recurring transactions
example, a rent cheque or banking fees—you can set them up
as recurring transactions and save them for future use. You can create a recurring transaction in a transaction
You can set a recurring transaction to record automatically if window, or copy an existing recurring transaction to create a
the transaction details are the same each time—such as a rent new one. Later on, you can change details of a recurring
payment. Or you can open the transaction as required, alter transaction, or delete one if it is no longer used. These tasks
the details (for example, if you make regular sales to a are listed in the following table.
customer and vary the items), and then record the
transaction. If you want to... see

You can make the following transactions recurring: sales, create a recurring transaction below
purchases, cheques, deposits and general journal entries. create a recurring transaction from an existing page 180
entry

edit a recurring transaction page 181

delete a recurring transaction page 181

RECURRING TRANSACTIONS 178

 To create a recurring transaction  Continue until this date to schedule the transaction
until a set date. Type the date in the adjacent field.
When you create a recurring transaction, you can specify how
 Perform this # of times to schedule the transaction for a
often you want the transaction to be recorded, and for how
set number of times. Type the number of times in the
long you want to schedule it. For example, you can schedule
adjacent field.
your car payments monthly for the next 22 months.
1 Enter the transaction details in a transaction Choose Alert Options
window—such as the Sales window if you make regular
sales to a customer. In the Alerts section of the window, you can set a reminder
to record the transaction, or automatically record the
2 Instead of clicking Record, click Save as Recurring. The transaction and get a notification when the transaction is
Edit Recurring Schedule window appears. recorded.
7 If you want to set a reminder:
a Click Remind.
b Select a reminder option from the to record this
transaction list.
c If you selected # days in advance, enter the number of
days in the adjacent field.
d Select the user who needs to be reminded from the list
adjacent to the option.
e Continue with step 9 below.

8 If you want the recurring transaction to be recorded

automatically:
a Click Automatically record this transaction when due
3 In the Recurring Transaction Name field, type a name to and notify.
identify the transaction. b Select the user who needs to be notified from the list
adjacent to the option.
Schedule the transaction
4 Select the transaction frequency from the Frequency list.
5 In the Starting on field, type the date the transaction is
first due.
6 Indicate how long you want the recurring transaction to
continue. Click:
 Continue indefinitely to schedule the transaction for an
unlimited period.

179 CHAPTER 12 TRANSACTIONS

 Specify the transaction Identification Number 2 Select the recurring transaction you want to copy and
click Create Copy. The Create Copy window appears.
9 Specify how you want the transaction ID number to be
created:
 if you want the transaction ID number to be one greater
than the previous transaction ID, click Use the next
sequential number as the [...] #.
 if you want to specify a transaction ID, click Use the
following as the [...] #, then type the transaction ID in
the adjacent field.
10 If you want to save your changes to the recurring
transaction each time it is recorded, select the Save my 3 In the Card field, click the search button ( ).
changes when I record this recurring transaction option. The Select from List window appears listing only card
11 Click Save. The transaction window appears. types relevant to the type of recurring transaction you are
copying. For example, a purchase transaction can only be
12 Click Cancel to close the transaction window. A warning
applied to your supplier cards.
window may appear.
a If you do not want to record the transaction
4 Either:
 click the select icon ( ) if you want to select all the
immediately, click Erase.
cards listed, or
b If you want to record the transaction, click cancel, then
 mark the select column next to one or more of the cards
click Record.
required.
The new recurring transaction will now appear in the
Recurring Transactions List window. See ‘To find a 5 Click OK when you have finished selecting from the list.
recurring transaction’ on page 175. The Create Copy window reappears.
6 Click Save.
To create a recurring transaction from an existing
entry If you selected... then...

You can create a recurring transaction by copying an existing One card in the • The transaction window for the new
recurring transaction entry, then customising the details for Select from List recurring transaction appears.
window • You can edit the transaction details if
the new one. This can save time if there is an existing
required.
recurring transaction entry that suits your needs.
• Click Save. The Recurring Transactions
1 Go to the Lists menu and choose Recurring Transactions. List window appears.
The Recurring Transactions List window appears.

RECURRING TRANSACTIONS 180

 3 If you want to change the schedule of the recurring
If you selected... then...
transaction:
More than one • The Recurring Transactions List a Select the recurring transaction and click Edit Schedule.
card in the Select window listing all your recurring The Edit Recurring Schedule window appears.
from List window transactions appears. Each new
transaction has a unique name—the b Change the scheduling details of the transaction as
original name suffixed by the name of required.
the relevant card. c Click Save.
• To change transaction details for a
new transaction: highlight it and click 4 Click Close when you have finished editing the recurring
Edit, make the changes in the transaction.
transaction window and click Save.
The Recurring Transactions List To delete a recurring transaction
window appears.
Deleting a recurring transaction only removes it from your list
7 If you need to change the schedule details or the name of of recurring transactions. Transactions recorded previously
a new recurring transaction: using the recurring transaction are not affected.
a highlight the recurring transaction 1 Go to the Lists menu and choose Recurring Transactions.
b click Edit Schedule The Recurring Transactions List window appears.
c make the changes in the Edit Recurring Schedule 2 Select the recurring transaction you want to delete and
window click Delete.
d click Save. An information message appears explaining that this
8 Click Close. action will not delete any recorded transactions.
3 Click OK to delete the recurring transaction.
To edit a recurring transaction
After you have created a recurring transaction, you can edit Recording recurring transactions
its details (such as the cheque details of a Spend Money
transaction) and update its schedule. For recurring transactions that are not set up to record
1 Go to the Lists menu and choose Recurring Transactions. automatically, you need to decide when to record them. You
The Recurring Transactions List window appears. can either:
2 If you want to change the recurring transaction details:  Record a single recurring transaction from a transaction
window
a Select the recurring transaction and click Edit. The
transaction window appears for the selected type of  Record several transactions at the same time.
recurring transaction. If you use the reminders option, you can also record a
b Make the necessary changes. recurring transaction from the Reminders window. For more
c Click Save. information, see ‘Responding to reminders for recurring
transactions’ on page 183.

181 CHAPTER 12 TRANSACTIONS

To record a recurring transaction from a transaction To record multiple recurring transactions
window 1 From any command centre, click To Do List. The To Do List
1 Open the transaction window for the recurring window appears.
transaction you want to use. For example, open the 2 Click the appropriate tab—Recurring Sales, Recurring
Purchases window if you are creating a recurring purchase Purchases or Recurring Transactions (for all other
transaction. recurring transactions).
2 Click Use Recurring. The Select a Recurring Transaction In the list of recurring transactions that appears, you can
window appears listing only recurring transactions for this click the zoom arrow ( ) to the left of a transaction to
type of transaction. view it in detail.
3 Click in the select column ( ) next to the recurring
transactions you want to record.

3 Choose the recurring transaction from the list and then

click Select. The transaction appears.
4 If necessary, change the date, amount, account and other
details. 4 Click Record. A window appears requiring you to enter a
date for the selected transactions.
5 Click Record.
5 Enter a date for the transactions and click OK.
NOTE : Using the Recurring Transactions List window You can
also record a recurring transaction from the Recurring
Transactions List window by going to the Lists menu and
choosing Recurring Transactions.

RECURRING TRANSACTIONS 182

 Responding to reminders for recurring To respond to the Reminders window
transactions 1 In the Reminders window, choose the required option.

You can use your MYOB software to remind you on, or before, Click... if...
the scheduled date of a recurring transaction—see ‘Choose
Alert Options’ on page 179. If you use this option, your MYOB Skip This Period you do not want to record the transaction
software checks the reminder dates each time you open your this period.
company file. When a recurring transaction is due (or possibly The reminder is removed from the list.
overdue), the Reminders window appears. Remind you do not want to record the transaction
Tomorrow today, but want to be reminded tomorrow.

Remind When you do not want to record the transaction

Due today, but want to be reminded when the
transaction is next due.

Record you want to record the transaction now.

2 Click Close to close the window and be reminded again

next time you open the company file.

The options available in this reminder window depend on the

status of the selected recurring transaction (if more than one
is showing). For example, if the selected transaction has a due
date of today or is overdue, the Remind Tomorrow and
Remind When Due buttons are not available.

183 CHAPTER 12 TRANSACTIONS

13 Reports

REPORTS
You can use your MYOB software to monitor your business with over 100 reports. If these do not meet your needs, you can design custom
reports with the information and appearance you want. Then save these custom reports as templates to re-use whenever required.

Producing reports

You can print, email or fax reports, output them to various file To display and print reports
formats or export them to other software for further
modifications. 1 Go to the Reports menu and choose Index to Reports. The
Index to Reports window appears.
If you want to... See 2 Locate the report you want to display or print. Highlight it
and click Display. The Report Display window appears.
display and print reports below
3 If you want to reposition or resize columns:
save a report as a file page 185
a Ensure Screen Report is selected in the View field.
send a report by email page 185 b To reposition a column, position the cursor over the
send a report by fax page 186 column header until the cursor changes to the hand
icon ( ) and then drag the column header to a new
view a report in Microsoft Excel page 186
position.
c To change the width of a column, position the cursor
over the icon of a column border ( ) and then drag it to
change the column’s width. Only columns that have this
icon can be resized.

184
 4 To limit the data that will be printed in the report, click
Format Description
Customise and select the data you want. For more
information, see ‘Customising reports’ on page 189. Tab-delimited Text When you save a report in tab-delimited
File text file format, fields in the report are
5 Select Print Preview from the View list in the report
separated by tab spaces. Tab-delimited
toolbar. text files can be opened by most word
6 If you want to save the new report layout as a custom processing and spreadsheet software.
report: Comma-separated When you save a report in
a Click Save As. The Save As window appears. Text comma-separated text file format, fields
in the report are separated by commas.
b Type a name for the custom report.
Comma-separated text files can be
c Click OK. opened by most word processing and
spreadsheet software.
This new format will be available from the Custom tab of
the Index to Reports window. Simple Text File When you save a report in simple text file
format, fields are separated by spaces so
7 Click Print. the appearance of the report is as similar
as possible to a printed version of the
To save reports as files report. Simple text files can be opened by
most word processing and spreadsheet
You can save reports in various file formats so that they can be software.
viewed and edited in other software.
1 Go to the Reports menu and choose Index to Reports. The 5 In the Save As window, specify a name and location for the
Index to Reports window appears. file and click Save.

2 Locate the report you want to display and highlight it.

To send reports by email
3 To limit the data that will appear in the report, click
Customise and select the data you want. For more When you send a report by email, the report is saved as a PDF
information, see ‘Customising reports’ on page 189. file and attached to the body of the email message. Your
recipient needs a PDF file viewer, such as Adobe Reader, to
4 Click Send To and choose one of the following file formats: view the report.

Format Description
1 Go to the Reports menu and choose Index to Reports. The
Index to Reports window appears.
PDF (Portable If you save a report as a PDF file, the
2 Locate and highlight the report you want to email.
Document Format) person who receives the report must have
software, such as Adobe Reader, that is 3 To limit the data that will appear in the report, click
capable of viewing a PDF file. Customise and select the data you want. For more
HTML When you save a report in HTML information, see ‘Customising reports’ on page 189.
(HyperText Markup Language) format, the 4 Click Send To and choose Email. The Email window
report can be viewed in web browsers
appears.
such as Microsoft Internet Explorer.

185 CHAPTER 13 REPORTS

5 In the Name field, type or select the individual or 6 If necessary, add or change the email address.
organisation you want to send the report to. 7 Enter the subject and message of the email.
8 Click Send. The email is sent to your email software’s
outbox with the report attached as a PDF file.
9 Send the email and attachment from your email software
as you normally would.

To send reports by fax

If you have fax software installed on your computer you can
send your reports by fax. Windows 2000 and Windows XP
include fax software; for more information, see Windows
Help.
1 Go to the Reports menu and choose Index to Reports. The
Index to Reports window appears.
2 Highlight the report you want to fax.
3 To limit the data that will appear in the report, click
Customise and select the data you want. For more
information, see ‘Customising reports’ on page 189.
4 Click Send To and choose Fax.
5 Use your fax software to send the fax as you normally
would.

To view reports in Microsoft Excel

You must have Microsoft Excel installed on your computer.
1 Go to the Reports menu and choose Index to Reports. The
Index to Reports window appears.
2 Highlight the required report.
3 To limit the data that will appear in the report, click
Customise and select the data you want. For more
information, see ‘Customising reports’ on page 189.
4 Click Send To and choose Excel. Microsoft Excel starts and
the selected report appears.

PRODUCING REPORTS 186

 TIP : Viewing saved reports in Microsoft Excel You can also
open reports that you have saved as tab-delimited files,
comma-separated files or unformatted text files in Excel.

187 CHAPTER 13 REPORTS

Printing report batches
A report batch is a group of reports that can be printed all at To print a report batch
once. For example, you may want to create a report batch
that contains all your regular monthly financial statements. 1 Go to the Reports menu and choose Report Batches. The
Report Batches window appears.
NOTE : Single-user access required [MYOB Premier range only] If 2 Select the relevant period from the Period list.
you share your company file on a network, you should note that
this task requires single-user access. For more information, see You can choose any of the months or quarters in the
‘Single-user file locking for special tasks’ on page 258. current financial year, or you can choose to print
information for the entire year to date.
To create a report batch Your selection in the Period list affects different types of
reports in different ways. For example, if you choose
NOTE :Reports excluded from batches Some reports, such as
January, activity reports will show job activity information
the Reconciliation report, cannot be added to report batches from January 1 to January 31 and balance sheet reports will
because you need to specify information to be printed each time show information as of January 31.
you want to print the report. Saved custom reports are also
excluded. 3 Choose a report batch for printing and click Print. Each
report in the batch is printed.

1 Go to the Reports menu and choose Report Batches. The To change a report batch
Report Batches window appears.
1 Go to the Reports menu and choose Report Batches. The
Report Batches window appears.
2 Click New. The New/Edit Batch window appears with the
reports that can be batched. 2 Highlight the name of the batch you want to change and
click Edit. The New/Edit Batch window appears.
3 Enter a name for the batch.
3 Change the batch name, if necessary, and the reports
4 Click each report you want to include in the batch. contained in the batch. (Click a report to select or
Selected reports display a tick to the left of the row. To deselect it.)
remove a report from the batch, click the report name a
second time. 4 Click OK to save your changes.

5 Click OK. The Report Batches window appears with the

To delete a report batch
name of the new batch in the scrolling list.
1 Go to the Reports menu and choose Report Batches. The
Report Batches window appears.
2 Highlight the name of the batch you want to delete.

PRINTING REPORT BATCHES 188

 3 Go to the Edit menu and choose Delete Batch.

Customising reports

You can customise a report, print it immediately and then You can filter the information that appears in a report in either
revert the report to the original settings. Alternatively, if you the Report Display window or the Report Customisation
want to retain a report’s modifications, you can save it. The window.
saved report will include advanced filters, report fields, and
finishing options settings. When you save a customised To filter reports in the Report Display window
report, it appears in the Custom view of the Index to Reports
window. Note that you need to re-enter the report’s date 1 Go to the Reports menu and choose Index to Reports. The
range the next time you print the report. Index to Reports window appears.

Follow the steps below to customise a report. 2 Locate and highlight the report you want to customise.
3 Click Display. The Report Display window appears.
Task See

1 Select the data to be printed below

2 Select the required fields page 190

3 Select finishing options page 191

4 Change the report format page 191

5 Print the report page 192

6 Save the report page 192

Task 1: Select the data to be printed 4 Filter the report by making the required entries and
selections in the toolbar that appears in the top section of
You can filter the amount of information that appears in your the Report Display window. (Note, some reports do not
reports by choosing which categories or ranges of data have selection options.)
should be included. For example, if you want to print a Sales 5 Click Redisplay. The report is refreshed with the new
Customer Summary report for a customer for the months filtering options applied. To make further filtering
May to July, you can use filters to select just that customer selections, see ‘To filter reports in the Report
and just those months. Customisation window’ below.

189 CHAPTER 13 REPORTS

To filter reports in the Report Customisation window 3 Click Customise. The Report Customisation window
appears. The customisation options that appear depend
1 Go to the Reports menu and choose Index to Reports. The on the report being customised. The following example
Index to Reports window appears. shows the options available for the Sales Summary report.
2 Locate and highlight the report you want to customise.

A The top section of the window enables you to limit the

report to:
• a particular customer or supplier
• records with particular values in custom lists.

B The bottom section has three tabs—Advanced Filters,

Report Fields and Finishing.
The Advanced Filters tab lets you set further limits on the
data displayed (such as limiting records to those within a
date range). The other two tabs are described later (see
‘Select the required fields’ below and ‘Select finishing
options’ on page 191).

4 Specify your search criteria in the Advanced Filters tab.

Task 2: Select the required fields

In the Report Fields tab of the Report Customisation window,
you can choose the fields to include on the report. For
example, if you want to print the name of the salesperson in a
sales report, you can add the salesperson field.

CUSTOMISING REPORTS 190

 To select the required fields Task 3: Select finishing options
1 Click the Report Fields tab.
The Finishing tab in the Report Customisation window
provides a number of miscellaneous options, such as what
default text to add to the report, whether you want the
report added to the Reports menu, and so on. These options
vary depending on which report you select.

A To select finishing options

1 Click the Finishing tab.
2 If you want to add the customised report to the Reports
menu so that you can re-use these customised settings,
select the Add to Reports Menu option.
3 [MYOB Premier range only] If you are on a network and
B
want to prevent data from being changed when the report
A Fields in the Available Fields column are those that are available is being generated, select the Prevent Data Changes
for the selected report. To include a field in a new report, mark During Report Generation option. This will prevent other
the field by clicking in the select column ( ). This adds the users from recording transactions or making other
field name to the Selected Fields column. changes in the company file while the report is being
B Fields in the Selected Fields column are those that will be printed.
printed on the selected report. From the top down, the 4 Make any other entries or selections that apply to the
sequence of fields in this column is in the order the fields will
report.
appear in the report. The first field will appear as the left most
column of the report, the second field will appear in the next
column to the right, and so on.
If you want to change the order in which the fields are printed, Task 4: Change the report format
display the report and choose Screen Report from the View
list. You can then drag the column headers to new positions. You can modify the look of the report by choosing different
See ‘To display and print reports’ on page 184. font styles, sizes, colours, alignments and effects, and by
changing the report’s page margins.

2 Select the fields you want to appear on the report.

191 CHAPTER 13 REPORTS

To change the report format Task 5: Print the report
1 Click Format in the Report Customisation window. The
Report Format window appears. To print the report
1 Click Display to display the report.
2 To see how the report will look when printed, select Print
A Preview in the View field.
3 To print the report, click Print.
B
Task 6: Save the report
If you plan to use a report’s design and format again, you can
C customise the report once, save the changes and then re-use
the report whenever you want. Once saved, you can access
your custom report from the Custom tab in the Index to
Reports window.
D
To save the report
A Click the Report Line list, choose the section of the report
you want to customise and then change the formats as 1 With the report displayed, click Save As. The Save As
required. window appears.
B The right side of the Report Format window shows a preview 2 Enter a name and a brief description of the custom report
of the currently selected report section. and click OK. The Report Display window appears.
C To change the report’s margins, make entries in the margin 3 Click Close. The Index to Reports window appears.
fields.
Note that the report you have just saved is now listed on the
D If you have formatted a report and want to change it back to Custom tab. You can run the report again by selecting it from
its original format, click Default.
the Custom tab.

2 Click OK when you have finished formatting the report.

CUSTOMISING REPORTS 192

 Changing the default fonts
Every report is assigned default fonts. You can change these
default fonts if you prefer your reports to have a different
appearance.

To change the default fonts

1 Go to the File menu and choose Default Fonts. The Default
Font Selection window appears.
2 Click Reports. The Report Format - All Reports window
appears.
3 Choose the font style and size for the printed characters
on your reports. The sample box previews the appearance
of your choices.
4 Click OK when you have finished.

NOTE : Changing the default fonts will not affect the fonts on
any custom report.

193 CHAPTER 13 REPORTS

14 Forms

FORMS
You can print all the standard business documents you send to customers and suppliers: quotes, order confirmations, invoices, delivery
orders, delivery labels, statements, bills, cheques, receipts, remittance advice and mailing labels.

You can print forms individually as you complete a transaction (for example, an invoice for a cash sale) or print batches of forms (for
example, a monthly cheque run for supplier payments).

You can also customise the appearance of your forms. You can change the size of the form, print multiple forms on a single page, change
fonts, move fields, create text labels, and add your own logos and graphics.

Finding forms

Forms can be accessed through the relevant functions in each

Type of form Function
command centre. For example, remittance advices are
accessible through the Print/Email Remittance Advices Receipts Print Receipts
function in the Purchases command centre, etc.
Remittance Advices Print/Email Remittance
Advices
To find forms
 Sales command centre
1 Go to the appropriate command centre, for example,
Sales for invoice forms.
Type of form Function
2 Find the type of form you want and click the relevant
command centre function—see the following tables. Sales Print/Email Invoices
 Banking command centre Delivery orders Print/Email Invoices

Labels Print/Email Invoices

Type of form Function
Statements Print/Email Statements
Cheques Print Cheques
Receipts Print Receipts

192
  Purchases command centre  Payroll command centre [MYOB Premier Plus only]

Type of form Function Type of form Function

Purchases (item, service Print/Email Purchase Orders Paycheques Print Paycheques

and professional)
Pay slips Print/Email Pay Slips
Cheques (payable) Print Cheques

Remittance Advices Print/Email Remittance  Card File command centre

Advices
Type of form Function

Mailing labels Print Mailing Labels

Personalised letters Create Personalised Letters

Sending forms

You can send forms immediately or as a batch. You can also preview and print remittance advices or cheques
when you record transactions in the Spend Money, Pay Bills or
Settle Returns & Credits window.
Sending forms immediately
You can print, email or fax forms as you enter individual
transactions in the Sales or Purchases window.

SENDING FORMS 193

Sending forms in a batch To print forms
1 Click on the command centre function for the forms you
Before you can include a form in a batch, you need to select
want to print. For example, if you want to print a sales
how you want to send the form when entering a transaction.
invoice, go to the Sales command centre and click
 Sales—select To be Printed, To be Emailed, or To be Print/Email Invoices. The Review Sales Before Delivery
Printed and Emailed from the Invoice Delivery Status field window appears.
in the Sales window.
2 Click the To Be Printed tab.

 Purchases—select To be Printed, To be Emailed, or To be

Printed and Emailed from the Bill Delivery Status field in
the Purchases window.

3 Select the layout you want to print in the [...] Type field.
For example, if you want to print item invoices, select
 Remittance Advices—select To be Printed, To be Emailed, Item.
or To be Printed and Emailed from the Remittance Advice 4 Click in the select column ( ) next to a transaction you
Delivery Status field in the Spend Money, Settle Returns & want to be printed. If you want to print all the
Credits or Pay Bills windows. transactions, click the icon in the heading of the select
column.
5 If you want to view more information about a particular
transaction, click the zoom arrow ( ) next to the
transaction.
6 Enter the number of copies you want to print.
After you have completed a number of transactions, for
example, the invoices for the day, you can print or email a 7 If you want to filter the transaction information or change
transaction batch. the type of stationery the forms will be printed on, click
Advanced Filters. For more information, see ‘Advanced
filters’ on page 195.

SENDING FORMS 194

8 Click Print. Address field and select another address from the card.
Alternatively, enter the address in the Email Address field.
To email forms 7 Enter a subject title and message or accept the default
1 Choose the form you want to email by going to the title and message. If you want to change the default title
relevant command centre and clicking the function you and message, click Email Defaults and change as
want. For example, if you want to email a sales invoice, go appropriate.
to the Sales command centre and click Print/Email 8 If you want to change the type of information you are
Invoices. The Review Sales Before Delivery window going to email or the type of stationery it will appear on,
appears. click Advanced Filters. For more information, see
2 Click the To Be Emailed tab. ‘Advanced filters’ below.
9 Click Send Email.

Advanced filters
You can filter the amount of information, and even change the
stationery you want to use, when you print or email a form.
You can do this in the Advance Filters window.
1 Click Advance Filters in the Review [...] Before Delivery
window.
2 In the top section of the Advanced Filters window, select
the forms you want to print or email. We are using the

3 Select the layout you want to print in the Sales Type field.
For example, if you want to email item invoices, select
Item.
4 Click in the select column ( ) next to the transaction you
want to be emailed.
If you want to email all the forms, click the icon in the
heading of the select column.
5 If you want to view transaction details of a particular
transaction, click the zoom arrow ( ) next to the
transaction.
6 If you want to change a recipient’s email address, highlight
their name and click the down arrow next to the Email

SENDING FORMS 195

 example of a service sale type for all customers with 4 In the Selected Form for [...] field, select the stationery
outstanding payments. you want to use when you print or email your forms.
Several stationery choices are available, depending on the
type of form you are currently working with.

