Sample Balance Sheet Rows

A sample set of rows for the BS balance sheet report has been set up using Financial Statement Rows (FSR). The Row Content Code identifying these rows is also BS.

The rows are listed in numerical order as they would appear on the statement. Using Query is a useful way to check that you have not left out any lines.

The first line in this balance sheet report is number 10. The numbering is incremented in tens or hundreds to leave space to add lines at a later stage. This first line is a Heading line type, this indicates that it is a descriptive line with no properties other than a name. You can define blank Heading lines to create spaces in your report. The Page line type is similar, except that it starts a new page before printing the heading.

The next Row Number is 20, this is a Line row type which reports data. You must enter a name for this type of line. This name is printed as the line description. You can enter a '-' hyphen for a blank description.

This line reports the range of asset balance sheet accounts, so the Account Code From/To fields contain accounts 40000 to 45999.

The Normal Sign field has been set to Debit because normally this figure will be a debit. If an account shows a credit balance, it is printed as a negative. This field only affects the way in which values are printed.

If the Account Details option is set, each account within the specified range will be printed on a separate line. The names of the accounts are printed instead of the row name.

If you want to include a title before the list of accounts, you should define a separate heading row. You may also want to define a separate line for totals.

Another Row Type is Continuation. A continuation line does not appear separately on the printed report but is added to the preceding line. This is a means of including an account in a line even if it does not follow alphanumerically in your specified range.

An example of the method in the BS report is statement row 500. This row reports the debtor accounts; the next row is number 525, a continuation line. This adds accounts in the 92000 to 93999 to the debtor accounts defined on the previous line.

You can define as many continuation rows as you need, each one adding into the previous Line row type. This facility for adding in one account, or a range of accounts, to another account or range means that, however you design your chart of accounts, you can extract the financial statements you need.

Reporting Depending on the Account Balance

You can set up your balance sheet so that an account shows as an asset if it has a debit balance, and as a liability if it has a credit balance.

For example, client accounts are totalled separately in the balance sheet report. Client accounts with a debit balance are reported as current assets, and client accounts with a credit balance are reported as current liabilities.

This is illustrated on row 550. The client accounts are selected on the row, and the Exclude if Credit option is set. Each account with a credit balance is suppressed. Debit accounts are totalled and printed.

Now examine row number 2250. This also reports client account, under the heading current liabilities. This line reports accounts that have been suppressed because they have a credit balance. The Exclude if Debit option is set. Any accounts included under current assets will not be included here.