Form Usage

Preprinted Select the preprinted stationery if you want to

print on paper that already contains lines,
columns and headings.
The preprinted stationery is designed to match
most commonly used forms provided by
third-party forms suppliers. Note that this type
of stationery is not suitable for emailing forms.

Plain-paper Select plain-paper stationery if you want to

print on blank paper. Lines, columns and
headings are automatically printed with the
form’s information.
3 If you want to filter the forms, enter a date range or
reference number range (for example, invoice numbers) in Customised Select any customised stationery forms if you
want to print a form you have already
the middle section of the window.
customised. See ‘Customising forms’ below for
more information about customising forms.

5 When you have finished making your selections in the

Advanced Filters window, click OK.

Customising forms

You can change the look and content of printed cheques,  create custom forms in the Forms folder on the host
invoices, delivery orders, purchase orders, statements, bills computer on which the company file is stored
and mailing labels. You can also change the size of a form, add  copy any custom forms from the host computer to the
text labels, draw lines and boxes, paste graphics on the form, Forms folder on each workstation that accesses the
move fields, change the size of fields, and more. Then you can company file.
save your customised stationery so that you can select it
when you print the form. CAUTION :Back up your forms Back up the Forms folder before
[MYOB Premier range only] If more than one user is accessing customising any forms so you can always revert to the originals.
a company file you should:

CUSTOMISING FORMS 196

Complete the following steps to create, save and print your B Preview Click Preview to view your form on the
customised forms: screen.

Task See C Layout Select the required layout for a cheque stub.
Note that this is only displayed if you are
1 Display the form below customising a cheque.

2 Set up the form properties below D Data fields Data fields contain system-generated
information.
3 Adding and editing elements page 198

4 Preview the customised form page 198 NOTE : Cheques have two parts A cheque form has two
5 Save the customised form page 198 parts: the cheque and the stub. You customise the cheque
and the stub separately. In the cheque Customise window,
6 Print the customised form page 198 select the appropriate stub layout in the Layout field. For
example, the Regular layout is assigned to cheques recorded
in the Spend Money window and the Payable layout is
assigned to cheques recorded in the Pay Bills window.
Task 1: Display the form
1 Go to the Setup menu, choose Customise Forms and
choose the type of form you want to customise. The Task 2: Set up the form properties
Customise Forms window appears.
1 Click the form properties ( ) button in the tool palette
2 Select the form you want to customise in the Form to
of the Customise [...] window.
Customise field and click Customise. The Customise [...]
window appears. The Forms Properties window appears. It has two tabs: the
Layout tab and the Options tab.
B C
A
Set up the paper and form sizes
2 In the Layout tab, type the number of forms you want to
print per page.
3 Select the required type of paper from the Paper list.
D
4 Type the margins for the page.
5 Type the width and length of the form (not the paper) in
the Form Size fields. If you are printing four cheques per
page, type the width and length of a single cheque and
not the width and length of the page.

A Tool palette The tool palette provides you with

customisation tools.

CUSTOMISING FORMS 197

 Set up the grid and add a background graphic Task 4: Preview the customised form
6 In the Options tab, specify the grid options for the form.
The grid will help you position and align form fields. At any time during the customisation process, you can display
a preview of your work.
If you want to:
1 Click the preview button ( ) in the tools palette of the
a make the grid visible in the layout, select Show Grid.
Customise [...] window.
Note that the grid will not be printed.
b align the top and left margins of fields with the closest
grid lines when you are repositioning them, select Snap
to Grid.
The form is displayed in the Print Preview window.
c change the spacing between the grid lines, make a
selection from the Grid Size menu. 2 If you want to view the form in more detail, alter the
default value (75%) in the Zoom field and press TAB.
7 If you want, select a background graphic for the form:
3 If you want to check your current printer and page
a Click Insert Background. The Open window appears.
settings, click Print Setup.
b Select the graphic file you want to use and click Open.
The Field Properties window displays the graphic in the 4 When you have finished previewing the form, click Close in
Sample Display area. the Print Preview window.
c Using the Display menu, choose how the background
graphic will appear on your printed form: Task 5: Save the customised form
 Top will position the image at the top of the form.

 Centre will centre the image on the form. When you are satisfied with the changes you have made to
 Tile will repeat the image in a grid-like pattern across the form, you should save the customised form. If you want to
and down the entire form. save changes to a custom form you created previously, click
 Stretch will enlarge the image to fill the entire form. Save Form.
(Depending on its size and shape, this setting can If you want to create a new custom form stationery that
distort the image.) contains the changes you have made, click Save Form As. The
8 Click OK. Save As window appears. Enter a name and a brief description
for the new layout and click OK.

Task 3: Adding and editing elements

Task 6: Print the customised form
Add, remove or edit elements—such as text, graphics and
lines—according to your needs. For more information, see Printing a customised form is the same as printing an
‘Adding and editing elements’ on page 199. unchanged form. However, before you can print using your
customised form, you need to select the form in the Selected
Form for [...] field in the Advanced Filter window. For more

CUSTOMISING FORMS 198

information on printing forms, see ‘To print forms’ on 1 Go to the File menu and choose Default Fonts. The Default
page 194. Font Selection window appears.
2 Click Forms. The Change Default Forms Font window
appears.
Changing the default fonts on forms
3 Choose the font style and size for the printed characters
Every form in your MYOB software is assigned default fonts. on your forms. The sample box previews the appearance
You can change these default fonts if you prefer your forms to of your choices.
have a different appearance. 4 Click OK when you have finished.

Adding and editing elements

You can add elements to, and change elements on, a form To add a data field to a form
using the buttons on the tool palette shown below:
1 Click the add data ( ) button. The Select from List
window lists all the data fields available for the form you
selected.

NOTE :Layout selection The Layout list only appears for cheque
forms.

The column on the right indicates the field type (Data,

Column) and where it appears on a form. For example, the
Total field only appears on the last page.
2 Click the fields you require.

ADDING AND EDITING ELEMENTS 199

3 Click OK. The selected data fields appear on the form. To change the font style of a data field or text field
Their position depends on a number of factors, such as the
number of records they can display, previous cursor 1 Double-click the data field or text field to be changed.
position and other fields already on the form. You can The Field Properties window appears.
move a field to a better position—see ‘Editing all elements 2 Click Text Format on the Layout tab. The Text Format
with common commands’ on page 202. window appears.
4 If you want to change the properties of a data field, 3 Make your choices in the Font, Font Style, Size, Justify and
double-click it. The Field Properties window appears. Effects fields in this window.
The Field Properties window has two tabs: the Layout tab 4 If you want to change the font colour:
where you select the text, format, background colour, a Click Font Colour and then in the Colour window that
location and size of the field, and the Borders tab where appears, select the new colour.
you select the layout, colour and width of the field’s b Click OK. The Text Format window reappears.
borders.
5 Click OK.
5 Change the properties as required and click OK.

To add a field label to a form Adding and editing graphic elements

1 Click the add text button ( ) and then click the form You can also add graphic elements to a form: rectangles to
where you want to place the text field. A new text field visually group elements, lines to separate elements, and
named Text Field appears. icons, logos, photos, location maps and other graphic
2 Double-click the new text field. The Field Properties elements.
window displays the Layout tab where you select the
name, location, size, text format and background colour To add a graphic file to a form
of the text field, and the Borders tab where you select the
layout, colour and width of the text field’s borders. 1 Click the add graphic button ( ) in the Customise
window and then click on the form where you want to
3 Click OK to close the Field Properties window. The text place the graphic. A new graphic element appears.
field appears in the Customise window.
2 Double-click the graphic element. The Field Properties
If the name is longer than the size of the text field, you need window appears.
to resize the field—see ‘Resize’ on page 202.

To change the name of a text field

1 Double-click the text field. The Field Properties window
appears.
2 Change the name in the Text field on the Layout tab.
3 Click OK.

ADDING AND EDITING ELEMENTS 200

3 Click Load Picture. The Open window appears. To draw a line on a form
4 Select the graphic file and click Open. The Field Properties You can draw a vertical or horizontal line on a form.
window displays the graphic in the Preview Picture area.
1 Click the draw line button ( ) and then click and hold
5 Type the field location and field size for the picture. the mouse on the form where you want the line to begin.
6 Click OK to close the Field Properties window. The picture 2 Drag to where you want the line to end and then release
appears in the Customise window. the mouse button.

To paste a graphic element into a form To draw a rectangle on a form

You can paste almost any graphic that can be placed on the 1 Click the rectangle button ( ).
clipboard into a form, regardless of its graphic format.
2 Click and hold the mouse at the location on the form
1 Open your graphic file in any graphics software. where you want the top left corner of the rectangle to
2 Copy the graphic to the clipboard. appear.
3 Click the add graphic button ( ) in the Customise 3 Drag to the right and down to where you want the
window. Then click the location on the form where you rectangle to end and then release the mouse button.
want the graphic to appear. A graphic element appears.
4 Double-click the graphic element. The Field Properties To change the thickness of a line or rectangle
window appears. 1 Double-click the line or rectangle. The Field Properties
5 Click Paste Picture. The graphic appears in the Preview window appears.
Picture area. 2 Choose a thickness in the Line Size section of the Field
6 Type the field location and element size for the graphic. Properties window.
7 Click OK. The graphic appears in the Customise window. 3 Click OK.

ADDING AND EDITING ELEMENTS 201

Editing all elements with common To... Do this...
commands Send to 1 Select the element you want to send behind
back another element.
The following editing procedures are applicable to any
element. 2 Click the send to back button ( ).

Bring to 1 Select the element you want to bring in front of

To... Do this... front another element.
2 Click the bring to front button ( ).
Copy and 1 Click an element once to select it.
paste 2 Go to the Edit menu and choose Copy.
There are also procedures specific to particular kinds of
3 Go to the Edit menu and choose Paste. A copy of
elements—see ‘Adding and editing elements’ on page 199
the element appears in the window.
Note: If you want to paste the element onto another
and ‘Adding and editing graphic elements’ on page 200.
form, display that form in the Customise window.

Delete Select the element and press BACKSPACE or DELETE on

your keyboard.

Undo last To undo the last change you made to the current
change form, click the undo button ( ) or press CTRL + Z.

Resize 1 Click the element once to select it. Small

squares, called handles, appear on the element.
2 Drag a handle to change the size of the element.

Drag and 1 Click the element and hold down the mouse
drop button. Notice that the cursor changes to a hand
pointer.
2 Drag the element to the desired location. In the
example below, the [Invoice No] data field is
being dragged below its original position.

Change 1 Double-click the element you want to move. The

coordinates Field Properties window appears.
2 In the Field Location fields on the Layout tab,
enter the distance from the top and left edges
of the form to the top left corner of the
element.
3 Click OK.

ADDING AND EDITING ELEMENTS 202

15 Contact management

CONTACT MANAGEMENT
The Card File is a repository of contact records, known as cards, that you can create for your customers, suppliers, employees and personal
contacts. A card lets you store contact information and enables you to track and analyse the transaction history for each individual and
business.

Creating a card

You need to create a card for an individual or business if you To add a personal card
want to perform any of the following tasks:
1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List.
 record sales and track the amounts owing to you The Cards List window appears.
 record purchases and track the amounts owing to 2 Click New. The Card Information window appears.
suppliers
 print mailing labels
 print personalised letters
 record contact details.
When you set up your company file, you may have created
cards for your customers and suppliers. In addition to these
cards, you can create employee cards and personal cards for
your friends and relatives.

If you want to create a card for… See

a customer page 53

a supplier page 76

an employee page 105

3 Select the required card type from the Card Type list.
a friend or relative below
4 Type the name for the card and press TAB.

203
5 If you want to, complete the other fields in the Profile tab.  use custom lists and fields—you can record additional
6 Click the Card Details tab. In this tab, you can: information about the card.
 add a picture For information about these tasks, see ‘Customising
 enter identifiers—these are useful for grouping your cards’ on page 218.
cards 7 When you have finished entering the card details, click OK
to save the card and close the Card Information window.

Keeping in touch with your contacts

At times you may want to send a letter to your contacts, such Printing personalised letters using Microsoft
as payment reminders, thank you letters, or special offers. Word and OfficeLink
There are several card file features that can help you with OfficeLink is a feature that automates the process of merging
these tasks, and can help you keep a record of each contact contact information stored in your company file with a
you make. Microsoft Word template (a .dot file). Your MYOB software
includes a set of templates that you can use, and they are
stored in the Letters folder, which is located within your
Personalised letters MYOB software’s program folder.
You can create personalised letters (also known as mail-merge You can edit these templates and create new ones using the
letters) for any of your contacts. A personalised letter is a mail-merge features of Microsoft Word. For information
document template that contains standard text as well as about working with mail-merge templates, see Microsoft
fields that can be automatically filled with data stored in your Word Help.
company file.
Personalised letters are useful when you need to send the To print a personalised letter using Microsoft Word
same letter to several contacts. For example, you may want to 1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Create
send several slow-paying customers a payment reminder Personalised Letters. The Review Cards Before Exporting
letter. Instead of entering each contact’s information on the window appears.
letters yourself, you can set up a letter template that contains
the text you want to appear, and insert data fields that 2 Click in the select column next to each contact to whom
automatically fill in with the contact’s name, address and the you would like to send a personalised letter.
amount owing.
TIP : Advanced Filters You can filter your contact list, for
example, to only show contacts who are located within

KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CONTACTS 204

 specific postcodes by clicking Advanced Filters and entering 3 Click Mail Merge. The Select from List window appears.
your criteria.
4 Select the template you would like to use and then click
Use Template.
Your letter appears in Microsoft Word, and depending on
the template you have selected, you will be prompted to
enter additional information, such as your name and title.
5 Edit the letters as required and then print them using
Microsoft Word.

Printing personalised letters using other word

processors
If you want to use a mail-merge letter template created using
word processors other than Microsoft Word, you will need to
export the data out of your company file and then merge that
data with the letter.

To print a personalised letter using other word

processors
1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Personalised
Letters. The Review Cards Before Exporting window
appears.
2 Select the contacts to whom you would like to send a
personalised letter.

TIP : Advanced Filters You can filter your contact list, for
example, to only show contacts located within specific
postcodes by clicking Advanced Filters and entering your
criteria.

3 Click Disk. A window with a list of file formats appears.

KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CONTACTS 205

4 Choose either the Tab-Delimited Text File or
Comma-Separated Text File option.

NOTE : Check what file formats your word processing

software requires Most word processing software allows
mail-merge data to be tab-delimited (data is separated by
tabs) or comma-separated. If your software requires a
specific format, choose that format at this step.

5 Click Save. The Save As window appears.

6 If necessary, change the text file’s name and location and
then click Save.
The text file containing your contacts’ details is saved at
the location you specified.
7 Use your word processing software to merge the data
contained within the text file with a letter template that
you have created.

Mailing labels
If you print and send cheques, quotes, orders, invoices,
statements or personalised letters you may also want to print
mailing labels that you can stick on the envelopes.
The Print Mailing Labels function in the Card File command
centre can be used to print your contact names and addresses
on sheets of adhesive mailing labels. You customise the way
mailing labels are printed, including their size, the number of
labels per sheet and the margins. For information about
customising mailing label forms, see ‘Customising forms’ on
page 196.

KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CONTACTS 206

To print mailing labels date you will want to recontact them by if their invoice is still
outstanding.
1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Print Mailing
Labels. The Review Labels Before Printing window When a customer or supplier calls, you can use the contact
appears. log to retrieve a complete history of your business
relationship with that contact.
Print invoices and labels simultaneously When you
TIP :
print a batch of invoices using the Print/Email Invoices Automatically create contact log entries Log entries can
TIP :
function in the Sales command centre, you can choose to be created automatically for each sale, purchase, payment and
print a label for each invoice. receipt you record. For more information, see ‘To automatically
create contact log entries’ on page 208.

2 Click Advanced Filters. The Advanced Filters window

appears. To view the contact log
3 From the Selected Form for Mailing Label list, select the 1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Contact
form template that best matches the size and layout of Log. The View Contact Log window appears.
your labels and label sheets.
2 From the Name list, select the contact for whom you want
If a suitable form template is not available, you can to create a contact log entry and click Use Card.
customise an existing template to suit your requirements.
For information about customising forms, see 3 If you want to view or edit the detail of an log entry, select
‘Customising forms’ on page 196. the entry and click Edit, or click the zoom arrow next to it.

4 Make any other selections in the Advanced Filters window

To create a contact log entry
as required (for example, you may want to filter your
contacts list to only those living within a specific 1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Contact
postcode) and then click OK. Log. The View Contact Log window appears.
5 Click in the select column next to each contact for whom 2 From the Name list, select the contact for whom you want
you would like to print a mailing label. to create a contact log entry and click Use Card.
6 Ensure you have enough mailing label sheets set up at your 3 Click New. The Contact Log Entry window appears.
printer and then click Print.

Contact log
The contact log enables you to keep a detailed log of all the
phone calls you and your contacts make to each other, and
any other type of correspondence.
For example, let’s say that you call customer A regarding an
overdue invoice. You could create a log entry that records the
date of the phone call, a summary of the outcome, and the

KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CONTACTS 207

4 Complete the Contact Log Entry window as described in Recontact If you want to be reminded to follow up the
the table below. Date contact, type or select the date you want to be
reminded to recontact them. The reminder will
appear in the Contact Alert tab of the To Do List
on this date. For more information, see ‘To view
contact alerts’ on page 220.

Log View all contact log entries for the selected

contact.

New Record the current log entry and to create a new

entry for this or another contact.

Automatic contact log entries You can choose to

automatically create contact log entries each time you record
a sale, purchase or banking transaction. The log entry
contains basic information about the transaction, such as the
Name The name of the contact. To view the contact’s invoice number, cheque number and the amount.
card, click the zoom arrow.

Contact Type the name of the person that is associated NOTE : Your company file’s size may increase significantly If you

with this entry. For example, you can record the record many transactions and choose to automatically create
name of the person you spoke to on the phone.
log entries for them, the size of your company file may increase
significantly. If the company file size becomes an issue, you can
If you have specified a contact person in the purge old contact log entries and other data. For more
contact’s card, you can click the down-arrow to information about purging information, see ‘Purging information
choose that person. that is no longer needed’ on page 256.
Date Type the date you spoke to or wrote to the
contact. If you are simply entering an
appointment or reminder, you can enter today’s To automatically create contact log entries
date.
1 Go to the Setup menu and choose Preferences. The
Notes Enter any information you want to save about the Preferences window appears.
conversation or follow-up.
2 Click the Banking tab.
Elapsed If you want to record the time you spend
Time speaking to the contact, or working on a 3 To create an automatic contact log entry for each
particular task related to the entry, type the time payment you record, select the Make Contact Log Entry
in hours and minutes. For example, if you spend 15 for Every Cheque option.
minutes, enter 15. If you spend 1 hour and 15
minutes, enter 1:15. 4 To create an automatic contact log entry for each receipt
you record, select the Make Contact Log Entry for Every
Deposit option.
5 Click the Sales tab.

KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CONTACTS 208

6 To create an automatic contact log entry for each sale you To access a contact’s website
record (including quotes and orders), select the Make
Contact Log Entry for Every Sale option. 1 Make sure your computer is connected to the Internet.

7 Click the Purchases tab. 2 In the Card Information window, display the Profile view
of the contact.
8 To create an automatic contact log entry for each
purchase you record (including quotes and orders), select 3 If a website is listed in the Website field, click Actions and
the Make Contact Log Entry for Every Purchase option. choose View Website.

9 Click OK to close the Preferences window. 4 Your contact’s website will appear in your web browser.

More ways to keep in touch View a contact on a map

To send an email message to a contact To view a contact’s location on a map

1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List. 1 Make sure your computer is connected to the Internet.
The Cards List window appears. 2 In the Cards List window, select the card whose location
2 Click the zoom arrow next to the name of the contact you you want to view.
want to email. The Card Information window appears. 3 Click Actions and choose:
 View in Google MapsTM. Your web browser window will
3 In the Location field, select the address to which you want
to send the email. appear, showing the location of your contact on a street
map.
4 If an email address is entered in the field, click Actions and
 View Directions. Your web browser window will appear,
choose Send Email. The Email window appears.
displaying a street map with directions from your
5 The Email Address field displays the name and email primary business location to the contact’s address.
address from the card. You can change these if you wish.
6 Enter a message and click Send. The email is sent to your
default email program’s outbox. Send the file from your
email program as you normally do.

KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CONTACTS 209

Grouping your contacts

You can group and sort your contacts according to common To define identifiers
attributes by assigning identifiers to their cards and the
appropriate attributes from custom lists you have defined. 1 Go to the Lists menu and choose Identifiers. The
Identifiers window appears, displaying a field for each of
Grouping contacts using these features makes it easier for the 26 letters of the alphabet.
you to:
2 Enter a description for the identifiers you want to use.
 filter reports to show only information specific to a group
of contacts 3 Click OK.

 identify which of your contacts have a particular attribute

To assign identifiers to a card
 filter lists so that it’s easier for you to send a batch of
personalised letters, customer statements and other 1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List.
forms to a group of contacts. The Cards List window appears.
2 Click the zoom arrow next to the card you want to edit.
The Card Information window appears.
Identifiers 3 Click the Card Details tab.
Identifiers are one-letter labels you can assign to cards. 4 Click Identifiers. The Select Identifiers window appears.
When you create reports or view card lists, you can limit the 5 Click next to the identifiers you want to assign to the card
information to a particular group of cards by selecting the and click OK.
identifiers that you have assigned to those cards.
For example, say you want to identify all clients who are
not-for-profit organisations. You could assign them identifier
N and when printing sales reports you can choose to filter the
report to show only customers who have that identifier.
You can also assign multiple identifiers to a card. For example,
say you assign O to your overseas customers and W to your
wholesale customers. If you have overseas wholesale
customers you can assign them the O and W identifiers. You
can then filter a report to only show your overseas wholesale
customers by specifying the OW identifiers in the Report
Customisation window.

GROUPING YOUR CONTACTS 210

Custom lists custom list entry, for example, Customers. The Custom
Lists window appears.
You can set up lists of predefined attributes and assign the
appropriate attributes to your cards.
By assigning attributes from a custom list to your cards, you
are able to group your contacts to a greater degree than is
possible with identifiers.
For example, you could assign all your wholesale customers
the W identifier. If you also set up a custom list containing
each of your sales territories, and allocate those customers to
the appropriate territory, you can then filter reports to only 2 Select the custom list for which you want to create an
show information about wholesale customers who are within entry.
a particular sales territory.
3 Click New. The Edit Custom List window appears.
To name a custom list 4 Type the custom list entry’s name and then click OK.
The entry appears in the Custom Lists window.
1 Go to the Lists menu, choose Custom List & Field Names,
and then choose the card type for which you want to
create a custom list, for example, Customers. The Custom To assign a custom list entry to a card
List and Field Names window appears. 1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List.
2 Click the zoom arrow next to the card you want to edit.
The Card Information window appears.
3 Click the Card Details tab.
4 Click the search icon next to the custom list field you want
to edit and then select the entry that you want to assign
to the card.

2 Enter names for the lists you want to create for the card
type you have selected in the Name of Custom List fields.
3 Click OK. The names you have entered will now appear in
the Card Details tab of the Card Information window.

To create a custom list entry

1 Go to the Lists menu, choose Custom Lists and then
choose the card type for which you want to create a

GROUPING YOUR CONTACTS 211

Synchronising MYOB cards and Microsoft Outlook contacts

You can synchronise your MYOB cards and your Microsoft Synchronisation update rules As part of the
Outlook contacts. If your business uses Microsoft Outlook to synchronisation process, you choose whether or not you
email and manage contact information, this will make it easier want to update the details for existing contacts. To do this,
for you to keep both your MYOB cards and your Outlook you select from one of the following update rules:
contacts up to date.
Update existing New contacts are added and existing
Your MYOB cards are your customer, supplier, employee and contacts contacts are updated. You will not be
personal cards stored in your MYOB card file. Your Outlook prompted to confirm updates.
contacts are your contacts stored in your Microsoft Outlook
Do not update New contacts are added but existing
address book.
existing contacts contacts are not updated. You are not
When you synchronise your MYOB cards and your Outlook prompted to confirm any updates.
contacts, you can: Ask me to confirm New contacts are added and you are
 make the details in your Outlook contacts match the updates prompted to confirm updates. If you
details in your MYOB cards (by exporting your MYOB cards select this rule, you need to select how you
want to deal with the discrepancies
to your Outlook contacts) or
between the details in your MYOB cards
 make the details in your MYOB cards match the details in and the details in your Outlook contacts.
your Outlook contacts (by importing your Outlook You can:
contacts to your MYOB cards). • review and update the details for each
contact
When you synchronise, the following details are imported • select to update all contacts (if you
or exported: company name or contact name, address select this option, you will not be
details, email and web addresses and telephone, fax and prompted to confirm any further
mobile numbers. updates) or
• skip an update for a contact and leave
If you are exporting your MYOB cards to your Outlook the details for the contact unchanged.
contacts, you can also include your Card File custom fields in
the export. When you do this, you will need to match your
Software required You require Microsoft Outlook 2000
custom fields to the Categories, Anniversary, Birthday or
(or later), MYOB Outlook Sync and MYOB ODBC Direct
Spouse’s name fields in your Outlook contacts. For
installed on your computer. For more information, refer to the
information on setting up Card File custom fields see ‘Custom
Getting Started guide.
fields’ on page 218.
CAUTION :Single-user access required [MYOB Premier range
only] Synchronising cards and Outlook contacts requires

SYNCHRONISING MYOB CARDS AND MICROSOFT OUTLOOK CONTACTS 212

single-user access. For more information, see ‘Single-user file To export your MYOB cards to your Outlook contacts
locking for special tasks’ on page 258.
1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List.
The Cards List window appears.

Exporting your MYOB cards to your 2 Click Actions and choose Sync Cards. The Synchronise
Cards window appears.
Outlook contacts
When you export your MYOB cards to your Outlook contacts,
your contacts are saved by default to group contact folders.
For example, Customer contacts are saved to a folder called
MYOB Customers.

3 Select the card types that you want to synchronise.

If you use a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and want to
synchronise your Outlook contacts and your PDA, your NOTE :You can synchronise cards from any of the Cards List
contacts must be saved to the Microsoft Outlook default tabs (All Cards, Customer, Supplier, Employee and
contacts folder. When you export your MYOB cards to your Personal) The default card type selected varies according
Outlook contacts, you can select an option to save your to the tab you are on when you clicked Sync Cards.
contacts to the default contacts folder.
4 Click Synchronise Cards. The Outlook Sync - Import and
CAUTION : Back up your Outlook contacts Exporting your MYOB Export Options window appears.
cards to your Outlook contacts will change the details recorded
in your Outlook contacts. Back up your Outlook contacts before
synchronising. See your Microsoft Outlook documentation for
instructions.

SYNCHRONISING MYOB CARDS AND MICROSOFT OUTLOOK CONTACTS 213

5 If you want to include inactive cards in your 8 Click Export. A Microsoft warning appears.
synchronisation, select the Allow the export of inactive
MYOB cards to Outlook option. For information about
inactive cards, see ‘To inactivate (or reactivate) a record’
on page 168.
6 Select a synchronisation rule from the Update Rules list.
For more information, see ‘Synchronisation update rules’
on page 212.
9 Select a period for your MYOB software to access your
7 If you want to save your MYOB cards to your Outlook Outlook contacts.
contacts default folder (you need to do this to
a Select the Allow access for option.
synchronise your Outlook contacts and your PDA), or if
you want to export your MYOB custom fields to your b Select a period from 1 minute to 10 minutes.
Outlook contacts, click Settings. The Outlook Sync - c Click Yes. The export process starts.
Settings window appears. 10 If you selected the Update existing contacts rule or the Do
not update existing contacts rule, the Outlook Sync -
Export Summary window appears. Go to step 12.
11 If you selected the Ask me to confirm updates rule, the
Outlook Sync - Confirm Update to Outlook Contact
window appears.
Select how you want to deal with each update. When you
have confirmed all updates the Outlook Sync - Export
Summary window appears.

a If you want to synchronise your Outlook contacts and

your PDA, select the Import and export all MYOB cards
to the default contacts folder option. All contacts are
then saved to your default Outlook contacts folder.
b If you want to export your MYOB custom fields to your
Outlook contacts, select a matching Outlook contact
field for Custom Field 1, Custom Field 2 and Custom
Field 3.
c Click OK. The Outlook Sync - Import and Export
Options window reappears.

SYNCHRONISING MYOB CARDS AND MICROSOFT OUTLOOK CONTACTS 214

12 Review the export summary.
NOTE : Blank fields in your Outlook contacts are not included in
Added new The number of new contacts added to your the import If a field in your Outlook contact is blank but the
contacts Outlook contacts. corresponding field in your MYOB card is complete, this field will
be skipped during the import process. This ensures that blank
Updated The number of Outlook contacts updated to fields do not overwrite contact details recorded in your MYOB
duplicate match the details in your MYOB cards. Note cards.
contacts that if you selected the Do not update existing
contacts rule, updated duplicate contacts will
always be 0. Importing from the default contacts folder If you want to
import your contacts to MYOB cards from the default
Rejected The number of cards you skipped (if you
cards selected the Ask me to confirm updates rule)
Outlook contacts folder, enter the card type for each contact
or the number of duplicate contacts (if you in the Categories field of the General tab.
selected the Do not update existing contacts
rule). Duplicate contacts have not been
updated to match your MYOB cards.
Note that if you selected the Update existing
contacts rule, rejected cards will always be 0.

NOTE : Outlook import log If you want to view a list of the

records updated and the problems encountered during the
import, refer to the OutlookImport.html file. This
file—readable by any Internet browser—can be found in the
OutlookSync folder, which is located in your MYOB
software’s program folder.

Importing your Outlook contacts to

your MYOB cards
Importing from group contacts folders You need to save
You can import your Outlook contacts to your MYOB cards your contacts to group contact folders labelled MYOB
from either the default contacts folder, or from group Customers, MYOB Suppliers, MYOB Employees and MYOB
contact folders created for each MYOB card type. Personal. For instructions on how to set up group contact
folders in your Outlook contacts, refer to your Microsoft
However, before you import your Outlook contacts, you need
Outlook documentation.
to identify each contact as either a customer, supplier,
employee or personal contact.

SYNCHRONISING MYOB CARDS AND MICROSOFT OUTLOOK CONTACTS 215

Before importing your Outlook contacts Check that the 4 Click Synchronise Cards. The Outlook Sync - Import and
details recorded in your Outlook contacts are up to date and Export Options window appears.
contact in formation is entered in the correct fields.

Back up your company file Importing your Outlook

contacts to your MYOB cards will change the details recorded
in your company file. To avoid losing contact details stored in
your company file, back up your company file before
synchronising. For more information on backing up your
Company File, see ‘Backing up and restoring company files’
on page 250.

To import your Outlook contacts to your MYOB cards

5 Select a synchronisation rule from the Update Rules list.
1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List. For more information, see ‘Synchronisation update rules’
The Cards List window appears. on page 212.
2 Click Actions and choose Sync Cards. The Synchronise 6 If you want to import your Outlook contacts from the
Cards window appears. default Outlook contacts folder, click Settings. The
Outlook Sync - Settings window appears. If you are
importing your contacts from group contact folders, go
to step 7 below.
Select the option Import and export all MYOB cards to the
default contacts folder and then click OK.
7 Click Import. A Microsoft warning appears.

3 Select the card types that you want to synchronise.

NOTE : You can synchronise cards from any of the Cards List
tabs (All Cards, Customers, Suppliers, Employees and
Personal). The default card type selected will vary
according to the tab you are on when you clicked Sync Cards.

SYNCHRONISING MYOB CARDS AND MICROSOFT OUTLOOK CONTACTS 216

8 Select a period for your MYOB software to access your 12 Review the import summary.
Outlook contacts:
a Select Allow access for option.
b Select a period from 1 minute to 10 minutes.
c Click Yes.

The import process starts and the Blank Field Warning

window appears.
9 Click Continue.
10 If you selected the Update existing contacts rule or the Do
not update existing contacts rule, the Outlook Sync -
Import Summary window appears. Go to step 12 below.
Updated or The number of cards added or updated in
11 If you selected the Ask me to confirm updates rule, the added cards your MYOB cards.
Outlook Sync - Confirm Update of MYOB card window
appears. Updated or The number of cards updated but the
added cards details in your MYOB cards may be
Select how you want to deal with each update. When you with warnings incomplete.
have confirmed all updates the Outlook Sync - Import
Skipped The number of contacts you chose to skip
Summary window appears.
contacts (if you selected update rule Ask me to
confirm updates) and the number of
contacts that were not imported because
they contained blank Outlook contact
fields.

NOTE : MYOB import log If you want to view a list of the

records updated and the problems encountered during the
import, refer to the MYOBImport.html file. This
file—readable by any Internet browser—can be found in the
OutlookSync folder, which is located in your MYOB
software’s program folder.

SYNCHRONISING MYOB CARDS AND MICROSOFT OUTLOOK CONTACTS 217

Customising cards

Custom fields 2 Click the zoom arrow next to the card you want to edit.
The Card Information window appears.
If you need to record certain information about your 3 Click the Card Details tab and type the information you
contacts, but cannot find a suitable card field for it, you may want to record in the appropriate custom field.
want to set up a custom field.
For example, you could set up a field to record your
customers’ birthdays or a field to record the dates of your Card identification codes
employees’ most recent performance review.
If you have assigned identification codes (IDs) such as
You can set up three custom fields for each card type and customer numbers or account numbers to your customers,
label them according to your needs. You can then enter any you can enter those IDs in their cards.
information you like in those fields.
You can also set a preference that will let you select
If you need to, you can show this information in a report by customers by their ID instead of their last name or company
selecting the custom fields in the Report Fields tab of the name when entering a transaction. Customer search lists will
Report Customisation window. also be sorted by their ID when this preference is set.For more
information, see ‘To select contacts using Card IDs’ on
To set up custom fields page 219.
1 Go to the Lists menu, choose Custom List and Field Names
The Card ID preference affects all card types If you
NOTE :
and then choose the card type for which you want to set choose this preference, you have to select all card types by their
up a custom field, for example, Customers. The Custom IDs.
List and Field Names window appears.
2 Type the names of the custom fields you want to set up
for the card type you have selected in the Name of
To enter an identification code
Custom Field fields. For example, you could enter 1 Go to the Card File command centre and choose Cards
Birthday to record your contacts’ birthdays. List. The Cards List window appears.
3 Click OK. The names you have entered will now appear in 2 Click the zoom arrow next to the card you want to edit.
the Card Details tab of the Card Information window. The Card Information window appears.
3 Enter a unique code of up to 15 alphanumeric characters in
To enter custom field information in a card the Card ID field.
1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List. 4 Press TAB or click OK to save your changes.
The Cards List window appears.

CUSTOMISING CARDS 218

To select contacts using Card IDs 6 Click OK. The picture appears in the Card Details tab.

1 Go to the Setup menu and choose Preferences. The

To replace a picture
Preferences window appears.
2 Click the Windows tab. If you want to replace the picture displayed in a card with
another one, double-click the displayed picture and continue
3 Choose the Select Cards by Card ID, Not Card Name with step 5 in ‘To link a picture’ above.
option.
You can now select cards by their IDs and your card lists To remove a picture
will be sorted by ID instead of by last name or company
name. If you want to remove the displayed picture from the Card
Details tab, double-click the picture. In the Picture
Information window, click Unlink and then click OK. The
Card pictures picture will be removed from the Card Details tab but the
picture file will remain in the Graphics folder.
You can display a picture of your contact by linking a picture
file to their card. The picture appears in the Card Details tab
of the Card Information window.
Any pictures you link are copied to the Graphics folder, which
is located within your company file’s folder. If you move your
company file, you will need to move the Graphics folder as
well.

NOTE :Supported picture formats Pictures need to be saved in

one of the following formats: bmp, jpg, tif, gif, or png.

To link a picture
1 Go to the Card File command centre and click Cards List.
The Cards List window appears.
2 Open the card for which you want to link a picture.
3 Click the Card Details tab and double-click the picture file
area. The Picture Information window appears.
4 Click Link. The Open window appears.
5 Locate the picture file you want to display for this card
and then click Open. The Picture Information window
appears with the selected picture appearing on the right.

CUSTOMISING CARDS 219

Reviewing your contact information

There are several tools you can use to review your contact To print card reports
information.
1 Go to the Reports menu and choose Index to Reports. The
Tool See
Index to Reports window appears.
2 Click the Card tab. The list of card reports appears.
To Do List The Contact Alert tab in the To Do below
List displays contact log entries with 3 Display or print the report that is appropriate to your
recontact dates on or before the needs.
current date.
Following is a list of the default information displayed in
Card Card reports give you lists of contact below each report. If required, you can customise the reports to
reports information in several formats. display more or less details (for information on how to
Find Find Transactions helps you quickly page 172 customise a report, see ‘Customising reports’ on
Transactions find all transactions for a contact. page 189).

Report Description
To view contact alerts
Card List A list of your contacts with their phone
1 Click To Do List in any command centre. The To Do List
Summary numbers, current balances and identifiers.
window appears.
Card List A list of some of the information contained in
2 Click the Contact Alert tab. A list of all individuals and Detail your contacts’ cards, including Address 1 and
businesses you need to contact appears. Address 2.

NOTE :Reminders that fall on a closed day If the recontact Addresses The contact name, address and phone number
date falls on a day that you have indicated as being closed in entered for Address 1 in each card.
the Business Calendar (accessible from the Setup menu), the Card A list of the transactions that have been
reminder will appear on the business day prior to the
Transactions allocated to your contacts for a selected period.
recontact date.
Contact Log A list of contact log entry details. The total of
the elapsed time recorded in the log entries is
The Overdue column shows how many days have elapsed displayed for each contact.
since the recontact date you specified on the contact log
entry. Identifiers A list of the identifier codes and their
descriptions.
To clear a reminder from the list, click in the select column
Overdue A list of contact log entries with recontact
next to the contact log entry and then click Remove.
Contacts dates that are dated on or before the day you
select in the report filter.

REVIEWING YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION 220

REVIEWING YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION 221
16 Financial control

FINANCIAL CONTROL
You can control finances by setting budgets, auditing your records and by reviewing and analysing your financial activities.

Tracking financial information

You can track financial information at three levels: Accounts

 Accounts level—view the profitability and financial details
of your business as a whole. The accounts list could be set up to provide a basic overview
of the business’s overall performance. For example, the
 Categories level—view the profitability and financial following income accounts could be used:
details of your individual business divisions, departments,
properties, offices or locations. 4-0000 Income [Header]
 Jobs level—view the profitability and financial details of 4-1000 Car Sales [Header]
the individual jobs or tasks carried out for customers and
4-1010 New Car Sales [Detail]
clients.
The following example will illustrate how accounts, 4-1020 Pre-owned Car Sales [Detail]
categories and jobs may be interrelated: 4-2000 Service and Parts Income [Header]
A car dealer has two lines of business—car sales and a service 4-2010 Service Income [Detail]
department. The car sales department sells both new and
4-2020 Parts Income [Detail]
pre-owned vehicles. The service department regularly takes
on multiple jobs for particular customers. 4-2030 Accessories Income [Detail]

You could set up your MYOB software in the following way,

although this is just one of many ways. When entering a transaction, the appropriate account is
allocated to each individual amount. A standard profit and
loss statement can then be printed to show income and
expenses generated by the business.

220
 Setting up accounts You can set up your accounts using the the categories assigned to purchases appearing in the Pay Bills
Easy Setup Assistant or in the Accounts command centre. For window will also be assigned to the payment.
more information, see ‘To create an account’ on page 22.

To enable allocation of categories

Categories 1 Go to the Setup menu and choose Preferences.
Categories enable you to track the profitability of 2 Click the System tab.
departments, offices, properties and other business 3 Select the Turn on Category Tracking option. If you want
segments. to make the selection of a category mandatory for all
For example, the sales department of a car dealership could transactions, choose Required from the list.
use categories to help them track the profitability of the car
models they sell: say, model A, model B and model C. To create a category
When entering a transaction, you need to allocate the 1 Go to the Lists menu and choose Categories. The
appropriate category to it. You can then prepare a profit and Categories List window appears.
loss statement for each category.
2 Click New. The Edit Category window appears.
Categories can be assigned to the following transaction
3 In the Category ID field, type a code that will be used to
types:
identify the category and press TAB.
 spend money
4 In the Category Name field, type the name of the
 receive money category.
 transfer money 5 In the Description field, type a description of the
 general journal entries category or notes relating to the category.
 sales
 purchases
 build items
 inventory transfers
 inventory adjustments
 historical sales and purchases.

NOTE :You cannot allocate categories to certain transactions

There are certain transactions to which you cannot allocate a 6 Click OK.
category. These are: Pay Bills, Receive Payments, Prepare Bank
Deposit, Settle Returns and Credits/Debits and Pay/Receive
Refunds. When entering these transactions, the categories
assigned to the original transactions will be used. For example,

221 CHAPTER 16 FINANCIAL CONTROL

Jobs There are two types of jobs; header and detail.
 Header jobs total associated detail jobs (including detail
Jobs can be set up to track income and expenses related to sub-jobs). You cannot assign transactions to header jobs.
specific jobs. This is particularly useful when multiple jobs are
performed for a single customer. When you enter a  Detail jobs are assigned to transactions to track income,
transaction, the appropriate job number can be assigned to costs and expenses.
each individual amount. This enables you to associate several
jobs with the various amounts in a single transaction. To create a header job
For example, if a purchase includes parts for three customers, 1 Go to the Lists menu and choose Jobs. The Jobs List
you could select each of the three jobs to which that window appears.
purchase relates. A profit an loss statement can then be 2 Click New. The New Job window appears.
prepared for each job and actual results can be compared
with budgeted values to produce a Jobs [Budget Analysis] 3 Select Header Job and enter a job number, name and
report. description.

Similarly, sub-jobs allow you to track individual jobs that form 4 If you want to create this job as a sub-job of another
part of a larger job. For example, if you are a graphic designer header job, type or make a selection from the Sub-job Of
working on a number of print and multimedia deliverables for field.
your client, you could use sub-jobs to track the individual 5 Click OK. The header job appears in the Jobs List window.
deliverables: website design, business cards production and
brochure layout. To create a detail job
Setting up jobs and sub-jobs You can keep a detailed record 1 Go to the Lists menu and choose Jobs. The Jobs List
of your jobs and sub-jobs. If you intend to use sub-jobs, you window appears.
first need to create jobs, and then assign sub-jobs to them. 2 Click New. The New Job window appears.
Specific job-tracking tasks may include: 3 Select Detail Job.
 organising jobs in a hierarchy 4 In the Job Number field, type a code for the job and press
 setting budgets for each job TAB.
 linking jobs to specific customers 5 Enter additional information about the job, such as a job
 assigning jobs to individual line items on transactions name, description and start date.

 tracking reimbursable expenses for your jobs

 preparing invoices to reimburse job expenses
 analysing the profit and loss of a job.

TRACKING FINANCIAL INFORMATION 222

 6 If you are creating a sub-job, select a header job in the To enter opening balances for jobs
Sub-job Of list. Note, you can only assign detail jobs to
header jobs, not to other detail jobs. If you started using MYOB software while a particular job was
in progress, you can create the job and then enter any
account activity generated by the job so far in the Job
Opening Balances window.
You can enter opening balances only for detail jobs. Header
jobs take their balances from the detail jobs below them.
1 Go to the Setup menu, choose Balances and then Job
Opening Balances. The Job Opening Balances window
appears.
2 In the Job Number field, type or select the job for which
you want to enter an opening balance.
7 If you want to link the job to a customer, type or select a
3 In the Opening Balances column, type the opening
customer in the Linked Customer field. This is useful if you
balances for each account.
intend to seek reimbursement for goods and services
purchased on the customer’s behalf in the future. 4 Repeat from step 2 for each job with an opening balance.
You can view details of all jobs linked to a customer in the 5 Click OK when you have finished.
Jobs tab of the customer’s card.
8 Click OK. The Jobs List window reappears.
9 Review the hierarchy of jobs you have created. If you need
to change the details of a job, select the job and click Edit.

223 CHAPTER 16 FINANCIAL CONTROL

To enter budget amounts for jobs 2 Highlight the detail job for which you want to enter
budgets.
You can enter budgets for detail jobs. The budget information
you enter for each job is used to help you assess your progress 3 Click Budgets. The Job Budgets by Account window
on a particular job and to determine the job’s effect on the appears, with the number of the job you selected in the
state of your business. The amounts you enter will be Job Number field.
recorded against accounts in your accounts list for All your company’s income, cost of sales, expense, other
comparison purposes. Once you begin recording transactions income and other expense accounts appear in the
for the job, you will be able to print the Jobs [Budget Analysis] scrolling list.
report to see a comparison between the actual amounts and
4 In the Budgets column, type the amounts you have
the amounts you have budgeted for the job.
budgeted for specific accounts for this job and then click
1 Go to the Lists menu and choose Jobs. The Jobs List OK.
window appears.

Budgets

When you prepare a budget, you are predicting the financial accounts for specific assets and liabilities. To decide on the
state of your business. For example, you could prepare a accounts that will require a budget, consider what changes
budget that predicts how much you intend to spend and earn you anticipate in your business and the financial impacts
over the next financial year. Having a budget means that, as these changes will have. For example, you may be considering
the year progresses, you can track projected data against taking a new loan (which will affect your Bank Loans account).
actual data and take corrective action if things are not going
according to plan. What period can I budget for? You can create a budget for
the current financial year and the next financial year.
You can also use budgets to plan for future goals. For example,
you may want to undertake a new business venture in the Reviewing your budget You can review your budgets
coming year. By creating a budget, you can work out the periodically to track your financial progress and see if it is
amount of money you will need for the venture, where this going to plan. A slight variation from the budget is normal.
money will come from, and the impact that the venture will Large variations, on the other hand, may need investigation.
have on other aspects of your business. For example, if you have a large increase in accounts
receivable, it may indicate that your customers are taking
What do I need to budget? You can enter budgets for
longer than expected to pay their account.
individual detailed accounts. The accounts that require a
budget will vary according to your business. Most people You can compare your budgeted amount with actual account
prepare budgets for Profit and Loss accounts such as Income, balances by viewing the Budget Analysis reports for Balance
Cost of Sales and Expenses accounts, and Balance Sheet Sheet and Profit and Loss accounts. For information on

BUDGETS 224
 displaying, customising and printing reports, see Chapter 13, 4 From the Account Type list, choose the type of account
’Reports,’ starting on page 184. you want to enter a budget for—Profit and Loss or Balance
Sheet.
For each month, click in the appropriate cell and type the
Entering budget amounts 5
amount. If you want to enter a negative amount, insert a
You can use the Prepare Budgets window to enter budget hyphen before the figure (for example, -250).
amounts for each month of the current or next financial year. As you enter data, the FY Total column will display the
If you want to quickly enter budget amounts for a group of total budget for each account.
months, you can use the Budget Shortcuts window.
As the year progresses, you can choose to either adjust A B

budget figures or leave them unchanged.

Entering positive and negative amounts By default, the

amount you enter will be assumed to be a positive amount.
You can enter negative budget amounts by inserting a hyphen
before the amount (for example, -250). When you enter a
negative amount, you are indicating that the balance of the
account is going to reduce.

Using existing data If you have already prepared a budget in

a spreadsheet or in other software, you may be able to import
that information into your MYOB software. For more C D E
information on how to import account budgets, see
‘Importing data’ on page 262. A The Account Name and FY Total columns display the list of
accounts and their current budget totals for the financial
You can also use the previous financial year’s data as a basis for year.
your budget.
B You can enter the budget amount for a specific account and
month in this section. You can use the horizontal scroll bar to
To enter the budget for an account scroll through the months.
1 Go to the Accounts command centre and click Accounts C Click Shortcuts to open the Budget Shortcuts window from
List. The Accounts List window appears. where you can quickly enter budget amounts for the
selected account.
2 Click Budgets. The Prepare Budgets window appears.
For more details on this feature, see ‘Budget Shortcuts
The window lists the Profit and Loss accounts by default. window’, on page 226.

3 From the Financial Year list, choose whether you want to D Click Copy Amount to Following Months to copy the
enter a budget for this financial year or the next one. selected amount to the months that follow.

E Click Copy Previous Year’s Actual Data to insert the previous

year’s account balances for the selected account and month.

225 CHAPTER 16 FINANCIAL CONTROL

6 Click Close to close the Prepare Budgets window. The fields change according to the period you select.

Select If you want to...

Budget Shortcuts window
Each Month enter the same amount for every
If you want to quickly enter budget figures for a group of month of the year or a set increase
or decrease every month (starting
months, you can use the Budget Shortcuts window. You can
from a base amount)
use this window to enter quarterly, half-yearly and yearly
budgets. You can also enter a budget that increases or Period starting from enter a total amount for a group of
decreases by a specific amount every month. selected Month consecutive months

Each Quarter enter the total amount for each

To enter a budget using Budget Shortcuts quarter

1 Go to the Accounts command centre and click Accounts Each half of the enter the total amount for each half
Financial Year of the year
List. The Accounts List window appears.
Financial Year yyyy enter the total amount for the entire
2 Click Budgets. The Prepare Budgets window appears.
financial year, (where yyyy is your
3 Highlight the account you want to enter the budget for by financial year)
clicking in the appropriate row.
4 Click Shortcuts. The Budget Shortcuts window appears. 6 Enter the budget amounts in the appropriate fields.
Amounts that cover more than one month (such as
5 From the Budget for list, select a time period: quarterly, half-yearly and yearly amounts, and amounts for
a group of months) will be divided equally among all the
months in the group.
If you selected the Each Month option, you can also set a
base budget amount for the first month, and the amount
or percentage by which this will vary every month
onwards.
7 When you have finished entering the information, click
OK. The Prepare Budgets window reappears with the new
amounts entered for the selected account.
If the account already has budget figures, a message
appears asking if you want to replace the existing budget.
Select a time
Click OK to replace the budget, or Cancel if you want to
keep the existing amounts (you will be returned to the
Budget Shortcuts window where you may need to click
Cancel again).
If you have not entered any amounts for the budget, a
message appears asking if you want to enter zero

BUDGETS 226
 amounts. Click OK if you want to do this, or Cancel if you
want to change the amounts.

Auditing your records

A range of features are available to help you ensure the The changes that are recorded are outlined below:
accuracy of the records in your company file. These features
are outlined below. Change type Description

Transactional • deletion of transaction

Company Data Auditor •
•
change of card selection
change of ID #
The Company Data Auditor allows you to check the accuracy • change of date
of the records in your company file. You can use the auditor to • change of amount on any line
perform maintenance tasks and reconcile bank and credit card • change of account on any line
• change of item selection
accounts.
• change of job selection.
The auditor also checks your transactions for exceptions such
Account • change of the current account number
as invoices that do not reconcile with your receivables
• change of the account’s opening balance
account, future-dated transactions, and audit trail changes.
• addition of a new account
For more information on how to use the Company Data
• deletion of an account.
Auditor, see ‘Run the Company Data Auditor’ on page 233.
System • Change of the linked account selection in
any of the Linked Accounts windows
Audit trail tracking system • change to the lock periods security
preference (this includes changes of the
You can track specific transactional, account and system lock period date and the
selection/deselection of the preference)
changes made to your company file using an audit-trail
• change to the Transactions CAN'T be
tracking system. You can then print an Audit Trail report Changed; They must be Reversed
which lists all the changes recorded in a specified date range. preference
To track changes, go to the Setup menu, choose Preferences • change to the Use Audit Trail Tracking
and then select the Use Audit Trail Tracking option in the preference.
Security tab.

227 CHAPTER 16 FINANCIAL CONTROL

Change type Description

Payroll [MYOB • Changes to SOCSO [Malaysia] or CPF

Premier Plus only] [Singapore] schemes, including name,
employer member number and trustee
details
• Changes to department names
Changes to employee cards, including:
• pay rate , monthly salary, hours in a full
time work week, or hours in a full time
work day
• default wages, EPF, SOCSO expenses and
payable accounts and tax payable account
[Malaysia]
• default wages, CPF, SDL and FWL expenses
and payable accounts [Singapore]
• ‘Carry Over’ entitlements
• pay history
• termination details
• payment method
• tax category and no. of child relief
[Malaysia].
Changes to the setup of a payroll category,
including:
• Type of Wages selection
• Type of Entitlement field
• Type of Deduction field or Deduction
Limit field
• Type of Expense field and Expense Limit
field.

AUDITING YOUR RECORDS 228

 Reviewing financial information

There are several tools that you can use to review your panel, you can open additional windows to analyse
financial information: information in more detail.
You can sort the information in tables by clicking in the
Tool Description See relevant table column heading. For example, you can sort the
Business Business Insights enables you to below list of your accounts by account name or type.
Insights analyse information about your You can also save a graph or table as an image so you can use it
cashflow and current cash
in another document. To do this, right-click it and choose:
position
 Copy to Clipboard. This copies the graph or table to the
Analyse Balance This window provides details page 230
Sheet window about your asset, liability and
clipboard, ready to paste into a document.
equity accounts in both graphical  [Graphs only] Save As. Choose where you want to save the
and ledger views. image and click Save. This saves the graph as an image file,
Analyse Profit This window provides detailed page 230 so you can use it later.
& Loss information about your Profit &
Loss accounts in both graphical About the Business Insights panel
and ledger views.

Analyse Jobs This window allows you to view page 230 Bank accounts and credit cards This panel displays the
information about your progress balances of your bank and credit card accounts and shows the
on a particular job, broken down total amount of available cash.
by account.
Click Analyse performance and select the financial year you
Financial Financial reports help you review page 231 want to analyse from the Financial Year list. You can view a
reports of your financial information. graph comparing income to expenses each month, a profit
and loss graph, and information about your top ten selling
Business Insights items and top ten customers for that selected financial year.

Business Insights enables you to analyse key financial Yo can use this information to:
information using a range of interactive tables and graphs.  Identify excessive spending Compare income against
You can use it to analyse your available cash, cash flow, profit expenses and view the resulting profit or loss over a
and loss, and the money that you owe suppliers and the selected financial year.
money that customers owe you. You can open Business  Review your sales performance Identify your top ten
Insights from the Accounts command centre. customers and top-selling items over a selected financial
The Business Insights window presents different types of year.
financial information in four summary panels. From each

229 CHAPTER 16 FINANCIAL CONTROL

 Check account balances Before making a large payment, To analyse your balance sheet
ensure that the account it is drawn from has sufficient
funds. 1 Go to the Accounts command centre and click Analysis.
The Analyse Balance Sheet window appears.
 Compare performance between financial years Get a
visual comparison of the profit and loss and sales 2 Click Filters and choose the time periods and other
performance of one financial year to another. criteria you want to view.
3 Click OK. The information you selected appears in the
Cash position estimate This panel forecasts your cash Analyse Balance Sheet window.
balance for the current month and for the next two months.
The forecasts are based on your current cash balance and the To analyse your profit or loss
money you will receive or spend in the forecast period. The
forecast information is calculated using the following 1 From any command centre, click the Analysis down arrow
formula: and choose Profit and Loss from the menu. The Analyse
Profit & Loss window appears.
total cash balance to date
2 Click Filters and choose the time periods and other
plus estimates of the customer payments and receive
criteria you want to view.
money payments (including recurring payments) that are
due to be received during the forecast period 3 Click OK. The information you selected appears in the
Analyse Profit & Loss window.
less estimates of the supplier payments and spend money
payments (including recurring payments and paycheques)
that are due to be paid during the forecast period. To analyse your jobs
Click Cash analysis to view details of the forecast shown. 1 From any command centre, click the Analysis down arrow
and select Jobs. The Analyse Jobs window appears.
You can use this information to:
2 In the Job Number field, type or select the job you want to
 Plan your expenditure Work out what effect a major
analyse.
purchase or hiring more staff would have on your cash
position. 3 If you use budgets to track the progress of this job, enter
a value in the Percent Complete field. The budget
 Predict cash flow issues View a forecast of your cash
amounts are adjusted to represent the percentage of the
flow for the coming two months.
job completed.
Customer and supplier analysis For more information about
analysing sales and purchases, see ‘Reviewing your sales
information’ on page 63 and ‘Reviewing your purchase
information’ on page 87.

REVIEWING FINANCIAL INFORMATION 230

 To view financial reports Report Description
1 Go to the Reports menu at the top of the screen and
Balance Sheet Lists account balances as at the end of a
choose Index to Reports. The Index to Reports window [Budget Analysis] selected period, along with the budgeted
appears. amounts for them. If you have determined
2 Click the Accounts tab. that changes need to be made to the
amounts you have budgeted for the
There are several account reports that can help you track coming months, you can adjust your
your financial information. These reports are listed below. budget.

Profit & Loss Lists account balances for a selected

Report Description [Budget Analysis] period, along with the budgeted amounts
for them. If you have determined that
Audit Trail Reviews changes made to recorded changes need to be made to the amounts
transactions, account details and system you have budgeted for the coming
settings. months, you can adjust your budget.
Note that before you can track and report
changes, you need to activate the audit Statement of Shows how your cash position has
trail tracking preference. For more Cash Flow changed over a period of time, what
information, see ‘Audit trail tracking profit you have earned, where you
system’ on page 227. received additional cash, and where your
cash was spent.
Profit & Loss Shows your profit and loss figures.
Statement For information on displaying, customising and printing
Balance Sheet Reviews your financial position as of the reports, see Chapter 13, Reports, on page 184.
end of a period.

Summary Trial Identifies amounts incorrectly entered.

Balance When reviewing this report, check for:
• entries that seem unusually high or low
for the account that has been affected
• debit amounts for accounts that
normally have credit entries and vice
versa
• unusually high or low ending balances
• an unusually high or low number of
entries for a specific account.

231 CHAPTER 16 FINANCIAL CONTROL

17 End-of-period procedures

END-OF-PERIOD PROCEDURES
It is important to ensure that your accounting records are accurate. Reconciling the accounts regularly will help you and your accountant
know that your books are complete, accurate and balanced.

Month-end procedures You should reconcile your company file records with any source documents and resources available to you. For
example, your bank account can be reconciled with the bank statement, payable balances can be checked against supplier statements,
and customer’s balances verified. Typical end-of-month procedures include reviewing your trial balance, reviewing your budgets and cash
flow, and purging information that is no longer needed.

Year-end procedures End-of-year procedures are carried out at the end of your financial year and include any adjustments you need to
make to your company file so that it agrees with your accountant’s final records before you start a new financial year. If possible, your
inventory should be counted, valued and, where necessary, adjusted in your company file. Follow the procedures in this chapter to
reconcile the system and close the year. By closing the year in your company file, you are effectively bringing the company file up to date
and removing information not required in the new year.

Month-end procedures

The following is a list of tasks we suggest you complete at the

Task See
end of each month. Depending on the nature of your
business, some of these tasks may not apply to you. 5 Record depreciation page 238

6 Lodge sales tax and GST returns page 239

7 Lodge the CPF Payment Advice page 240

Task See
[MYOB Premier Plus (Singapore)
only]
1 Run the Company Data Auditor page 233
8 Lock periods page 240
2 Reconcile your bank accounts page 49

3 Review reports page 236

4 Send customer statements page 237

232
 Task 1: Run the Company Data Auditor This window shows you:
 the company file name

The Company Data Auditor is a series of windows that guides  the MYOB software release number
you through the process of checking and ensuring the  the location of the company file
accuracy of the records in your MYOB company file. You can  the size of the company file
use the auditor to:  the date on which the company file was last backed up

 display basic information about the company file, such as  the date on which the company file was last verified
the file name, release number, location, size, locked  the end month and year of the current fiscal year
periods, last backup date, etc.  the locked period, if one has been specified.

 perform maintenance tasks, such as back up your company If necessary, you can perform the following maintenance
file and set lock periods tasks from this window:
 display bank and credit card account details, including the
current balance and the date when they were last If you want to... Do this... See
reconciled
Back up your Click Backup and page 251
 reconcile your bank and credit card accounts company file complete the backup
procedure.
 check your transactions for exceptions and audit trail
changes. Check your company Click Verify and complete page 25
file for errors the verification 5
procedure.
To run the company data auditor
Set the locked Click Lock Periods and page 24
1 Go to the Accounts command centre and click Company periods for your select the month before 0
Data Auditor. The Company File Overview window company file which data cannot be
appears. entered.

Load tax\SOCSO Click Load Tax\SOCSO ‘Set up

tables [MYOB Tables and complete the payroll’
Premier Plus procedure for loading tax on
(Malaysia) only] or SOCSO tables. page 31

Load CPF tables Click Load CPF Tables and ‘Set up

[MYOB Premier Plus complete the procedure payroll’
(Singapore) only] for loading CPF tables. on
page 31

233 CHAPTER 17 END-OF-PERIOD PROCEDURES

2 When you have completed the required maintenance 5 Enter the start date and end date of the period you want
tasks, click Next. The Account Reconciliation Review to review.
window appears. 6 Click Run Review. The following tasks are undertaken.

Reconcile invoices The total of all customer balances is

with the linked compared to the current balance of the
receivables account linked accounts receivable account. If
there is an out-of-balance amount, click
Display to view the Receivables
Reconciliation Exceptions report and
review, customise or print the details of
the report.

Reconcile purchases The total of all supplier balances is

with the linked compared to the current balance of the
payables account linked accounts payable account.
If there is an out-of-balance amount,
click Display to view the Payables
This window shows you: Reconciliation Exceptions report and
 your bank and credit card accounts review, customise or print the details of
 the balance of each account the report.
 the date on which each account was last reconciled. Compare item The total value of inventory on-hand is
values with the compared to the current balance of the
3 If you want to reconcile an account, select the account
linked inventory linked inventory account.
and click Reconcile Accounts. For more information, see account If there is an out-of-balance amount,
‘Reconcile your bank accounts’ on page 49. click Display to view the Inventory Value
4 Click Next. The Transaction Review window appears. Exceptions report and review, customise
or print the details of the report.

Scan for The company file is checked for any

future-dated transactions dated after the date of the
transactions current session (that is, the current
date).
If there are transactions dated after the
current session, click Display to view the
Future Dated Transactions report and
review, customise or print the details of
the report.

MONTH-END PROCEDURES 234

 Scan for prepaid The company file is checked for any Check for job If you have selected the Warn if Jobs Are
transactions prepaid transactions. These exceptions [Cash Not Assigned to All Transactions
transactions include all customer and Transactions] [System-wide] option in the Preferences
supplier payments (excluding deposit window (System tab), the company file
payments) that have a payment date is checked for cash transactions (within
prior to the date of the invoice or the date range specified) that have no
purchase. job number.
If there are payments made prior to the If any transactions are detected with no
invoice or purchase date, click Display job number, click Display to view the Job
to view the Prepayment Transactions Exceptions [Cash Transactions] report
report and review, customise or print and review, customise or print the
the details of the report. details of the report.

Scan for deposits The company file is checked for any Check for job If you have selected the Warn if Jobs Are
paid deposits paid (within the date range exceptions [Invoice Not Assigned to All Transactions
specified) on sales orders or purchase Transactions] [System-wide] option in the Preferences
orders. window (System tab), the company file
If any orders have a payment flagged as is checked for sales and purchase
a deposit transaction, click Display to transactions (within the date range
view the Deposit Transactions report specified) that have no job number.
and review, customise or print the If any transactions are detected with no
details of the report. job number, click Display to view the Job
Exceptions [Invoice Transactions] report
Review audit trail If you have selected the Use Audit Trail and review, customise or print the
changes Tracking [System-wide] option in the details of the report.
Preferences window (Security tab), the
company file is checked for any
7 When you have finished viewing and, if necessary, printing
transactional, accounts, and system
changes. the Transaction Review reports, click Next. The Tax
If any changes occurred within the date Exception Review window appears.
range specified, click Display to view
the Audit Trail report and review,
customise or print the details of the
report. For more information on audit
trail tracking, see ‘Audit trail tracking
system’ on page 227.

235 CHAPTER 17 END-OF-PERIOD PROCEDURES

8 Click Run Review. The following tasks are undertaken. print the report or click No to close the Company Data
Auditor window without printing the report.
Check for tax code The company file is checked for
amount variances variances between the tax code amount
[Sales] posted and the tax code amount
calculated for the tax codes assigned to
Task 2: Reconcile your bank accounts
sales transactions. If a variance is found,
To ensure the accuracy of your business records, you should
click Display to view the Tax Code
Amount Variance report and review, keep your record of each bank account balance matched up
customise or print the details of the with your bank’s records.
report.
If you are reconciling your bank account for the first time
Check for tax code The company file is checked for since you started using your MYOB software, see ‘Do an initial
amount variances variances between the tax code amount bank reconciliation’ on page 32.
[Purchases] posted and the tax code amount
calculated for the tax codes assigned to
purchase transactions. If a variance is
found, click Display to view the Tax
Task 3: Review reports
Code Amount Variance report and
review, customise or print the details of
There are several reports that we recommend you review at
the report. the end of each month. You can use these reports to identify
and correct any discrepancies in your records, as well as spot
Check for tax code The company file is checked for sale and
any trends in your business. These reports are listed below.
exceptions (invoice purchase transactions without a tax
transactions). code assigned or where the entered tax
code is different to the default tax code.
Create a report batch You may find it useful to create a
TIP :
report batch for your month-end reports and print them all in
If any invoice transactions are detected one go. For more information, see ‘Printing report batches’ on
with no tax code or the wrong code, page 188.
click Display to view the Tax Exemptions
[Invoice Transactions] report and review,
customise or print details of the report.
Report Description
Check for tax code The company file is checked for Spend
exceptions (cash Money and Receive Money transactions Receivables Lists all your outstanding receivables.
transactions). without a tax code assigned or where Reconciliation
the entered tax code is different to the
Payables Lists all your outstanding payables.
default tax code.
Reconciliation
If any cash transactions are detected
with no tax code or the wrong code, Analyse Sales Lists your company’s sales activity and
click Display to view the Tax Exemptions [Customer] trends on a month-by-month basis.
[Cash Transactions] report and review,
customise or print details of the report. Analyse Purchases Lists your company’s monthly purchases.
[Supplier]

9 Click Finish. A message appears asking if you would like to Items List [Summary] Shows what’s on-hand and what needs to
print a report summarising the audit findings. Click Yes to be ordered.

MONTH-END PROCEDURES 236

 Report Description Report Description

Audit Trail Reviews changes made to recorded Statement of Cash Shows how your cash position has
transactions, account details and system Flow changed over a period of time, what profit
settings. you have earned, where you received
Note that before you can track and report additional cash, and where your cash was
changes, you need to activate the audit spent.
trail tracking preference. For more
Cash Flow Worksheet Enables you to estimate your short-term
information, see ‘Audit trail tracking
cash needs.
system’ on page 227.

Profit & Loss Shows your profit and loss figures.

Statement Task 4: Send customer statements
Balance Sheet Reviews your financial position as of the
end of a period. Most businesses send statements to customers who have
outstanding balances at the end of each month. You can
Summary Trial Identifies amounts incorrectly entered.
Balance When reviewing this report, check for:
either print out and send these statements through the mail
• entries that seem unusually high or low or send them via email.
for the account that has been affected
• debit amounts for accounts that Statement types You can choose from two types of
normally have credit entries and vice customer statement; invoice and activity.
versa  Invoice statements list all invoices aged as at a specified
• unusually high or low ending balances
date.
an unusually high or low number of entries
for a specific account.  Activity statements list all sales invoices, payments, and
orders with a customer deposit within a specified date
Balance Sheet Lists account balances as at the end of a
[Budget Analysis] selected period, along with the budgeted
range. Activity statements include a running account
amounts for them. If you have determined balance.
that changes need to be made to the
amounts you have budgeted for the To print a customer statement
coming months, you can adjust your
budget. 1 Go to the Sales command centre and click Print/Email
Profit & Loss Lists account balances for a selected
Statements. The Review Statements Before Delivery
[Budget Analysis] period, along with the budgeted amounts window appears.
for them. If you have determined that 2 Click the To Be Printed tab.
changes need to be made to the amounts
you have budgeted for the coming 3 In the Statement Type field, select the statement type.
months, you can adjust your budget.
4 Specify the statement period.
 If you selected Invoice as the statement type, enter an
aging date to display invoices outstanding as at that
date.

237 CHAPTER 17 END-OF-PERIOD PROCEDURES

  If you selected Activity as the statement type, enter default message, click Email Defaults and make the
the statement period in the From and to fields. changes as appropriate.
5 In the Print field, type the number of statements you want 9 If you want to filter or customise the statement, or to
to print per customer. change the type of form it will be printed on, click
6 Click Advanced Filters to filter and customise the Advanced Filters. For more information, see ‘Advanced
information to be displayed in the customer statement. filters’ on page 195.
For more information, see ‘Advanced filters’ on page 195. 10 Click Send Email.
7 Click in the select column ( ) next to the name of each
customer you want to print statements for.
Task 5: Record depreciation
8 Click Print.

If you depreciate your assets at the end of the financial

To email a customer statement NOTE :
year, make this step a part of your end-of-year routine. Consult
1 Go to the Sales command centre and click Print/Email your tax adviser or accountant for information on when to
depreciate your assets.
Statements. The Review Statements Before Delivery
window appears.
2 Click the To Be Emailed tab. Your company’s vehicles and equipment lose value each year.
Part of the cost of vehicles and equipment can be allocated as
3 In the Statement Type field, select the statement type. an expense to your company each year you benefit from their
4 Specify the statement period. use. The allocation of the cost of a piece of equipment over
 If you selected Invoice as the statement type, enter an its useful life is called depreciation.
aging date to display invoices outstanding as at that There are several methods of depreciation. Consult your
date. accountant to see whether you should be depreciating
 If you selected Activity as the statement type, enter vehicles and equipment and, if you should, which method is
the statement period in the From and to fields. best for you.
5 If you want to include invoices up to the specified You record your depreciation figures using a journal entry.
statement date, select the Only include invoices up to
Statement Date option. To record depreciation expense
6 Click in the select column ( ) next to the name of each
1 Create a new asset account for each type of asset you
customer you want to email statements to.
depreciate. Add the words ‘Accum Dep’ (for Accumulated
7 If you want to change a customer’s email address, Depreciation) at the end of each new account name. Give
highlight their name and select an address from the Email the new account a number that allows it to come directly
Address list ( ). Alternatively, type the email address in after its corresponding asset account in the accounts list.
the Email Address field. For more information, see ‘To create an account’ on
8 Type the subject and message of the email or accept the page 22.
default subject and message. If you want to change the

MONTH-END PROCEDURES 238

 In the following example, we have a header account, 2 Create an expense account for depreciation.
Vehicles, numbered 1-1600, and a detail account, Vehicles 3 Once you have determined your depreciation amounts,
Original Cost, numbered 1-1610. We have created a new make journal entries to credit the accumulated
asset account called Vehicles Accum Dep, numbered depreciation asset accounts and debit the depreciation
1-1620. expense account. The accumulated depreciation asset
accounts will always have a negative balance to show a
reduction in the value of the depreciable assets.

Task 6: Lodge sales tax and GST returns

Many businesses are required by the government to submit
tax returns. To determine the amounts you need to include on
your tax returns, you need to produce the tax reports that are
available in your MYOB software.
To view a list of the tax reports, go to the Index to Reports
window and select the GST/Sales Tax tab.

239 CHAPTER 17 END-OF-PERIOD PROCEDURES

Task 7: Lodge the CPF Payment Advice
[MYOB Premier Plus (Singapore) only]
If you are required to submit a CPF Payment Advice each
month, you can do this using the Print Tax/CPF Forms
assistant in the Payroll command centre. For instructions, see
‘Prepare income tax and statutory forms’ on page 245.

Task 8: Lock periods

After you have completed your month-end tasks, you should
lock that month using the Lock Periods feature. This will
prevent you from inadvertently making an entry in a month in
which you do not want new entries.
1 Go to the Setup menu and choose Preferences. The
Preferences window appears.
2 Click the Security tab.
3 Select the Lock Periods: Disallow Entries Prior to option
and choose the relevant date. This selection places a
temporary lock on the period before that date. If you need
to make an entry in a locked period at a later time—for
example, you locked October, and now want to make an
entry in September—you can unlock that period in the
Preferences window.

MONTH-END PROCEDURES 240

 Starting a new financial year

With MYOB software, you do not need to close your financial To perform a stocktake
year at any particular time. You can continue to use your
company file after the last month of your current financial 1 Go to the Inventory command centre and click Count
year. Inventory. The Count Inventory window appears.

Complete the tasks listed below to close your financial year 2 Click Print to print the Inventory Count Sheet report.
and start a new one. 3 Count the inventory on-hand and note down the
quantities on the Inventory Count Sheet.
Task See 4 Make the necessary adjustments in the Count Inventory
1 Complete month-end tasks below window so that the inventory quantities shown in your
company file match your counted items on-hand. For
2 Perform a stocktake below more information, see ‘Performing stocktakes’ on
3 Provide information to your below page 135.
accountant

4 Enter end-of-year adjustments page 242

Task 3: Provide information to your
5 Back up your company file page 243
accountant
6 Start a new financial year page 243
Once you have completed your year-end tasks, you can send
7 Optimise your company file page 244
your accounting data to your accountant.
Accountants routinely ask their clients to provide financial
Task 1: Complete month-end tasks information in an electronic format that can be loaded into
their software. This makes it easier for the accountants to
Make sure you complete each of the month-end tasks. See examine and analyse their clients’ records. After examining
‘Month-end procedures’ on page 232. these records, accountants may make adjustments to the
records that need to be entered into your MYOB software.
If your accountant requests an electronic copy of your
Task 2: Perform a stocktake accounting records, you can export your accounts list,
account balances and journal entries and send these files to
If you track inventory quantities and values, you should
your accountant. For more information, see ‘Exporting data’
perform an inventory count when all transactions affecting
on page 261.
inventory for the financial year have been entered.

241 CHAPTER 17 END-OF-PERIOD PROCEDURES

To export information to your accountant  Disk—If you want to save the file to disk and send it by
post, click Disk. Enter a name and location for the
export file in the window that appears. The default
NOTE :MYOB Accountants Office This procedure is only
relevant if your accountant uses MYOB Accountants Office. name for the export file is companyfilename.MYE. You
can change the file name if you want but you must
retain the ‘.MYE’ extension. Click Save.
1 Go to the File menu and choose AccountantLink and then
Send to Accountant. The Send to Accountant window
appears. Task 4: Enter end-of-year adjustments
Your accountant is likely to provide you with a number of
adjustments, such as journal transactions. If they have been
provided electronically, you can import these transactions (see
‘Importing data’ on page 262). If the adjustments have been
provided on paper, you can manually enter them in the Record
Journal Entry window.
If you send information to your accountant using the
AccountantLink feature (see ‘To export information to your
accountant’ above), you can import the adjusting journals
your accountant sends you. For more information, see ‘To
import general journals from your accountant’ on page 243.
2 From the Dated to end of list, select the relevant. Make sure your accountant has sent you the journal
Transactions recorded to the end of this month will be adjustment file as a text file with a .txt extension.
exported.
3 If you want to include journal entries in the export file, To record adjustments manually
select the Include Journal Entries in Export File option.
If your company file is set to 13 accounting periods in the
4 Choose the method you want to use to send the financial year, assign your adjustments to the 13th period by
information. entering an asterisk (*) before the date, for example,
 Email—If you want to email the file, select your *30/9/2012.
accountant’s name in the Email to field and then click 1 Go to the Accounts command centre and click Record
email. The email address entered on the accountant’s Journal Entry. The Record Journal Entry window appears.
card will be used when the email is created in your email
program. The default name for the export file is The general journal number and transaction date appear
companyfilename.MYE. by default. You can change these if necessary.

STARTING A NEW FINANCIAL YEAR 242

 2 [Optional] In the Memo field, type a comment to describe To import general journals from your accountant
the journal entry, for example, Depreciation of Motor
Vehicles. 1 Go to the File menu, choose AccountantLink, Receive
from Accountant and then Lists of Accounts. A message
appears, informing you that the levels within your existing
accounts list may need to be amended.
2 Click Yes to continue the import. The Open window
appears.
3 Locate and select the file containing the general journals
sent by your accountant.
4 Click Open. The accounts are imported and a message
appears, giving you the results of the import. If there are
any errors, read the information in the MYOBLOG file
[MYOB Accounting] or MYOBPLOG file [MYOB Premier
range] which can be found in the folder where your
company file is stored.

Each row of information entered in the scrolling list is a Task 5: Back up your company file
line item. The line item details are provided by your
Make a backup of your company file after you have finished
accountant.
entering adjustments and store it in a safe location. See
3 For each line item: ‘Backing up and restoring company files’ on page 250. Make
a Type or select the account number (or name) from the sure you verify the company file as part of the backup
account list. process. See ‘Checking your company file for errors’ on
b In the Debit and Credit fields, type the debit or credit page 255.
amount for the line item.
c [Optional] In the Job field, enter the job number for the
line item.
Task 6: Start a new financial year
d [Optional] In the Memo field, type a description of the If you have completed steps 1–5, you are now ready to start a
line item. new financial year.
e In the Tax column, enter the appropriate tax code for
Make sure that all transactions for the year that’s ending are
the adjustment. entered in your company file before you begin closing the
year. That way, you can avoid making adjusting general journal
Journal entry must be balanced The journal entry
NOTE :
cannot be recorded until the Out of Balance field is zero. entries in the new year and your yearly records will be more
accurate. This will also make it easier for you to compare your
company’s performance from one year to the next.
4 Click Record to record the journal entry.

243 CHAPTER 17 END-OF-PERIOD PROCEDURES

If you have an accountant who produces your year-end To start a new financial year
financial reports, you may need to wait for your accountant
to provide you with any adjusting entries that may be needed.
NOTE : Single-user access [MYOB Premier range only] Note that
When you start a new financial year: this task requires single-user access. For more information, see
‘Single-user file locking for special tasks’ on page 258.
 The previous financial year’s monthly totals for all
accounts are changed to ‘last year’ categories. If ‘last
year’ amounts already existed, those amounts will be 1 Go to the File menu, choose Start a New Year and then
replaced. Start a New Financial Year. The Start a New Financial Year
window appears.
 The balance of your current-year earnings account is
transferred to your retained earnings account. 2 Follow the instructions that appear. If you need help, click
Help and then choose Help for This Window.
 The balances of your income, cost of sales, expense, other
income and other expense accounts are returned to zero.
 Closed sales, closed purchases and journal entries Task 7: Optimise your company file
assigned to closed sales and closed purchases are kept or
purged according to your selections in the Start a New Once the Start a New Year procedure is complete, we
Financial Year assistant. recommend that you optimise and verify your company file.
For more information, see ‘Optimising your company file’ on
page 255.

Starting a new payroll year

Payroll is only available in MYOB Premier Plus. Do the following tasks to close your current payroll year and
You must close the payroll year in the last month of your start a new payroll year.
payroll year or soon after. Otherwise, you will not be able to
enter pays for the next payroll year. Task See

1 Process the last pays for the year page 24

5

2 Print payroll reports page 24

5

3 Prepare income tax and statutory forms page 24

5

STARTING A NEW PAYROLL YEAR 244

 Task See Task 3: Prepare income tax and
4 Back up your company file page 24
statutory forms
8
You can use your MYOB software to print the following forms:
5 Start a new payroll year page 24
8
Malaysia Singapore
6 Check that you have the latest tax, page 24
SOCSO or CPF tables 9 Income Tax (Borang EA) Income Tax (Form IR8A)

7 Optimise and verify your company file. page 24 Income Tax (Borang CP 159) CPF (Payment Advice)
9 Income Tax (Borang CP 39) CPF (Form CPF 92)

Income Tax (Borang CP

Task 1: Process the last pays for the 39A)

year EPF (Borang A)

SOCSO (Borang 8A)

You must make sure that all pays for the payroll year you are
about to close have been entered. For more information, see Most of the information required for these forms will
‘Processing your payroll’ on page 113. automatically be extracted from:
 your employee cards
Task 2: Print payroll reports  the General Payroll Information window (accessible from
the Setup menu)
Review the following reports to make sure payroll
 the Company Information window (accessible from the
transactions are correct.
Setup menu)
 Payroll Register Detail report—shows the pay history of
 the pays that you have processed for the employees.
your employees.
Use the assistant to view the information that will be
 Payroll Register Summary report—shows the pay amounts
included on the forms and to make any necessary changes.
recorded.

[Malaysia] To prepare income tax and statutory forms

1 Go to the Payroll command centre and click Print
Tax/EPF/SOCSO Forms. The Print Tax/EPF/SOCSO Forms
assistant appears.
2 Select the form you want to prepare and the payroll year.

245 CHAPTER 17 END-OF-PERIOD PROCEDURES

3 [Borang CP 39, 39A, 8A or A] Select the month for which 8 If required, type your company’s contact and company
you are reporting. details.
9 Click Next. Complete the tasks relevant to your form.
[Borang EA only] Select the employees for whom you want
to print a tax form by clicking in the select column. If you
want to view or edit the details that will be printed on an
employee’s form, click the zoom arrow next to the
employee’s name and make any changes in the window
that appears. When finished, click OK.
[Borang CP 159] Click Details to view your payment details
and record your receipt numbers. When finished, click OK.
[Borang CP 39, CP 39A, 8A or A] Click Details to record
your payment details and receipt numbers. Note that the
4 [Borang CP 39A only] From the Bonus paid for list, select details in this window vary according to the form you are
the year you paid tax on employees’ bonus. preparing. When finished, click OK.
5 [Borang EA form only] Click Configuration.
Link each field in the left column to the appropriate
payroll categories in the right column. This will ensure
that all activity recorded against the payroll categories is
transferred to the appropriate fields on the tax form.

When you have finished linking the fields with the payroll
categories, click OK.
6 Click Next.
7 Type a contact name and the employee’s designation.

STARTING A NEW PAYROLL YEAR 246

 10 Click Next. If you are ready to print the selected forms, transferred to the appropriate fields on the form you are
click Next and you will be prompted to print the forms. preparing.
11 If you want to save PDF copies of the forms you have
printed, select the I require a copy of the form to be saved
option. When you click Finish you will be prompted to save
the PDF file.
12 Click Finish.

[Singapore] To prepare income tax and CPF forms

1 Go to the Payroll command centre and click Print Tax/CPF
Forms. The Print Tax/CPF Forms assistant appears.
2 Select the form you want to prepare and the payroll year.
[CPF Payment Advice or Form CPF 92] Select the month When you have finished linking the fields with the payroll
for which you are reporting. categories, click OK.
4 Click Next. If required, type your company’s contact
details.
If the company’s address has changed since the last form
was submitted, select the Employer Address Change
option. The address entered in the Company Information
window (accessible from the Setup menu) will be printed
on the forms.
5 Click Next. Complete the tasks relevant to your form.
[IR8A form only] Select the employees for whom you want
to print a form by clicking in the select column. If you want
to view or edit the details that will be printed on an
3 [CPF Payment Advice or IR8A form only] Click employee’s form, click the zoom arrow next to the
Configuration. employee’s name and make any changes in the window
Link each field in the left column to the appropriate that appears. When finished, click OK.
payroll categories in the right column. This will ensure [CPF Payment Advice and Form CPF 92] Click Details to
that all activity recorded against the payroll categories is view and enter your payment details. When finished, click
OK.

247 CHAPTER 17 END-OF-PERIOD PROCEDURES

6 Click Next. If you are ready to print the selected forms, Task 5: Start a new payroll year
click Next and you will be prompted to print the forms.
7 If you want to save PDF copies of the forms you have
NOTE : Single user access This task requires single-user access.
printed, select the I require a copy of the form to be saved
For more information, see ‘Single-user file locking for special
option. When you click Finish you will be prompted to save tasks’ on page 258.
the PDF file.
8 Click Finish. Starting a new payroll year will:
 prevent you from printing payroll reports for the previous
Task 4: Back up your company file year. (Note that you can print prior year tax and CPF
forms.)
Before you start a new payroll year, make sure that you back up  carry over entitlement balances that have the Carry
your company file. Once the year is closed, detailed payroll Remaining Entitlement Over to Next Year preference set in
information will no longer be available for editing. Backing up the Entitlement Payroll Category window of employee
your company file allows you to restore a closed payroll year cards
so you can print reports.
 clear any entitlement balances that do not have the Carry
For more information, see ‘Backing up and restoring company Remaining Entitlement Over to Next Year preference set in
files’ on page 250. the Entitlement Payroll Category window of employee
cards
 prevent you from editing or deleting pay amounts for the
previous year.

To start a new payroll year

1 Go to the File menu, choose Start a New Year, and then
Start a New Payroll Year.
2 If you want to create a backup file before purging the
information, click Backup and follow the instructions in
the windows that appear.
3 Click Continue. Follow the on-screen instructions to
complete the process.

STARTING A NEW PAYROLL YEAR 248

 Task 6: Check that you have the latest
tax, SOCSO or CPF tables
[Malaysia] To check tax and SOCSO tables
 To check that you have the correct tax or SOCSO tables
for the new payroll year, go to the Help menu and choose
Check for Product Updates (requires Internet access).
 To load the latest tax or SOCSO tables, go to the Setup
menu and click Load Tax\SOCSO Tables. In the Load Tables
window that appears, select the tables to load and click
Load Tables.
[Singapore] To check CPF tables
 To check that you have the correct CPF tables for the new
payroll year, go to the Help menu and choose Check for
Product Updates (requires Internet access).
 To load the latest CPF tables, go to the Setup menu and
click Load CPF Tables. In the Load Tables window that
appears, click Load Tables.

Task 7: Optimise and verify your

company file
Once the Start a New Payroll Year procedure is complete, we
recommend that you optimise your company file. See
‘Optimising your company file’ on page 255.

249 CHAPTER 17 END-OF-PERIOD PROCEDURES

18 Managing user accounts and

MANAGING USER ACCOUNTS AND COMPANY FILES

company files
Your company’s accounting information is kept in a single file called a company file. This includes your accounts list, details about your
customers, suppliers, your list of items and all your transactions. To open the company file, you need to log in with a user ID and password.

This chapter explains how you can perform maintenance tasks on your company file (including backing up, restoring and optimising) and
how to control access to your company file using user accounts.

Managing user accounts

If several people enter transactions into the same company

file, you can control which command centres, windows and TIP : Restrict access to employee information User IDs can be
set up to restrict access to employee payroll, banking and
transactions they can access with user accounts. The ability
contact information stored in the card file and on reports. You
to limit users’ access can help to minimise fraud. For example, can select the full restrictions, such as disallowing access to the
you can prevent a person who places orders with suppliers employee card file, or you can set specific restrictions, such as
from also being able to pay suppliers, minimising the viewing employee banking details. If you want to prevent a user
likelihood of paying false bills. from editing and viewing all payroll details, you need to restrict
access to payroll reports as well as to employee card information
and payroll command centre functions.
User accounts A user can only open a company file by
completing the Sign-on window. The user must enter a user
ID and password to gain access to the user account. Then, Administrator account The Administrator account is a
whenever a user enters a transaction, it is labelled with the default user account always present in all company files and
user ID. This allows you to keep track of who entered cannot be deleted. This special user account is the only one
particular transactions, which is useful when following up with access to all command centres, functions and windows.
disputes with suppliers or customers and pinpointing
fraudulent transactions.

248
The person logged on as Administrator is able to create, edit 6 If you want to copy the restrictions you have set up for
and delete ordinary user accounts. For that reason, as soon as another user, type or select an existing user account in the
you create a company file, you should supply a password for Copy Restrictions field.
the Administrator account; otherwise, any user can log in and 7 Click OK. The new user account appears in the User ID
enter, edit and delete transactions without leaving a trace. column of the User Access window.
For more information, see ‘Set a password for the
Administrator user ID’ on page 26. 8 Click the new user account in the User ID column, then
click in the Not Allowed column next to those command
Simultaneous users Your MYOB software allows more than centres or functions to be denied to the user.
one user to access a company file. Though your MYOB
software provides you with a single network licence at the
time of purchase, you can buy additional licences (also known
as workstation seats) whenever the need arises.

To create a user account

1 Log in to your MYOB company file as Administrator.
2 Go to the Setup menu and choose Preferences.
3 In the Preferences window, click the Security tab and then
click User IDs. The User Access window appears.
4 Click New to open the New User Details window.

9 Click OK.

[MYOB Premier range only] To obtain additional

workstation licences
When the volume of transactions is too large for one person
to process, you can purchase extra workstation licences to
allow additional users simultaneous access to the company
file.
Before you begin, have your credit card on hand.
1 Start your MYOB software and open the company file
requiring extra workstation licences.
5 Type the user’s name in the User ID field, then type the
2 Go to the Setup menu and choose Company Information.
password in the Password and Confirm Password fields.
3 In the Company Information window, click License.

MANAGING USER ACCOUNTS 249

4 Call Customer Service at the number given in the Enable confirmation code—you may need it to activate the extra
Licence window and follow the Customer Service workstation licences you have purchased.
representative’s instructions.
5 Confirm the extra workstation licences.
Write down the confirmation code Ask the
NOTE :
 If you can connect to the Internet, click Enable Online
customer service representative for the company file’s

Backing up and restoring company files

Backing up is the copying of a company file to some form of  Do not store backups on the same hard disk as the
storage medium, such as a disk, CD, a different hard disk or currently used company file A single disaster can wipe
other media. You can also use the backup function in your out all your records.
MYOB software to create a compressed archive file with a  Make separate backups A disk failure can corrupt your
‘.ZIP’ extension that takes up less space. data in such a way that you may not notice it during a
The Restore command closes the company file you’re session. If you accidentally copy some corrupted data
currently using, decompresses a backup file so you can use it, over your previous backup file, that backup is no longer
and then opens the backup file. valid. Without a valid backup, you would need to re-create
your company file. You can reduce the risk by making
CAUTION : Single-user access required [MYOB Premier range separate backups to protect your company data— for
only] Making and restoring a backup requires single-user example, at the end of each business day.
access. For more information, see ‘Single-user file locking for
special tasks’ on page 258.  Store backups off-site Store monthly and yearly backups
in a safe place, preferably away from your office. Except
for daily rotational backup, do not re-use media.
Precautions when backing up Avoid common mistakes that
can cause you to lose backups of company files:
 Take care when backing up multi-user company files If
multiple users access a company file on a host computer,
back up the host company file—especially if you include
custom forms, and letter and spreadsheet templates in
the backup.
By making a full backup, you ensure that the most recent
versions of custom forms and templates are backed up.

BACKING UP AND RESTORING COMPANY FILES 250

To make a backup of your company file 4 Click Continue.

The Backup command creates a backup of the company file

you are currently using and compresses it to a smaller, more
manageable size.

CAUTION : Backups and multi-user company files [MYOB Premier

range only] If there are multiple users accessing a company file
on a host computer, back up the host company file—especially if
you are doing a full backup that includes custom forms, and
letter and spreadsheet templates.

1 Go to the File menu and choose Backup. A backup window

appears.

 If you selected the Do not check Company File for

errors option, go to step 6 below.
 If you selected the Check Company File for errors
option, note that this verification process may take
several minutes.
5 Click OK in the window that appears when the verification
process has finished. This window appears whether or not
errors have been found in the company data file.

CAUTION :If the backup process does not work If warning or For more information about checking your company file
error messages appear at any stage of the backup process, for errors, see step 2 of ‘To check your company file for
contact MYOB Support. errors’ on page 255.
6 In the Backup window that appears, choose where you
2 Select the type of backup you want. want to store the backup file.
3 Choose whether to check your company file for errors The default filename assigned to the backup file is
before making your backup. MYmmdd.zip; mmdd is the month and day from your
computer’s clock. The file extension .zip cannot be
NOTE : Maintaining data integrity We recommend checking changed.
for errors so that if you need to revert to a backup, data
integrity is ensured. 7 If you want, change the name of the backup file.
Note that you need to name all your backups with enough
information to tell you when they were done and where

BACKING UP AND RESTORING COMPANY FILES 251

 you were up to in data entry—for example, ‘Friday, 11.07.12’
or ‘Backup as of 11.07.12’. NOTE : If the backup file is on a removable disk, insert the
disk into the disk drive.
8 Click Save.
9 When storing the backup file on a removable storage 3 Select where you want to save the restored file. By
device, label all your backups with enough information to default, the restored file will be saved in the same folder
tell you when they were done and where you were up to in as the backup file. If you want to save it in a different
data entry—for example, ‘Friday, 11.07.09’ or ‘Backup as of location, select the folder name in the Save in field.
11.07.09’.
4 When you have specified the location and file name, click
Save. A message appears showing that the company file
To restore a backup
will be restored to the selected folder.
1 Go to the File menu and choose Restore. The Restore 5 Click OK to complete the restore.
window appears.
When you restore a file that has not been activated, the
Company File Activation window appears. If you do not need
to enter transactions into the restored file, click I want to
mark this file as Read Only and then click Continue to open
the file in read-only mode. If later you need to activate the
read-only file, go to the Help menu and choose Activate
Company File.

NOTE :Restoring from a CD or DVD If you are restoring a

backup file from a CD or DVD, the file will be read-only. To read
data from the file, you need to change the file’s attributes by
right-clicking the file, choosing Properties and deselecting the
Read-only option.

If the Prompt for Data Backup When Closing option is

selected in the Preferences window, a window appears
asking if you want to back up your company file. If you
want to back up your company file now, click Yes and
follow the prompts, otherwise click No.
2 In the Restore window, locate the backup file you want to
restore, select it and click Open.

BACKING UP AND RESTORING COMPANY FILES 252

Confirming activated company files

After a company file is activated, once or twice a year you 3 Click Continue. Your serial number and company file code
must confirm its activation for the life of the file. The are sent to the MYOB confirmation server, which returns a
confirmation verifies to MYOB that you are running a legal confirmation code and extends the file activation.
installation of MYOB software. When confirmation is due and The Company File Confirmation – Confirmed window
you attempt to open an activated company file, the appears.
Company File Confirmation window appears.
4 If you prefer your MYOB software to perform subsequent
You have a period of grace in which to confirm the company confirmations automatically, select the I want to use
file, indicated under the Confirm Your Company File heading. Automatic Confirmation option.
If you do not want to confirm immediately, click the I want to
confirm my company file later button and click Continue to 5 Click OK and in subsequent windows choose the options
open the file. After the period of grace expires, the company relevant to your business needs until the command centre
file can only be opened in read-only mode, in which you can appears. The company file has been confirmed and you
still view transactions, print reports or export data, but will can continue to enter transactions.
not be able to enter any data.
NOTE :Frequent requests to confirm If, after confirming a
company file, MYOB software asks you within a short time to
NOTE :Confirming a read-only file If you have elected to open a
confirm it again, contact Technical Support—see
company file overdue for confirmation in read-only mode, but
‘Troubleshooting activated company files’ on page 254.
then change your mind, go to the Help menu and choose
Under normal circumstances, confirmation only occurs once
Confirm Company File. The Company File Confirmation window
or twice a year.
appears.

These procedures show you how to confirm an activated To confirm a company file by telephone
company file or set up automatic confirmation:
1 In the Company File Confirmation window, click I want to
 ‘To confirm a company file online’ below. confirm my company file by phone.
 ‘To confirm a company file by telephone’ below. 2 Click Continue. The Company File Confirmation – By
 ‘To set up automatic company file confirmation’ on Phone window appears.
page 254. 3 Call MYOB at the telephone number displayed under the
Company File Code field.
To confirm a company file online 4 Follow the instructions to receive your confirmation code.
1 Ensure you are connected to the Internet. 5 Type the confirmation code in the Confirmation Code
2 In the Company File Confirmation window, click I want to field and click Continue.
confirm my company file online.

CONFIRMING ACTIVATED COMPANY FILES 253

 4 Select the I Prefer to Use Automated Online Company File
NOTE :Confirmation code only used once After you Confirmation option and click OK.
confirm your company file, the confirmation code cannot be
used to confirm this or any other company file again. You From now on, your MYOB software confirms the company
must get a new confirmation code from MYOB each time file automatically and displays this notification of
your MYOB software requests confirmation. successful confirmation each time.

6 If you have an Internet connection and you prefer your

MYOB software to perform subsequent confirmations
automatically, select the I want to use Automatic
Confirmation option.
7 Click OK and respond to subsequent windows as you wish
until a command centre appears. The company file has
been confirmed and you can continue to enter
transactions.
Troubleshooting activated company
NOTE :Frequent requests to confirm If, after confirming a
company file, MYOB software asks you within a short time to
files
confirm it again, contact Technical Support—see
‘Troubleshooting activated company files’ below. Under The activation and confirmation of company files is sensitive
normal circumstances, confirmation occurs only once or to date changes in your computer’s system clock.
twice a year.
In some circumstances, changes or discrepancies in the
system date start an immediate confirmation process.
To set up automatic company file confirmation
Workstations out of synchronisation If multiple users on
After a company file has been activated, MYOB software asks different workstations are accessing a company file
you to confirm it once or twice a year. You can manually simultaneously and the dates in the system clocks of one or
confirm the company file either over the Internet (see more workstations differ, you will need to synchronise clocks
page 253) or by telephone (above). But, if you prefer, you can and confirm the company file the next time you open it.
confirm company files over the Internet automatically.
Date changed while company file is open If you open a
NOTE :Internet connection required When MYOB software company file and change the date in your computer’s system
attempts to confirm the activation of the company file clock while the file is open, then close the file, you may need
automatically and you are not currently connected to the to confirm the company file next time you open it.
Internet, a window appears requesting you to connect.

1 Open your MYOB company file.

2 Go to the Setup menu and choose Preferences.
3 In the Preferences window, click the Security tab.

CONFIRMING ACTIVATED COMPANY FILES 254

Servicing your company file

Checking your company file for errors Optimising your company file
In addition to checking for errors when you create a backup, Over time, your company file will grow considerably in size.
you can check your company file for errors any time you As you enter transactions, then remove or purge them, the
choose. file will have unused areas that once contained these
By checking your company file for errors, you can identify transactions. These unused areas can affect the efficiency
minor problems in the file before they cause serious problems. with which operations are performed in the company file. We
recommend that you use the Optimisation Assistant to
remove the unused areas in the company file and keep your
To check your company file for errors
accounting software running efficiently.

CAUTION : Single-user access required [MYOB Premier range To optimise a company file
only] Checking a company file for errors requires single-user
access. If you normally have multiple users accessing a shared
company file on a host computer, verify the company file from CAUTION : Optimising multi-user company files [MYOB Premier
the host computer when no other users are logged on. See range only] If multiple users are accessing a shared company
‘Single-user file locking for special tasks’ on page 258. file on a host computer, optimise the company file on the host.

1 Go to the File menu and choose Verify Company File. A 1 Open the company file to be optimised.
confirmation window appears.
2 Go to the File menu, choose Optimise Company File. An
2 Click OK to confirm that you want to verify your company information window appears.
file. Your company file is scanned for errors. When the file
3 Click OK to continue.
verification process is complete, a message appears
describing the results of the process. 4 If an optimisation file exists, we recommend that you click
Yes to retain a copy of it.
If no errors were found, click OK to end the verification
process. 5 Click OK.
If your company file is corrupted, you can:
 Attempt to repair the company file by optimising it—see
‘Optimising your company file’ below—and repeat this
procedure to check if the errors have been fixed.
 Restore the company file from your most recent
backup—see ‘To restore a backup’ on page 252.

SERVICING YOUR COMPANY FILE 255

Purging information that is no longer  If you purge activity slips, any slips with hours on
timesheets are not purged. You must purge timesheets to
needed purge those activity slips.
Purging is the process of removing data from your company  If you purge a timesheet, any activity slips on the
file. After you have used your MYOB software for a long time, timesheet are also purged (only if an employee payment
you will notice that the size of your company file has grown for the timesheet’s hours has been made using the Process
considerably. Payroll assistant).
The procedure for purging information (below) applies if you
are purging: To purge information
 journal entries
CAUTION : Purging multi-user company files [MYOB Premier range
 sales only] Purging a company file requires single-user access. If you
 purchases normally have multiple users accessing a shared company file on
a host computer, purge the company file on the host computer
 business contacts when no other users are logged on. See ‘Single-user file locking
for special tasks’ on page 258.
 contact logs
 activity slips
1 Open the company file to be purged.
 sales history figures
2 Create a backup file.
 timesheets [MYOB Premier Plus only].
3 Go to the command centre to be purged. The information
When your company file has grown larger than you want it to, you can purge is dependent upon the command centre
you can purge, that is remove information, that is no longer you are in. For example, if you are in the Sales command
needed. After transactions are purged, they will no longer centre, you can only purge closed invoices.
appear on any report.
4 Go to File menu and choose Purge [...].

Special considerations for purging activity slips [MYOB 5 Click Continue and follow the instructions in the Purge [...]
Premier range only] and timesheets [MYOB Premier wizard.
Plus only]
When purging activity slips and timesheets, note the
following:
 If you have billed an activity slip on an invoice, you can
purge that activity slip only if the invoice on which it was
billed has been purged.
 You can purge a timesheet only if an employee payment
for the timesheet’s hours has been made using the Process
Payroll assistant.

SERVICING YOUR COMPANY FILE 256

Troubleshooting file-locking problems company file to close unexpectedly. Lock files can
accumulate in the company file folder, resulting in error
When a company file is open, a temporary file called a lock messages appearing when you try to access your company
file is created in the folder where the company file is stored. file again.
This file, called Lock000*.flk, keeps track of who is using the To resolve these error messages, you must exit your MYOB
company file. When you log out of the company file, the lock software. Open the folder that contains the company file and
file is deleted automatically. delete any lock files. You should then be able to open your
Sometimes, however, the lock file is not deleted. This can company file without an error.
happen if your computer crashes or an error causes your

Special considerations for networked company files

NOTE :MYOB Premier range only The following networking

Preferences in a network environment
information is only applicable to MYOB Premier and MYOB
Premier Plus users. Some of the choices in the Preferences window of your MYOB
software can affect how everyone works with your company
file. These preferences are clearly marked System-wide.
When multiple users access a company file over a network,
you need to be aware of factors that affect the way you work Multi-user file locking for daily transactions
that are not present when only a single user accesses the
company file. See: Multi-user file locking ensures that changes cannot be made
in some windows while related data is being changed by
 Preferences in a network environment, below.
another user in another window.
 Preventing data entry while generating reports, page 259.
For example, a situation could arise where a user is recording
 Storing custom reports on a network, page 259. information in a sales transaction window while another user
 Displaying up-to-date information, page 260. is changing details of the customer card being used in the
sales transaction. In such a situation, multi-user file locking
 Improving performance, page 261.
prevents changes being saved in one of the windows until the
changes have been saved in the other window.
If you would like to know when another user has changed data
in a window, go to the Setup menu, choose Preferences, click
the System tab, and select the Automatically Refresh Lists
When Information Changes option. Now, if another user
changes information you are viewing, your MYOB software
closes your window. When you reopen it, the data is updated.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR NETWORKED COMPANY FILES 257

  starting a new financial year
View a list of users If you have been prevented from
TIP :
accessing the company file, you can identify which user is  creating, changing or deleting report batches
locking you out. To do this, go to a computer that has access to  optimising a company file
the company file and view the list of active users (by going to
the File menu and choosing Active Workstations).  setting up, changing or removing user accounts.

Problems with lock files

Single-user file locking for special tasks
To let you know when another user is already accessing a
Although several users must be able to share a company file shared company file, your MYOB software displays the File is
for entering daily transactions, there are times when only one busy; access denied message when you try, at the same time,
user should have access. Many of these tasks are file to save a transaction or otherwise write data. When you see
maintenance procedures such as backing up and checking and this message, wait a few moments for the other transaction
optimising the company file. For example, optimising a to finish and for your MYOB software to delete the lock file,
company file rearranges its internal structure, so you do not and then click Retry.
want someone else accessing the file while this process is
taking place. Other single-user tasks are part of bookkeeping If the power fails, or you switch off your computer while your
practice. For example, when you print a report, you do not MYOB software is running, or your system crashes, your
want anybody to change data that will appear in the report MYOB software is unable to delete the lock file and you need
while it is being printed. to delete the locked file manually. See ‘To delete lock files’ on
page 259. The following situations can cause lock files to
View a list of users To check whether any other users are
TIP : accumulate in the folder where the company file is kept,
currently using the company file, before you set a single-user resulting in various error messages when you try to open a
lock, go to the File menu and choose Active Workstations. company file:
 Someone else is currently signed on with the same User ID
Single-user file locking prevents all but the first logged-in
Someone else is using the company file with your user ID
user from accessing a shared company file—other users
or a lock file from an irregularly ended session is present.
cannot even log in. To enable single-user access after starting
your MYOB software, click Single-user access in the Sign-on  No more than ten company files in any folder may be
window. opened at one time
The tasks that require single-user file locking include: There are more than ten lock files—the maximum
permitted—in the folder where the company files are
 backing up a company file
kept. This can occur legitimately if there are more than ten
 restoring a backup file company files in the folder, ten of which are open
 company file verification simultaneously, so that an eleventh open file would create
an (illegal) eleventh lock file.
 purging data
It is unlikely that ten company files in a single folder will be
 exporting data open simultaneously. More likely, ten lock files have
 importing data

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR NETWORKED COMPANY FILES 258

 accumulated in the folder owing to crashes and other Preventing data entry while generating
problems.
reports
 You have reached the maximum number of simultaneous
users allowed under your MYOB software Workstation If there are multiple users accessing a company file
Licence simultaneously and you want to print or view a report, we
If you know this is incorrect, the problem may be a lock recommend that you prevent data changes being made
file. during report generation. If you do not, other users will be
able to continue making entries in the company file and your
report may not be accurate. If another user changes
To delete lock files
information that affects the report while it’s being printed or
Any of the above messages may mean that there are old lock displayed, that particular entry may be indicated by zeros or
files cluttering the folder where you store the company file. blank spaces on the report. In addition, new entries that other
You need to delete the lock files before your MYOB software users make might affect the total amounts on some reports.
will function correctly. For this reason, consider printing or displaying the report at a
time when you know that no entries are being made that will
1 Ask all users to close the shared company file and log out
affect its accuracy.
of your MYOB software.
Before you print or display a report, open the Report
2 Go to the File menu and choose Active Workstations to
Customisation window for the report and select the Prevent
check whether any users are still logged in. If there are,
Data Changes During Report Generation option (on the
ensure they have logged out before continuing.
Finishing tab of the Report Customisation window). This
3 Log out of your MYOB software. activates multi-user file locking and prevent other users from
4 Navigate in Windows Explorer to the folder where you adding, changing or removing any information from the
keep the shared company file. company file while your MYOB software is generating the
report. When you print or display the report while this option
5 Delete all lock files1.
is selected, the report will be up-to-date and accurate.
6 Restart your MYOB software and re-open the shared
A few reports take some time to be generated. Consider
company file.
printing these lengthy reports at times when other users
won’t have to wait for the report to be generated before they
can resume making entries in the company file.

Storing custom reports on a network

When you create custom reports and forms, information
1. The file is named Lock####.flk, where #### represents about them is stored on your workstation’s hard disk and not
a number from 0001 to 0010. If there is more than one on the network. Other users of the same company file won’t
company file in the same folder, the number allows MYOB be able to use your custom reports or forms unless you copy
software to create a different named lock file for each
company file.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR NETWORKED COMPANY FILES 259

them to the appropriate locations on their workstations. Displaying up-to-date information
(Your system administrator may need to perform this task.)
Custom reports are stored in the Custom folder and custom Each time you open a list window (such as the Find
forms in the Forms folder. Both these folders are located Transactions window) or display a report in the Report
under the folder where your MYOB software is installed on Display window, the information that is displayed matches
your workstation. the contents of the company file as of the moment you
opened the list or displayed the report.
However, if you keep the list or report displayed on your
computer screen for some time, the data that other users
entered during that time will not be included in your list or
report. You can update the information automatically or
manually:
 Automatic update Go to the Setup menu, choose
Preferences and then click the System tab. Select the
Automatically Refresh Lists when Information changes
option.

NOTE : Automatic refreshing slows response Consider

whether you need to have on-screen information refreshed
automatically. If you choose this option, your MYOB
software will operate more slowly for everyone who is
accessing the company file. If speedier data entry is a
priority, we recommend that you choose to manually refresh
information regularly.

 Manual update Go to the Window menu and choose

Refresh All. To update an on-screen report in the Report
Display window, click Redisplay.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR NETWORKED COMPANY FILES 260

Improving performance
The following list outlines a number of ways in which you can
get the most out of your MYOB software:
 Use single-user access whenever possible.
 Optimise your company file frequently—see ‘Optimising
your company file’ on page 255.
 Do not select the Automatically Refresh Lists when
Information Changes option in the Preferences window.
 Do not select the Warn for Duplicate [...] Numbers on
Recorded Purchases option in the Purchases tab of the
Preferences window.
 Use Easy-Fill when entering card names, account names,
and item numbers or names.
 Avoid leaving list windows open.
 Use only a few linked accounts for inventory items.
 Combine line-item quantities on sales and purchases.
 Generate large reports when you’re the only person using
the company file.

Print reports by choosing a specific month instead of by

entering a date range.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR NETWORKED COMPANY FILES 261

Appendix A: Importing and

APPENDIX A : IMPORTING AND EXPORTING DATA

exporting data
Exporting data

You can take various data entered in your company file and To export data
use it in other software or in other MYOB company files. This
process is called exporting data. 1 Go to the File menu, choose Export Data and then choose
the type of data you want to export. The Export File
Some of the data types you can export are accounts, items, window appears.
general journal entries, inventory adjustments, receive money
transactions, spend money transactions, sales, purchases, 2 Select the export file format and enter other information
cards, jobs, custom lists, contact logs, activities and activity in this window. For detailed field help, click Help, and then
slips [MYOB Premier range only] and timesheets [MYOB choose Help for This Window.
Premier Plus only]. 3 Click Continue. The Export Data window appears.

NOTE : Exporting timesheets [MYOB Premier Plus only] When

you export timesheets, only the entries that do not have activity
slips associated with them are included. You must export activity
slips to complete the process.

The data can be exported to a tab-delimited or

comma-separated values (CSV) file.

NOTE : Single-user mode required for data export [MYOB

Premier range only] You cannot export data when more than one
user is logged in. For more information, see ‘Single-user file
locking for special tasks’ on page 258.

261
 4 Choose the fields you want to export and the order in If you want to export all the fields in the order they are
which you want to export them. To do this, click on the shown in the column, click Match All.
first field you want to export in the MYOB [...] Fields 7 Click Export. The Save As window appears.
column. The title Field 1 appears in the Export Order
column next to the field you selected. The field name will 8 Enter a file name and location for the export file and click
appear at the top of the Export Fields column on the left Save. The file is exported.
side of the window. Before you import data you should make a backup of your
5 Repeat step 4 for each field you want to export. company file. See ‘Backing up and restoring company files’ on
page 250.
6 If you want to remove a field name from the Export Fields
column, click the name in the MYOB [...] Fields column.

Importing data

You can take various data entered in other software programs

and add it to your company file. You can also add data entered NOTE : Single-user access required for data import [MYOB
Premier range only] Please note that you must not import data
in one MYOB company file into another MYOB company file.
when more than one user is logged in. For more information, see
This process is called importing data. ‘Single-user file locking for special tasks’ on page 258.
If you want to import data from MYOB RetailManager or
MYOB RetailBasics, see ‘Importing data from MYOB retail
software’ on page 263. To import data
You can import the following data: accounts, items, general Before you start the import procedure below, you need to
journal entries, receive payments transactions, receive money export the data from the software used to create the data
transactions, spend money transactions, pay bills and save it in a tab-delimited or comma-separated file
transactions, sales, purchases, cards, jobs, custom lists, format.
contact logs, activities and activity slips [MYOB Premier 1 Go to the File menu, choose Import Data and then choose
range only] and timesheets [MYOB Premier Plus only]. the type of data you want to import. The Import File
window appears.
NOTE : Importing timesheets [MYOB Premier Plus only] When
you import timesheets, only the entries that do not have activity 2 Select the import file format, the type of the first record,
slips associated with them are included. You must import and the method of handling duplicate records. For more
activity slips to complete the process. information, click Help and then choose Help for This
Window.
The data can be imported from a tab-delimited or 3 Click Continue. The Open window appears.
comma-separated values (CSV) file.

262 APPENDIX A: IMPORTING AND EXPORTING DATA

4 Locate the import file and click Open. The Import Data The import field you selected appears in the Matching
window appears. Import Field column.

NOTE : Some fields must be imported Fields that have

asterisks (*) next to them must have matching import
fields assigned to them.

c Click a field in the Matching Import Field column to

remove it.
d If all fields in the import file match those in the MYOB
[...] Fields column, click Match All.
6 Click Import to import the data. If you get a warning or
error message indicating that the import was not
5 Match the import fields with the MYOB [...] Fields column.
successful, refer to the import log file in your MYOB
a Highlight the name of a field in the Import Fields software installation folder for a list of errors or warnings.
column. The import log file is a text file—readable by most word
b Click the matching field in the MYOB [...] Fields column. processors—that lists the problems encountered during
the import.

Importing data from MYOB retail software

If you use MYOB RetailManager or MYOB RetailBasics as your

point-of-sale software, you can import certain information to NOTE : Exporting from RetailManager or MYOB RetailBasics
your MYOB company file. Before you can import your data, you must export the data from
RetailManager or RetailBasics as a text file (Retail.TXT) and save
For example you can import: it in the MYOB software program folder. The import file will be
detected and the import process will automatically begin when
 your supplier details you open your MYOB company file. Note that if you save the
 goods received transactions (which are imported into import file in another location, you will need to import it
manually.
your MYOB company file as bills)
 general journal entries summarising other transactions
(such as sales income and cost of sales). To import RetailManager or RetailBasics data
1 In your MYOB software, go to the Setup menu and choose
Preferences. The Preferences window appears.

IMPORTING DATA FROM MYOB RETAIL SOFTWARE 263

 2 Click the System tab and select the I use
MYOB RetailManager option. Click OK and exit MYOB
software.

NOTE : You only need to set this preference the first time
you import from RetailManager or RetailBasics.

3 Open your MYOB company file. If there are transactions to

be imported, the import process will occur automatically.
If you get a warning or error message indicating that the
import was not successful, refer to the import log file in
the MYOB software installation folder. This is a text
file—readable by most word processors—that lists any
errors or warnings encountered during the import.

264 APPENDIX A: IMPORTING AND EXPORTING DATA

Appendix B: Networking

APPENDIX B : NETWORKING MYOB PREMIER COMPANY FILES

MYOB Premier company files
Note that you might need to consult an IT professional to make sure your network is configured to suit your business requirements.

Overview
The MYOB Premier range of software are network-ready MYOB Professional Partner near you, contact MYOB customer
applications that comes with one licence. However, if the service in your region.
volume of your transactions grows too great for one person This section starts from the point where the network is
to handle, you can purchase additional workstation licences already set up and running. A local area network (LAN) can be
so that several users can access the company file set up in many different ways. The procedures in this section
simultaneously. See page 249 for more information. describe the most common situation where a LAN is
If multiple users will be simultaneously accessing a company protected from the external internet by a firewall on a router
file, it should be stored on a host computer where it can be or gateway computer.
accessed across the network from other Windows
workstations. The host computer and workstations must be NOTE :Network access privileges required In a Windows
running Windows Vista, 2000 or XP. Note that the network, access can be set at the domain or user level. If you are
unable to carry out the procedures in this section because you
workstations do not all need to be running the same version do not have sufficient access privileges, contact the person who
of Windows. set up your network for assistance.

NOTE :Setting up networks needs expert skills Because setting

up routers or hubs, cabling computers and configuring network All users who need to access the company file automatically
hardware and software require expert knowledge, you may need belong to the Everyone user group.This group is used as the
to employ an expert with the necessary skills. default group in these procedures as it simplifies the sharing of a
host folder. The members of the Everyone group will be given
If setting up a network for the first time, show this appendix permission to open, read from and write to the shared company
to a networking expert. To locate a networking-qualified file.

265
 access your accounting data, read Windows help or consult a
NOTE :The Everyone user group may be a security risk The networking expert to set up more secure access.
Everyone user group allows anyone on the network to access the
shared company file. If some employees are not authorised to

Setting up the network hardware

Unless you are an expert, employ a networking consultant to Equipment • Pentium processor, with 1GHz and 128MB
RAM, or better
set up your network hardware.
• Older computers may need a network
Show the consultant these requirements for the host interface card (NIC)
computer, and the hardware and software requirements for
Protocols • Ethernet (10BASE-T twisted pair cable,
the workstations specified in the Getting Started guide. shielded or unshielded) or
• Fast Ethernet (100BASE-TX twisted pair
Networking Local area network (LAN), peer-to-peer cable, shielded), with Windows networking
Windows host Windows Vista, 2000 or XP (NetBIOS, NetBEUI, or TCP/IP)

Setting up a company file folder on a Windows host

Before users can work with a company file simultaneously, it performance if the company file is stored on the most
must be stored on a host computer to which each user has powerful computer in your network—the fastest with the
access. Consider these tips for choosing a suitable host: most memory.
 Host the company file on the most powerful computer in  Host the company file on the key employee’s
the network Users on workstations will enjoy better computer If one employee will use the company file

266 APPENDIX B: NETWORKING MYOB PREMIER COMPANY FILES

 more than anyone else, consider storing the company file 6 Select Read/Write to enable full control permission.
on that employee’s computer. This person will experience
better performance from accessing the company file NOTE : Everyone group If the Everyone group does not
directly, compared with accessing it across the network. appear in the list, select it from the menu field above the list
and click Add, then assign access permission as per the above
 Host the company file on a backed-up computer If you step.
store all your important files on a central host that is
backed up frequently, it is a good idea to also store your
7 Click Share. In the confirm window that appears, click
company file on that host. The company file will then be
Done.
backed up along with all your other vital data.
8 In Windows Explorer, move the company file to the shared
Complete the set up tasks relevant to your operating system.
Company_Files folder you just created on the host.
If your host computer is running Windows… See
To share a folder on Windows Vista
Windows 7 below
This procedure applies to Windows Vista. If this procedure
Windows Vista below does not apply to your network configuration, consult a
Windows XP page 268 networking expert or read the Windows help to set up
appropriate sharing and access permissions.
1 Log in as an administrator if only administrators can set
To share a folder on Windows 7
permissions on your computer.
This procedure applies to Windows 7 users. If this procedure 2 In Windows Explorer, create a folder named
does not apply to your network configuration, consult a Company_Files in a convenient location, for example,
networking expert or read Windows 7 help to set up c:\Company_Files. This folder is where the shared
appropriate sharing access and permissions. company file will be stored.
1 Log in as an administrator if only administrators can set 3 Right-click the Company_Files folder and choose Share.
permissions on your computer. The File Sharing window appears.
2 In Windows Explorer, create a folder named 4 Click in the Permission Level column next to the Everyone
Company_Files in a convenient location, for example, user group and choose Co-owner. This enables full control
c:\Company_Files. This folder is where the shared permission.
company file will be stored.
3 Right-click the Company_Files folder and choose Share NOTE : Everyone group If the Everyone group does not
with, then select to share the folder with a homegroup or appear in the list, select it from the menu field above the list
and click Add, then assign access permission as per the above
with specific people. The File Sharing window appears. step.
4 If you selected Specific people, enter the names of the
users or select Everyone.
5 Click Share. In the confirm that appears, click Done.
5 Click in the Permission Level column next to the user
6 In Windows Explorer, move the company file to the
group to set the read and write permission for the user.
Company_Files folder you created step 2 above.

SETTING UP A COMPANY FILE FOLDER ON A WINDOWS HOST 267

 To share a folder on XP 4 In the Company_Files Properties window, click the
Sharing tab and set the fields and controls as shown
This procedure applies to Windows 2000 Professional and XP. below.
If you are using Windows 2000 Standard, see ‘To share a
folder on Windows 2000 Standard’ on page 267. If this
procedure does not apply to your network configuration,
consult a networking expert or read the Windows help to set
up appropriate sharing and access permissions.
1 Log in as an administrator if only administrators can set
permissions on your computer.
2 In Windows Explorer, create a folder named
Company_Files in a convenient location, for example,
c:\Company_Files. This folder is where the shared
company file will be stored.
3 Right-click the Company_Files folder and choose
Properties.

Share this folder Click this option. If your network does not
(Share this folder have workgroups or you are logged in to a
in the network) domain, select the Share this folder
option, and then complete the wizard that
appears.

Share name Type the name that will be seen by users

accessing the folder from their
workstations, for example,
Company_Files.
Comment Type a description that users will be able
to read in the folder’s Property window.
This option is not present if your network
does not have workgroups or you are
logged in to a domain.

268 APPENDIX B: NETWORKING MYOB PREMIER COMPANY FILES

 Maximum Choose this option to allow as many users Full control Mark Clear
allowed as possible to simultaneously access the
company file. This option is not present if Change Mark Clear
your network does not have workgroups or Read Mark Clear
you are logged in to a domain.

Allow network Click this option. This option is not present

users to change if your network does not have workgroups
my files or you are logged in to a domain.

5 If your network does not have workgroups or you are

logged in to a domain, continue with step 8.
6 Click Permissions.
7 In the Permissions for Company_Files window, click the
Everyone user group, set the Allow and Deny options in
the Permissions list as shown below and click OK.

Permissions for Everyone Allow Deny

SETTING UP A COMPANY FILE FOLDER ON A WINDOWS HOST 269

 8 In the Company_Files Properties window, click OK.
9 In Windows Explorer, move the company file to the
Company_Files folder you created step 2.

270 APPENDIX B: NETWORKING MYOB PREMIER COMPANY FILES

Accessing the shared company file from a workstation

Workstations are Windows computers that access a company 4 Accept the proposed drive letter or choose another,
file stored on another computer, referred to as a host select the Reconnect at logon option, and click Finish. If
computer. Accessing the remote company file folder on the access to the folder is password protected, a logon
host requires you to complete these procedures for each window may appear. If so, type the password and click OK.
Windows workstation on the local area network (LAN). This In Windows Explorer, the Company_Files folder now
process is also known as mapping network drives. appears as a network drive under Computer. For example,
When you are able to access the company file folder you might see the shared folder listed as Company_Files on
containing the shared company file, you can create a desktop 'Hongs-pc' (V:).
shortcut to the file. Clicking the shortcut starts your MYOB 5 Open the shared Company_Files folder. You should be able
software and opens the shared company file. to see the shared company file in it.

Setting up workstations to access the To access a shared folder on other Windows versions
company file 1 In Windows Explorer, open Network Neighborhood (or My
Network Places).
Complete the set up procedure relevant to your operating
2 Locate the Company_Files folder on the host computer.
system. You need to do this on every workstation that is to
access the shared company file. If a Connect to hostName window appears, complete the
User Name and Password fields, select the Remember my
NOTE :Access may be password protected If a password is password option and click OK. You should now be able to
required to access the shared company file folder, a window will see the Company_Files folder.
request you to enter a user name and password when you
attempt to access it.
NOTE :Navigating network folders may not be necessary In
some versions of Windows, depending how the network
access is set up, all networked computers may be visible in
To access a shared folder on Windows Vista Network Neighborhood (My Network Places) without you
needing to navigate to network folders.
1 Select Network from the Windows start menu.
2 Locate the Company_Files folder on the host computer. 3 Right-click the Company_Files folder and choose Map
3 Right-click the Company_Files folder and click Map Network Drive.
Network Drive. The Map Network Drive window appears.

ACCESSING THE SHARED COMPANY FILE FROM A WORKSTATION 271

 4 In the Map Network Drive window (or wizard), accept the To set up a shortcut
proposed drive letter or choose another, select the
Reconnect at logon option, and click OK (Finish). If access 1 Right-click an empty area of the desktop and choose New
to the folder is password protected, a logon window may and then Shortcut.
appear. If so, enter the password and click OK. 2 In the Create Shortcut wizard, type the path to the your
In Windows Explorer, the Company_Files folder now MYOB software program file (Myobp.exe) in the
appears as a network drive under My Computer. For Command line field (or in the Type the location of the
example, you might see the shared folder listed as item field) and click Next. Alternatively, you can click
Company_Files on 'Hongs-pc' (V:).
Browse and navigate to and select the program file, and
then click Next.
5 Open the shared Company_Files folder to see the shared
company file in it. 3 Either accept the proposed name for the shortcut or type
your preferred name in the Select a name for the shortcut
field (or the Type a name for this shortcut field), and click
Setting up a shortcut Finish.
4 Right-click the new shortcut and choose Properties.
A fast way to start your MYOB software and open a company
file is to put a shortcut to the program and company file on 5 In the Myobp.exe Properties window, click the Shortcut
the Windows desktop. Then you only have to double-click the tab. The Target field displays the location of the program
shortcut to be up and running. you entered in step 2.
6 [Windows 2000 and XP users only] Enclose the location of
NOTE :Do not create a shortcut only to the company file If you the program file in double quotation marks (“):
are knowledgeable about shortcuts, you might be tempted to "C:\Premier\Myobp.exe" for example.
create just a shortcut to the company file. Unfortunately, there
are not enough letter combinations to ensure that the.myo file If you double-clicked this shortcut on the desktop now, it
extension is unique to MYOB software. So, double-clicking a would only start your MYOB software. You have to modify
shortcut just to a company file might start another program that
the Target field so that the shortcut also opens the
works with a different kind of .myo file.
company file.
7 In the Target field, type a space after the program
location and then type the location of the company file,
including the .myo file extension.
[Windows 2000 and XP users only] The path to this
location should also be enclosed in its own quotation
marks: "C:\Premier\Myobp.exe" "V:\Clearwtr.myo" for
example.

272 APPENDIX B: NETWORKING MYOB PREMIER COMPANY FILES

8 Copy the location of the company file from the Target 9 Click OK to close the Shortcut to Myobp.exe Properties
field, minus the name of the company file, and paste it window.
into the Start in field, for example “V:\” as shown below. 10 Double-click the shortcut on the desktop to test it. Your
(Note: there should be no quotation marks in Windows MYOB software should start on this workstation and
Vista.) immediately open the specified company file, whether it
is stored on a remote host or this workstation.
Repeat from step 1 on each workstation that needs access
to the company file.

ACCESSING THE SHARED COMPANY FILE FROM A WORKSTATION 273

Glossary

GLOSSARY
accounts payable What you owe someone else for goods or
A services delivered. The sum of all accounts payable is
recorded as a liability account. Any time you record a
account Something to which transactions are assigned. purchase in the Purchases command centre, the unpaid
Accounts in MYOB are in one of eight categories: balance of the purchase is added to your accounts payable.
 Asset Every time you pay a bill (using Pay Bills in the Purchases
command centre), the amount is subtracted from your
 Liability accounts payable balance.
 Equity
accounts receivable What your customers owe you. Any
 Income time you record a sale in the Sales command centre, the
 Cost of sales unpaid balance of the sale is added to your accounts
 Expense receivable balance. Every time you enter a customer payment
(using the Sales command centre), the amount is subtracted
 Other income from your accounts receivable balance.
 Other expense
accrual method (basis) This is a method of accounting
Accounts are classified as header or detail. Transactions are which records sales and purchases at the time they are
assigned directly to detail accounts. Header accounts are delivered, not at the time they are paid for.
used to summarise multiple detail accounts. Each MYOB
account must have a unique number. accrued expenses These are expenses for goods or services
received but not yet paid.
account number The account number is what identifies an
account. Each MYOB account must have a unique number. activity A task or service provided by your business for
which you can track costs and bill customers using time
accounting period A part of your financial year. MYOB billing invoices.
treats each calendar month as a separate accounting period.
Additionally, MYOB provides an optional 13th period for aging: payables The number of days between receiving a bill
year-end adjustments. from a supplier and an aging date (usually today).

accounts list Commonly referred to as a chart of accounts, aging: receivables The number of days between invoicing a
this is a list of all your asset, liability, equity, income, cost of customer and an aging date (usually today).
sales, expense, other income, and other expense accounts.

273
 allocation accounts In MYOB when writing a cheque or
recording a payment, the allocation accounts are the C
expense, income, etc. accounts that balance the transaction.
cash drawer Where the money is kept between leaving the
assets Assets are things you own. Your bank account is an customers’ hands and being deposited in the bank. Many
asset. So is your computer. If someone owes you money, the businesses set up their cash drawer as a bank account.
total owed to you is an asset. Current Assets are assets that
can be turned into cash within a relatively short period of cash flow The net flow of money in minus money out over a
time (less than a year). Things that take longer to turn into selected date range.
cash, like your factory building, are called Fixed Assets. Assets
normally have a debit balance. cash method (basis) The opposite of the accrual method of
accounting. The cash method records the sale and purchase
audit trail A list of the transactions that make up the of goods and services at the time they are paid for, not when
balance of an account or accounts. they are delivered.

category A category is an entity for grouping transactions.

B For example, a category can be a department, profit centre,
geographic division or any other subset of your business that
bad debt Money owed to you that is unlikely to be paid. requires separate reporting.
Many businesses create a contra-asset account to
approximate the value of their bad debt. That way, they have cleared A withdrawal or deposit is cleared when your bank
a clearer picture of the actual value of their assets. adjusts your account balance for it.

balance The sum of all the money added to and subtracted closed period An accounting period in which all entries are
from an account. completed. MYOB does not require that you actively close a
period. However, in the Preferences window you can prevent
balance sheet The balance sheet is a financial snapshot of a accidental posting to a closed (locked) period.
company’s position at a particular time. A balance sheet lists
the company’s asset, liability and equity accounts. It is called closed purchases Purchases that have been paid in full.
a balance sheet because the total value of the asset accounts
minus the total value of the liability accounts always equals closed sales Sales that have been paid in full.
the total of the equity accounts.
company information Found in MYOB’s Setup menu, your
bill The record of a supplier’s invoice. company information contains your company’s name,
address, tax information and information about your
budgets Expected monthly net activity for an account. company’s financial year.
Budgets are useful for planning for the future and for
analysing actual performance against planned performance. contra account This is an account that normally carries the
opposite balance of the accounts of the same type. Assets for
example, normally have a debit balance; a common
contra-asset account is the accrued depreciation of an asset.

274 GLOSSARY
By using a contra account, you can show a a car company credit terms Terms are the agreed upon rules governing the
that’s worth $12,000, by listing the asset at its $15,000 number of days between delivery and payment discounts for
purchase price followed by the -$3,000 balance of the early payment and penalties. In MYOB, you can set default
accrued depreciation account. terms for all customers.

conversion month The conversion month is the earliest creditors A creditor is someone to whom you owe money.
month in the financial year for which transactions are to be See also ‘accounts payable’ on page 273.
recorded. For example, suppose you purchase MYOB software
in October but want to record transactions dated from 1 current assets Assets that can be turned into cash within a
September. In this case, your conversion month is September. relatively short time (less than a year are called current assets.
The conversion month determines the opening balances you Some of your current assets are your bank accounts, accounts
will enter when you set up your company file. receivable and petty cash. Current assets usually do not lose
their value over time. Current assets normally have a debit
cost item The cost of an inventory item. MYOB uses balance.
average cost. That is, the total cost of all your purchases for a
particular item currently on hand divided by the number of current liabilities Liabilities that become payable within the
items on hand. next year are called current liabilities. When recording a
liability that is to be paid over a long period, many
cost of sales Sometimes called “cost of goods sold” this accountants split it into two liabilities. The part that is to be
account type works just like an expense account. The only paid off within the next year is entered as a current liability;
difference is where it appears on the profit & loss statement. the remaining is entered as a long-term liability.
Cost of sales accounts appear after your income accounts,
but before your expense accounts. Cost of sales is subtracted current year earnings Current year earnings is an equity
from your income to produce gross profit. Your expenses are account. Its balance equals your income minus cost of sales
subtracted from your gross profit to produce net profit. In and expenses. Current year earnings are zero at the beginning
MYOB, you are not required to use Cost of sales accounts. of a financial year. Current year earnings are kept as a running
total as the financial year progresses. When you start a new
credit amount Appears on the right side of the ledger (a financial year, current year earnings are reset to zero by
debit amount occupies the left side). A credit amount moving its balance into the account called Retained Earnings.
increases the balance of accounts with a credit balance and
decreases the balance of accounts with a debit balance. customer Someone to whom you sell goods or services. In
Accounts that normally carry a credit balance are liability, MYOB you must enter a customer card before you record a
equity and income accounts. sale.

credit invoice A credit invoice is a sale with a negative

balance due. Usually caused by a return or adjustment, a D
credit invoice is settled by writing a refund cheque or
applying the amount to another open invoice. debit amount Appears on the left side of the ledger (the
credit amount occupies the right side); a debit amount
increases the balance of accounts with a debit balance and

GLOSSARY 275
 decreases the balance of accounts with a credit balance. discount days Discount days are the number of days from a
Accounts that normally carry a debit balance are asset and sale or purchase within which full payment of the balance due
expense accounts. entitles the payee to a discount.

debit purchase A debit purchase is a purchase with a double-entry accounting A method of bookkeeping in
negative balance due. Usually caused by a return or which every entry is balanced by another entry. Correct
adjustment, a debit purchase is settled by recording a double-entry accounting always provides a balanced set of
supplier’s refund cheque or by applying the amount to books; that is, the total value of your asset accounts minus
another open bill. the total of your liability accounts will equal the total of your
equity accounts.
debtor A debtor is someone who owes you money. See also
‘accounts receivable’ on page 273.

department Department is for you to determine which

team or section your employee’s are placed in the company.

deposits from customers Advances received for goods or

services not yet delivered. Customer deposits are kept in a
liability account.

deposits to suppliers Advances paid to suppliers for goods

or services not yet delivered.

depreciation The expense allocation of the cost of an asset

over a period of time. Most accountants create a contra-asset
account to track the depreciation of an asset. See Contra
Account. A typical depreciation transaction credits the
contra asset account and debits a depreciation expense
account. Depreciation is most often recorded as a general
journal entry.

detail accounts MYOB accounts to which transactions can

be assigned.

discount early payment The amount taken off the balance

due in return for payment within an agreed number of days.

discount volume purchase The amount taken off an item’s

cost because of a special supplier or customer arrangement.

276 GLOSSARY
 fixed assets Fixed assets are assets that have a relatively
E long life. Your buildings, cars and computers are fixed assets.
Fixed assets are usually depreciated; that is, they lose some of
earnings Income minus cost of sales and expenses. See their value as you use them.
Current Year Earnings.

entitlements Hours that accumulate on paycheques; used G

to pay special wages, such as holiday or sick pay.
general journal A journal used to record miscellaneous
equity This is a company’s net worth. The equity of a transactions not entered in other journals. For example,
company equals its assets minus its liabilities. Equity is an year-end adjustments and depreciation expense.
account type in MYOB. Equity accounts usually carry a credit
general ledger This is where all your account
balance. Some common equity accounts are current year
information—sales, purchases, inventory, cash in, cash
earnings, retained earnings and shareholder’s equity.
out—come together. You draw your financial statements
expense A cost associated with running a business. Expense (balance sheet and income statement) from the general
is an account type in MYOB. Expense accounts usually carry a ledger.
debit balance.
gross profit Gross profit is your income minus cost of sales.

F
H
finance charge The amount added to an outstanding
header account A header account in MYOB is used to group
balance as a penalty for late payment.
similar detail accounts. You cannot post a transaction to a
financial statements The balance sheet and income (profit header account.
& loss) statement. The balance sheet is your company’s
historical balance The balance of an account prior to
financial picture at a particular time. The income statement
converting your records to MYOB. You are not required to
shows your company’s financial performance over a period of
enter historical balances in MYOB. Enter them only if you wish
time.
to compare a current month’s activity to the activity for the
financial year The 12-month period you use to define your same month last year.
accounting year. MYOB does not require that it match the
calendar year. MYOB also provides an optional 13th period for
making year-end adjustments that you do not want to affect I
a particular month.
identifiers A one-letter code used to sort and select cards in
fiscal year See ‘financial year’ above. the card file. You can assign up to 26 identifiers to a card.

GLOSSARY 277
 income Revenue from the sale of goods or services. Income
is an account type in MYOB. Income accounts usually carry a L
credit balance.
liability Liabilities are things you owe. Your working capital
income statement Also called a profit & loss statement, the loan is a liability. Your accounts payable, what you owe
income statement shows your company’s performance over a someone for a purchase, is also a liability. Liabilities that are
period of time. due within the next year are called current liabilities. When a
An income statement begins with income. It then subtracts liability is not due for more than a year, it is called a long-term
cost of sales to produce gross profit. Expenses are subtracted liability. Liabilities normally have a credit balance.
from gross profit to produce operating profit. “Other
income” accounts are added to operating profit and “other linked account Linked accounts are what MYOB uses to post
expense” accounts are subtracted from operating profit to your inventory, payroll, sales and purchase transactions to the
produce net profit. proper account. For example, when you link your receivables
account, you are telling MYOB which account to post the
inventory Physical items kept for possible sale to a balance due from a sale.
customer. Most accountants record an inventory’s value in a
current asset account. long-term liability Something you owe that does not have
to be paid for at least a year.
invoice The written record of a sale.

item A unit in your items list. An item can be physical M

inventory, like a widget or a pair of shoes, or it can be
non-physical, like an hour of your time. miscellaneous purchases Miscellaneous purchases are used
in MYOB to record non-item purchases that do not require a
printed purchase order.
J
miscellaneous sales Used in MYOB to record non-items sales
job A job is work for which you wish to track income and that do not require a printed invoice.
expenses. In MYOB, a job can be a profit centre, a product
line, a project or any other subset of your business that
requires a separate income statement. N

journal A journal is a tool for organising your accounting net income Net income (net profit or loss) is the total of all
entries. MYOB groups all entries into one of six journals: income accounts minus the sum of your expense and cost of
general, disbursements, receipts, sales, purchases or sales accounts.
inventory.
net profit The total of all income accounts minus the sum of
your expense and cost of sales accounts. Also called “net
income”.

278 GLOSSARY
 pay period The duration selected to process your employee
O pays.

open bill A purchase with an outstanding balance due. payroll year The 12-month period you use to define your
payroll year. MYOB requires the payroll year to start on
open sale A sale with an outstanding balance due. January and ends in December. The payroll year that you
create will not affect your financial year.
opening balance The balance of an account as at the start
of the first day of your conversion month. position Position is your employee’s job in the company.

operating profit This is your profit before considering profit & loss statement See ‘income statement’ on
Other Income and Other Expense. page 278.

other expenses An MYOB account type used to record profit centre A subset of your business for which you want
expenses that are not directly related to your company’s to track income and expenses. MYOB calls profit centres
operations. Use other expense accounts to record expenses “jobs”.
that are outside the normal operation of your business such as
loan interest, fines, etc. Other expense accounts usually have purging The act of erasing old data. MYOB allows you to
a debit balance. purge journal entries, closed sales, closed purchases and
contact logs.
other income An MYOB account type used to record
income that is not directly related to your company’s
operations. Use other income accounts to record income that R
is outside the normal operation of your business such as
interest income. Other income accounts usually have a credit recap transaction An MYOB function that lets you look at a
balance. journal entry before it is recorded. Recap transaction is
particularly useful for those transactions, such as invoices and
out of balance When the total credit amount does not bills, for which the journal entry is not immediately obvious.
equal the total debit amount in a transaction, it is out of
balance. MYOB does not allow you to record an out of balance receivables What someone else owes you for items or
transaction. services delivered. See ‘accounts receivable’ on page 273.

reconciling The process of checking that your records agree

P with your bank’s records.

paid-up capital The amount of money paid by shareholders recurring transaction An accounting entry that is made
in excess of the par value of the shares. periodically, such as weekly payroll, monthly rent, etc.

payables What you owe someone else for items or services retained earnings Money from previous years’ earnings that
delivered. See ‘accounts payable’ on page 273. has been left in the company. At the end of a financial year
any money earned (or lost) during the financial year is

GLOSSARY 279
 transferred to retained earnings. Retained earnings are
recorded in an equity account. T
revenue Income from the sale of goods or services. Revenue terms Terms are the agreed upon rules governing the
is recorded in an income account in MYOB. Income accounts number of days between delivery and payment, discounts for
usually carry a credit balance. early payment and penalties for late payment.
reversing The process of cancelling a transaction by transaction An entry in MYOB that affects the balance of
entering a new transaction with the same amounts but with accounts.
opposite signs.

S
shareholder’s equity The owners’ stake in the company. It is
the amount the owners invested in the company plus the
current year earnings and retained earnings.

settle a credit invoice When a customer returns something,

and you record an invoice that has a negative balance due, it is
called a credit invoice. Paying off this negative amount is
called settling a credit invoice.

settle a debit purchase When you return something to a

supplier, and you record a purchase with a negative balance
due, it is called a debit purchase. Paying off this negative
amount is called settling a debit purchase.

standard pay The current values of an employee’s payroll

details (wages, entitlements, deductions, employer expense
and taxes) that are automatically used when processing the
employee’s pay.

sub-tax The tax codes that make up a Consolidated tax

type.

supplier Someone from whom you buy goods or services. In

MYOB you must enter a supplier card before you can record a
purchase. See also ‘accounts payable’ on page 273.

280 GLOSSARY
trial Balance This is a report showing all the activity for an
account or accounts within a selected date range. It shows
the balance of the account at the beginning of the date
range, the activity within the date range, and the balance at
the end of the date range. A trial balance is useful for
checking your entries prior to doing your period-end
processing.

GLOSSARY 281
Index

INDEX
exporting exporting to other actions menu 12
to accountants 239 applications 259
A activation of company files
finding 165
circumstances requiring 18
grouping, detail 23
account levels confirming activation
header 21
to track financial automatically 252
importing 260
information 218 by telephone 251
indenting 23
over the Internet 251
Account Opening Balances list of 17
window 24 multiple currencies, activities
account types 20 tracking 155 billing rates, setting 144
new 21 changing 146
accountant numbers 20 creating time billing 145
receiving accounts list opening balances 23 definition of 145
from 240 bank accounts 23 deleting 146
AccountantLink reconciling 47 50 234 exporting 259
receiving accounts list from for the first time 32 importing 260
Accountants Office 240 transferring inactivating 146
accountants funds to foreign account 160 setting billing rates for 144
receiving adjustments from 239 money between 45 Activities List window 145
sending data to 238 types of 20
Activity Information window 145
accounting periods undo reconciliation 234
activity slips
locking 231 237 Accounts List window 21
adjusting book value of work in
number of 16 accounts payable progress 153
accounts paying 88 creating
adding 21 reconciling accounts at multiple 149
adjusting to reflect work in month-end 232 single 147
progress 153 year-end 232 creating a slip to pay an
assigning tax codes to 164 accounts receivable employee 148
budgets for 222 reconciling accounts at deleting 150
changing 166 month-end 232 exporting 259
classifications 20 year-end 232 finding 150
for statement of cash importing 260
flows 22 accrual accounts including in employee’s pay 112
combining 169 setting up for items received 82 multiple 149
creating 21 accruals, employee reviewing 150
deleting 167 linked wages category 101 single 147

281
 using timer to create 148 backorders billing rates, setting for cards
adjustments items purchased on 79 activities 144 active 166
entering in 13th period 16 239 items sold on 56 79 customers 144 adding 201
importing from backup files, restoring 250 employees 145 employee 104
accountants 239 240 suppliers 145 supplier 76
bad debts
making at year-end 239 bills assigning tax codes to 164
writing off 75
administrator account customising 194 changing 166
bank accounts creating for
passwords 25 recording 78
adding 21 See also purchases customers 53
See also user accounts
opening balances 23 employees 104
Ageing Date window 87 blank lines, inserting between line
reconciling suppliers 30
items 58 81
analyse payables 87 at month-end 47 50 custom lists and fields 208
Analyse Payables window 87 at year-end 47 Budget Shortcuts window 223 deleting 167
for the first time 32 budgets 222 employee payroll
analyse receivables 64
out-of-balance amounts, allocating for accounts 22 information 104
Analyse Receivables window 64 correcting 48 allocating for jobs 222 exporting 259
Analyse Sales window 64 bank deposits, preparing 40 choosing accounts for 222 finding 165
half-yearly 224 using advanced search
Analysis menu (command bank reconciliation
monthly 224 filters 165
centres) 12 undoing a 49
quarterly 224 using search fields 165
arrows. See search icons Bank Register window identification code 215
reports for 222
assets accounts 20 finding a transaction using 172 yearly 224 importing 260
Get Statement button 50 inactive 166
assets, recording build items 130
depreciation 236 recording receipts in 38 organising in groups 207
Split button 45 business calendar 12 synchronising cards and Outlook
audit trail 225 contacts 209
bank service charges, business contacts, maintaining list
auditing company file recording 48 of 204 view a contact on a map 206
information 231 categories
bank statements
Auto-Build Information adding transactions from 51 changing 166
window 131 creating 218 219
importing 50
deleting 167
Auto-Build Items window 132 formats supported 50 C enabling assignment to 219
auto-building items 131 reconciling 50
finding 165
billing for time. See time billing calculator
average cost 127 137 setting up 218
currency 158 tracking financial information,
pop-up 13 using 218
calendar 12 See also payroll categories
charging for time. See time billing
B Card ID field 215
cheques
Card Information window 76
customising for printing 194
backing up
entering 41–43
company file 248 printing 191
Backorder List window 60

282 INDEX
 recording in the confirmation codes loading 245 current financial year 16
Bank Register window 44 entered during credit card statements custom fields
Spend Money window 42 confirmation by adding transactions from 51 recording card details using 215
recurring 43 46 telephone 251 matching transactions with 50 recording item details using 141
voiding 43 generated by credit cards custom forms
See also payroll confirmation server over the
paying 51 adding graphics and logos 198
columns, moving and resizing in Internet 251
recording purchases 51 custom cheques 195
reports 182 confirmation of company files credit control data fields 197
combining accounts 169 automatic confirmation 252 drawing lines on 199
credit holds 70
command centres 10–12 by telephone 251 credit limits 69 drawing rectangles on 199
over the Internet 251 252 elements of 200
Company Data Auditor 225 credit terms 56
231–234
contact log 204 finance charges page properties, setting 195
automatic entries 205 applying 71 previewing 196
Company File Confirmation printing 196
contact management 201 calculating 71
window 251 removing elements 198
See also cards deleting 72
company files resizing elements 200
contra accounts 75 Credit Limit & Hold window 69
activating saving 196
circumstances requiring 18 contra payments 75 Credit Limit Override Password setting up page properties 195
auditing 231 conversion month 16 window 70 size of 195
backing up 248 credit limits tool palette 197
Copy From button 125
checking for errors 253 password, changing 70 custom lists
confirming cost of a stock item prevent recording sales if creating 208
automatically 252 average 127 customer exceeds 70 filtering inventory reports
by telephone 251 last 127 setting 69 with 140
over the Internet 251 cost of an inventory item warn if customer exceeds 69 grouping items with 140
creating 15 average 137 credit notes 73 custom price levels 138
optimising 253 last 137
credit terms assigning to a customer 139
purging unwanted data cost of sales accounts 21
from 254 changing for customer credits
restoring from backups 248 cost of sales, account for all sales 56 deleting 174
serial number, entering 19 tracking 125 this sale 56 issuing 72
sharing on a network counting inventory 133 changing when recording a recording 72
purchase 79 settling credit notes
factors affecting how they CPF
work 255 creditors. See accounts payable applying to open invoices 73
employee details, entering 106
unable to open 255 Currencies List window 155 customer payments 65
paying 118
verifying 231 253 payroll categories currency discount for early payment 67
company files folder. See network creating 96 accounts 155 group with undeposited
components, using to auto-build definition 96 calculator 158 funds 66
items 130 new 155
See also receiving payments
CPF Information window 99
See also multiple currencies
CPF tables
checking for latest 245 Currency Information window 155

INDEX 283
 customer statements data fields sick pay, distributing 114
customising 194 adding to forms 197 E standard pay, entering 107
emailing 236 changing font terminating 120
printing 191 235 characteristics 198 time billing information
changing size of 200 early payment discounts 67 89 including in employee
sending at month-end 235
customers font characteristics 198 Edit Accounts window 21 pays 112
resizing 200 Edit Recurring Schedule timesheets 108
billing rates for 144
data files. See company files window 176 viewing sales history for 65
cards, creating 53
credit holds 70 dates, entry with calendar 12 emailing Employer Expense Information
credit limits 69 window 102
Deduction Information customer statements 236
credit terms 56 window 101 invoices 58 81 employer expenses
credits reports 183 definition 96
applying to open invoices 73 deductions
sales forms 58 81 paying 118
deleting 174 definition 96
employees payroll categories
issuing 72 paying 118
activity slips, including in changing 102
recording 72 paying payroll 118
payroll categories pay 112 employment category,
discounts
changing 101 bank information 108 entering 105
for early payment 67
bank instructions 116 employment status, entering 105
for volume sales 57 deleting, transactions 174 billing rates
invoices delivery orders, customising 194 end-of-month. See month-end
setting 145
entering 55
deposits cash payments 116 end-of-year. See year-end
payments for 44 65
preparing 40 cheque 116 entitlements
payments from 44
recording in the Bank Register creating cards for 104 balances
price levels for 139
window 44 holiday pay, distributing 114 changing 122
quotes 55
saving as recurring 40 hours worked, entering 113 viewing 122
who are also suppliers 75
pay details, editing 113 definition 96
depreciation
pay history payroll categories
accounts for 236
entering 31 108 changing 100
recording 236
viewing 121
D detail paying 111–117 Entitlements Information
jobs 220 payment method 108 window 100
discounts payments, changing, deleting or EPF
data reversing 115
early payment discounts employee details, entering 106
exporting payroll deductions
giving 67 paying 118
to other applications 259 paying 119
receiving 89 payroll categories
importing reviewing 123
reversing customer payments creating 96
from accountant 240 payroll information
with 175 definition 96
from RetailBasics 261 analysing 123
volume discounts EPF Information window 99
from RetailManager 261 entering 104
giving 57
from other applications 260 viewing 121 equity accounts 20
receiving 80
limiting access to. See user printing paycheques 116 errors, checking for in company
accounts setting billing rates for 145 file 253
purging 254

284 INDEX
Excel, viewing MYOB reports
in 184
exchange accounts for tracking
foreign transactions 155
exchange rates 158
expense accounts 21
Export Data window 259
Export Summary Window 211
exporting data
to Outlook 210
exporting data to other
applications 259

faxing
reports 184
sales forms 58 81
file locking
multi-user mode 255
single-user mode 256
to protect your data 256
finance charges
customer
calculating 71
charging 71
deleting 72
setting up 71
supplier
deleting 93
paying 93
setting up 93
using to track late
payment 93

INDEX 285
 financial year custom lists and reports 140
budgets for 222 G I custom price levels 138
closing 238 locations 128
end-of-year tasks 238 minimum levels 126
general journal entries Identifiers, using to group moving between locations 129
starting a new year 240
assigning categories to 219 cards 207 opening cost values,
year-end tasks 238
creating recurring transactions Import and Export Options entering 36
Find Transactions menu (command for 176 window 210 213 opening quantity values,
centres) 12 136 exporting 259 entering 36
Find Transactions window 171 importing 260 import file formats, for importing
prices, setting 137
statements 50
finding recording 239 quantity breaks 138 139
general payroll information import log file 261–262 receiving items without a
records 165
transactions 170–173 entering 95 Import Summary window 214 supplier invoice 82
reconciling at year-end 238
finished items 130 Getting Started guide 8 importing data
recording 133
fonts graphics 198–199 from accountants 239
transferring 129
changing on forms 198 changing size of on forms 200 from Outlook 213
See also items
changing on reports 188 See also synchronising cards
and Outlook contacts inventory count sheets,
default 197 printing 36 133
from RetailBasics 261
foreign currency inventory movements
from RetailManager 261
adding a new currency 155 H from other applications 260 recording 129
changing 166
importing statements inventory transfers. See build items
deleting 167
half-yearly budgets 224 file formats supported 50 invoices
See also multiple currencies
header foreign currency 50 bad debts 75
foreign purchases. See multiple
accounts 21 Get Statement button 50 customising 194
currencies
jobs 220 matching transactions 50 emailing 58 81 191
foreign sales. See multiple online banking 50
headers, using to group line items entering 55
currencies inactivating records not used
in transactions 58 81 faxing 58 81
forms frequently 166 inserting blank lines in 58
help, online resource 9
adding fields to 197 international transactions. See line items, entering 56
batch 191 historical multiple currencies overdue 64
customising 194 purchases 88 printing
Internet banking
emailing 191 host computer in a batch 192
faxing 191 importing statements 50
setting up 264 recurring 58 81
finding 190 inventory subtotals, adding 58
system requirements 264
printing 191 See also workstations adjusting 127 time billing invoices,
freight auto-building items 131 creating 151
HTML format, saving reports
paying suppliers for 80 average cost of an item 137 using headers to group line
in 183
building 130 items 58
changing prices of 137 See also customer statements
counting 133 Item Information window 125
custom fields 141

286 INDEX
items receiving without a supplier setting up 218 line items
adding 125 invoice 82 sub-jobs 220 entering for purchases 79
adjusting quantities and recording stocktakes 133 using to track income and entering for sales 56
values 127 sales history, viewing 65 136 expenses 218–220 inserting blank lines
asset account for tracking value setting up 124 journal entries between 58 81
of 125 standard cost 125 creating recurring transactions showing subtotal of 58 81
assigning tax codes to 164 time billing invoices, including for 176 using headers to group 58 81
auto-building 131 on 143 exporting 238 259 lines, drawing on forms 199
average cost 127 137 transferring 129 finding 170
using custom fields for recording lists
base selling price 127 137 importing 260
building 130 details of 141 adding records to 162
from accountants 239 240
changing prices of 137 See also inventory deleting records from 167
listing for
cost of sales account for Items List Summary report 136 inactivating records in 166
purchases 86
tracking 125 Items Register window, finding recapping transactions for 58 locations, inventory
counting 133 80 175 adding 128
transactions using 172
creating 125 recording 239 changing 166
custom lists to group 140 creating 128
default location 126 default 126
default supplier number 126 deleting 167
deleting 167 J inactivating 166
expense account for L moving items between 129
tracking 125
jobs lock file problems 255 256
exporting 259 last cost of an item 127 137
finding 165 assigning to locking periods 237
payroll categories 114 layout
finished item, defined 130 logos
I Buy this Item option 124 purchases 80 choosing for a
adding to forms 198
I Inventory this Item option 124 Receive Money purchase 79
changing size on forms 200
I Sell this Item option 124 transactions 39 sale 56
See also pictures
importing 260 sales 57 See also custom forms
last cost 127 137 Spend Money transactions 42 learning tools 8
locations 128 budget allocation 222
leave payments 114
moving between locations 129 budget amounts, entering 222
changing 166 letters M
negative on-hand quantities 59
creating 220 mail merge 202
number per selling unit 126
deleting 167 personalised 202
opening quantities and values, Mail Merge button 64
entering 36 detail jobs 220 creating 191
exporting 259 mailing labels
price levels liability accounts 20
finding 165 customising 194
changing 137 licenses, obtaining extra
header jobs 220 printing 191
setting custom 138 workstation seats 247
purchase history, viewing 88 importing 260 mailing labels, printing 203
136 job-tracking tasks 220 master password. See
received opening balances, entering 221 administrator account
setting up accrual account
for 82

INDEX 287
 Match Transaction window 50 multi-user mode new year See also credit terms; bad debts
Microsoft Outlook contacts. file locking 255 starting a new financial
See synchronising cards and problems 255 256 year 240
Outlook contacts improving performance 258 starting a new payroll year 245
obtaining additional
minimum inventory levels 126
licenses 247 P
money refreshing displayed data 258
See receiving money See also network; single-user passwords. See administrator
See spending money mode O account; user accounts
month-end 230 MYOB Accountants Office Pay Bills window 89
accuracy of records, importing journal OfficeLink
Pay Deductions window 119
checking 225 adjustments 240 collection letters, creating 64
entering budgets 222 creating personalised Pay Employee window 113
MYOB Help 9
locking periods 237 letters 202 Pay History section 121
MYOB RetailBasics, importing
reconcile bank accounts 234 online banking, importing pay slips
from 261
reconciling bank accounts 47 statements 50
MYOB RetailManager, importing email 118
recording depreciation 236 online help 9
from 261 emailing 118
reviewing reports 234
opening balances after processing a pay run 116
running the Company Data
printing 117 118
Auditor 225 231–234 items 36
jobs 221 after processing a pay run 116
sending customer
statements 235 optimising your company file 253 pay suppliers
monthly budgets 224
N sending remittance advice 90
orders
mouse shortcuts 13 converting one payables
navigation shortcuts 11 analysing 87
multiple currencies to a purchase invoice 85
network to a sales invoice 62 reconciling accounts at
’I Deal in Multiple Currencies’
file locking converting several month-end 232
preference 155
multi-user mode 255 simultaneously year-end 232
accounts for tracking foreign
purchases 156 single-user mode 256 to purchase invoices 86 paycheques, printing 116
hardware required 264 to sales invoices 62
sales 156 paying employees 111–117
adding a new foreign how preferences work on 255 purchase orders, entering 78
improving performance 258 receiving 55
See also payroll
currency 155
shared public folder sales orders, entering 55 payment method, default
currency calculator 158
depositing foreign accessing from sending 78 employee 108
currencies 161 workstations 269 Outlook contacts. payments
exchange accounts 155 setting up 269 See synchronising cards and exporting 259
exchange rates 158 sharing company files Outlook contacts importing 260
setting up 155 factors affecting how they making 42 44 89
overdue invoices
tracking realised currency work 255 receiving 38 44
creating collection letters using
gains/losses 159 storing custom reports on 257 recurring 176
OfficeLink 64
transferring funds to foreign system requirements 264
viewing list of 64 payroll
account 160 New Time Billing window 152 See also credit terms activity slips
multiple locations 128

288 INDEX
 including in employee adjusting 114 Payroll Category List window 96 Apply Customer Payments
pays 112 base salary 103 Automatically to Oldest
advice, printing 116 adjusting 114 Invoice First 74
payroll deductions
categories 96–103 calculated value 108 how they work on a
paying 119
CPF changing 97–102 network 255
reviewing 123 I Deal in Multiple Currencies 25
checking for latest 245 creating 96
loading CPF tables 245 editing 103 Payroll Details tab 105 I Prefer to Use Automated Online
payroll year Company File
deduction payments 118 reviewing 31
Confirmation 18
earnings, printing 116 end-of-year tasks 241
I use MYOB RetailManager 262
employee information, starting a new year 245
entering 104 I Use Timesheets for ... and My
when to close 241
Week Starts on ... 109
entitlement balances 122 payslips If Credit Limit is Exceeded on
information 121 printing 118 Sale 70
analysing 123
pending purchases. See purchase Prevent Data Changes During
pay history 121 Report Generation 257
orders
pay slips system-wide preferences 255
emailing 118 pending sales. See sales orders time billing 143
printing 118 periods Transactions CAN’T be Changed,
paycheques, printing 116 closing 237 They Must be Reversed 25
processing pays 111–117 locking 231 237 175
reports 242 Use Audit Trail Tracking 25
personalised letters
setting up 94 Prepare Bank Deposit window 40
using the Payroll Easy Setup creating 202
printing 191 174
Assistant 31
petty cash accounts Prepare Budgets window 223
SOCSO
checking for latest 245 allocating expenses to 47 price levels
loading SOCSO tables 245 transferring money to 46 creating custom 138
tax returns 242 pictures for customers 139
taxes adding to setting 137
checking for latest 245 cards 216 prices
loading tax tables 245 forms 198 average cost of an inventory
timesheets changing the size of on item 127 137
changing details during pay forms 200 last cost of an inventory
run 112 removing 216 item 127 137
entering employee hours 109 replacing 216 quantity breaks 139
excluding from a pay run 112 Portable Document Format (PDF) standard cost of an item 127
See also CPF or EPF file printing
payroll categories saving sales as 58 81 cheques 43 90
accrual preferences customer statements 184 235
linked wages category 101 forms 191
Allow the sale of items with
base daily insufficient on-hand invoices 58 81
adjusting 114 quantities 59 in a batch 192
base hourly paycheques 116

INDEX 289
 personalised letters 191 history, viewing 88 importing transactions 260
purchases importing 260 Q invoice payments 65
in a batch 192 inserting blank lines in 81 recording receipts 38
receipts 68 layout See also receiving payments
remittance advice 90 customising 194 quantity breaks, inventory 138 139
receiving payments 65
reports 184 line items on, entering 79 quarterly budgets 224 customer payments 65
year-end 234 making payment quotes grouping with undeposited
problems, troubleshooting 9 using the Bank Register converting to funds
window 44 orders or invoices 62 cash transactions 39 66
Process Payments window 115 using the Pay Bills window 88 orders or purchases 85 credit card 66
Process Payroll window 111 using the Spend Money importing transactions 260
customer 55
purchase window 41 supplier 78 invoice payments 65
remittance advice 43 orders, entering 78 recording in the Bank Register
paying 88 window 44
purchase activity, viewing 171
several at once 90 See also receiving money
purchase debits, creating 91 printing reconciled transactions,
purchase forms in a batch 192 R deleting 174
customising 194 order forms 191
purchase activity, viewing 171 reconciling
purchase orders rates, setting billing rates 144
quotes 78 accounts 47 50
customising 194 realised gains and losses out-of-balance amounts,
receiving items without a
entering 78 tracking on correcting 48
bill 82
purchases recording 78 sales and purchases 159 payables accounts 232
applying a supplier debit to an in the Bank Register transfers 160 receivables accounts 232
unpaid purchase 91 window 44 recapping transactions 58 80 175 Record Journal Entry window
assigning a tax code to a reports 88 entering adjustments 239
purchase 80 receipts, printing 68
reversing 90 records
assigning job to 80 reviewing purchase receivables
active 166
changing credit terms when information 86 reconciling accounts at
recording 79 adding 162
sending 191 month-end 232
changing status of 85 using Easy-Add 163
subtotals, adding 81 year-end 232
choosing type of 79 changing 166
unpaid purchases, viewing 87 Receive Payments window 66
credit card 51 deleting 174
135
credit terms, entering 79 receiving money 38 44 inactivating or reactivating 166
using headers to group line
debits, creating 90 cash payments 38 inactive 166
items 81
deleting 174 cheque payments 38 removing 174
Purchases Register window
emailing purchase forms credit card payments 38 rectangles, drawing on forms 199
finding transactions using 171
in a batch 191 customer payments 65 recurring transactions 176–181
Purchases window 78 81 definition of 38
entering 78 automatically recording 177
additional information 80 purging information 254 exporting transactions 259
changing 178
exporting 259 grouping with undeposited
cheques 43 46
from overseas suppliers. See funds
creating 176
multiple currencies cash transactions 39 66
creating from an existing
headers, adding 81 credit card 66

290 INDEX
 entry 177 filtering information appearing choosing type of 56 Select & Edit Employee’s Pay
deleting 179 on 186 creating a purchase order 58 window 113
deposits 40 printing 182 customer payments 65 select columns 13
editing 178 when several users active 257 deleting 174
purchases reports 88 Select Pay Period window 112
recording emailing 58 81
multiple 180 reviewing at month-end 234 in a batch 191 serial number
single 179 sales reports 65 entering 55 entering into company files
rescheduling 179 saving as exporting 259 while activating by
responding to reminders comma-separated value (CSV) faxing 58 81 telephone 19
for 180 files 183 forms, customising 194 while activating over the
sales 58 81 HTML files 183 history, viewing for item, Internet 19
scheduling payments 176 PDF files 183 customer or employee 65
Set Item Prices window 137
setting reminders for 177 simple text files 183 importing 260
setting up 176 tab-delimited value files 183 income account for tracking Settle Returns & Credits
sending 183 sales 125 window 73
Recurring Transactions List
window 179 storing custom reports on invoice 55 Settle Returns & Debits
network 257 customising 194 window 92
refreshing lists in a multi-user using custom lists as filters 140 layout 56
environment 258 shared public folder. See company
viewing in Microsoft Excel 184 customising 194
files; host computer; network
refund cheque, receiving 92 Reports menu (command order 55
printing 58 81 single-user mode
refund payments 74 centres) 12
in a batch 191 file locking 256
refunds. See customer credits restoring backup files 250 when required 256
quotes 55
registration. See activation of RetailBasics recording in the Bank Register See also multi-user mode
company files importing from 261 window 44 SOCSO tables
Reminders window 180 RetailManager recurring 58 81 checking for latest 245
importing from 261 reports 65 loading 245
remittance advices
reversing 72 spell check feature 14
printing returns. See customer credits
reviewing information about 63
in a batch 192 Review Sales Before Printing Spend Money window 42
saving as a PDF file 58 81
reports window 192 193 to overseas customers. See spending money 41 89
batches rounding time, in time billing 143 multiple currencies exporting transactions 259
changing 185 unpaid sales, viewing 64 importing transactions 260
creating 185 Sales Register window sending remittance advice 43
deleting 185 finding transactions using 171 Split button 45
printing 184 viewing and editing sales in 171
columns, moving and S standard cost 125
Sales window 55
resizing 182 standard pay 107
custom reports 189 search icons 13
sales starting a new financial year 238
storing on a network 257 analysing sales activity 64 seats, obtaining extra
Starting a new payroll year 241
customising 186 assigning a tax code to a sale 57 licenses 247
emailing 183 statements
batch printing 191 See also synchronising cards and
faxing 184 changing status of 62 bank
Outlook contacts

INDEX 291
 correcting out-of-balance payment 89 paying 41 88 creating 163
amounts 48 volume 80 using the Bank Register importing 260
importing 50 window 44 tax returns
customer purchases, entering printing 242
customising 194 quotes, orders and bills 78
tax tables
emailing 236 receiving items without an
printing 184 invoice 82 checking for latest 245
sending remittance advice 90 loading 245
reconciling
out-of-balance amounts, setting billing rates for 145 Termination Details window 120
correcting 48 who are also customers 75 termination of employment 120
stock. See inventory; items Synchronise Cards window 210 text fields
stocktakes synchronising cards and Outlook adding to forms 198
default adjustment accounts contacts changing font characteristics
for 134 export cards to Outlook of 198
recording 133 contacts 210 changing size of on forms 200
See also inventory; counting import Outlook contacts to description of 195
cards 212 thirteen accounting periods 16
sub-jobs 220
including custom fields 209 211
subpasswords. See user accounts when you use a PDA 210 211 time billing
activities
subtotals system requirements
creating 145
showing in host computer 264 defining 145
purchase transactions 81 network 264
deleting 167
sales transactions 58
finding 165
supplier debits activity slips
creating 91 creating 147
deleting 174 T including in employee
recording 90 pays 112
refund cheques 92 multiple 149
settling 91 tabs, using to find records in
single 147
lists 165
suppliers adjusting accounts to reflect
billing rates, setting 145 tax work in progress 153
cards, creating 30 76 change amount assigned to changing 166
credit terms, changing when receive money transaction 39 including items on invoices 143
recording purchase 79 sale 57 80 invoices
debits spend money transaction 42 creating in the Prepare Time
creating 90 tax codes Billing Invoice window 151
deleting 174 creating in the Sales
assigning to
recording 90 window 152
accounts 164
refund cheques 92 preferences 143
cards 164
settling 91 rounding time 143
items 164
discounts setting billing rates for
purchases 80
receiving for early activities 144
sales 57

292 INDEX
 setting preferences 143 finding 12 170–173 window 49
timer 148 using Items Register 172 Use Recurring button 179 W
entering start time before identifying user who
system time 148 entered 246 user accounts
resetting 149 importing 260 creating 247 wages
using special billing units 143 from bank or credit card listing active users 256 definition 96
work in progress 153 statement 51 managing 246 payroll categories
Pay Bills transactions 260 maximum licensed number changing 97 98 99
timesheets
matching during statement reached 256 See also payroll, employees
changing details during pay passwords 247
importing 50 Wages Information window 97 98
run 112 purpose of 246
delete 108 recapping 58 80 175 99
recurring 176–181 restricting access to windows
employee hours, entering 108 and functions 247 work in progress
reversing 175
excluding from a pay run 112 adjusting accounts to
types that can be imported 260 user IDs. See user accounts
report 112 reflect 153
unchangeable 174 175
setting up 109 tracking 153
time billing information, Transactions CAN’T be Changed,
workstations
entering 108 They Must be Reversed
accessing shared company file
unpaid hours preference 174 175
V folder 269
clearing 110 Transfer Money window 45 obtaining extra licenses 247
deleting 110 See also host computer; network
transferring verify company file 231 253 256
reporting 112
inventory 129 write-offs 75
view timesheet reports 108 View Contact Log window 204
money between accounts 45
To 118 voiding a cheque 43
troubleshooting 9 255 256
To Do List volume discounts
making supplier payments giving 57
from 87 receiving 80
viewing and editing
purchases 87 U
To Do List menu (command
centres) 12 136 unchangeable transactions 174
tool palette 195 197 175
Transaction Journal window uncleared transactions,
finding transactions using 173 matching 50
transactions undeposited funds
adding from bank or credit card deleting transactions 174
statement 51 grouping with
changing 174 account transactions 39
create recurring 176 cash transactions 66
create recurring from an existing payments 66
entry 177 preparing bank deposit of 40
deleting 174 Undo Last Reconciliation
exporting 259

INDEX 293
 Y

year
financial 238
payroll 241
starting a new financial
year 240
year-end
entering budgets 222
financial
adjustments, entering 239
optimising company file 241
providing information to your
accountant 238
reconciling accounts 232
reconciling inventory 238
starting a new year 240
payroll 241–245
year-end tasks
adjustments in 13th period 16
payroll 241–245
back up company file 244
print payroll reports 242
process the last paycheques
for the year 242
start a new payroll year 245
yearly budgets 224

zoom arrows 13

294 INDEX