Entering Documents From Before Go-Live
When you start on Bizconnekt part-way through a year, your customers still owe you for invoices you raised in your previous system, and you still owe suppliers for old bills. Old documents let you bring those in, so you can record the payments and returns that arrive later against the real invoice or bill, while your books start cleanly on your go-live date.
Any accounting document dated before your go-live date is an old document. There is no checkbox to tick: the date decides. This covers invoices, bills, payments received, payments made, credit notes and debit notes.
Recommended steps
- Set your go-live dates. An admin does this in Settings → Configuration → Finance → Accounting Period. See Go-live dates.
- Enter your old invoices and bills, one by one or with Bulk Import. Enter the ones that are still open, and any that later payments, notes or returns will point to.
- Enter each party's opening balance on the customer or supplier.
- Run the Opening Balance Check to confirm each party's opening balance matches what is still open on its old documents.
Entering an old invoice or bill
Create the invoice or bill as usual and set its date before your go-live date. The form changes to match:
- An Old document banner explains that the document is dated before go-live and "will not post to the books or move stock".
- On invoices, credit notes and debit notes, the number field is labelled Original. Enter the number exactly as printed in your old system, and your live numbering is left untouched. If a number from this app's live series is still in the field, you are asked to replace it with the original or tick "This is the original number from my old system".
- There are no stock fields. Batch, serial and store aren't needed, because an old document moves no stock.
- A bill dated before go-live can't carry an asset line. Remove it and add the asset through the asset register.
- Goods already delivered or received in your old system are marked with "Goods already delivered (in your old system)" or "Goods already received (in your old system)". Goods billed but not yet received are entered as a Pending Inward opening; a goods receipt after go-live receives them.
A document that is waiting for approval can't have its date moved across go-live. Cancel it and enter it again with the right date.
On the mobile app
The mobile app shows the same Old document badge and banner, and asks for the original number in the same way.
Import old invoices and bills
You can bulk import old invoices and bills. When the importer sees rows dated before your go-live date, it explains the rules:
- Each row needs its original number. Map the document number column and fill it.
- Each row needs at least one item line.
- There is no goods movement, so the goods column is ignored on old rows.
After an import the page reminds you: "Imported old documents? Check that your party opening balances match them."
Opening balances
An opening balance is what a party owed you, or you owed them, on your go-live date. On the customer or supplier, pick the side of the balance:
- For a customer: They owe us or We owe them (for example, an advance they paid).
- For a supplier: We owe them or They owe us (for example, an advance you paid).
A balance on the party's less usual side is stored as a negative amount. In a bulk import of parties, type a plain negative number such as -500. "500 Cr", "(500)" and "500-" are not accepted.
The party statement starts with the opening balance. Under it, Opening balance breakup (old documents) lists the open old documents. Their amounts are already inside the opening balance and aren't added to the running balance.
Opening Balance Check
The Opening Balance Check compares each party's opening balance with what is still open on its old documents: for customers, old invoices, credit notes and receipts; for suppliers, old bills, debit notes and payments. It is available on the web only.
Open it from Reports → Business Reports and choose the Opening balance check card. Switch between Customers and Suppliers, and use Mismatches only to focus on what needs fixing.
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Party | The customer or supplier |
| Opening balance | The balance you entered |
| Open on old documents | What is still open on its old documents |
| Difference | The gap between the two |
| Status | Matches or Mismatch |
A mismatch is only shown, never changed for you. Use Fix opening balance to correct it, or the links under See old documents to open that party's old invoices, credit notes, receipts, bills, debit notes or payments. If no go-live date is set, the screen says there is nothing to check yet.
What old documents do and don't affect
| Where | Old documents |
|---|---|
| Balance sheet, profit and loss, trial balance | Not included. They post nothing to the books. |
| Stock | Not affected. They move no stock. |
| Receivables, payables and ageing | Included |
| Party statements | Included, in the opening balance breakup |
| Sales and purchase analytics | Included |
| GST reports | Not included. They were reported from your previous system. |
| E-invoice and e-way bill | Not available for old invoices |
Reports say so beside their figures, for example "Books start on [date]. Old documents dated before that are not included."
How old documents show
- An Old document badge on lists, detail views and the PDF.
- An Old documents filter on the lists, with All, Only old and Hide old.
- On an old document's detail view, the Journal and Inventory tabs are empty and explain why: "No journal — dated before go-live; it sits inside the party's opening balance." and "No stock movement — dated before go-live; it moves no stock here."
Sales returns against old invoices
A sales return can be raised against an old invoice. It uses the current average cost of the item.
FAQ
Do I have to tick something to mark a document as old?
No. Any accounting document dated before your go-live date is old automatically.
Why is the invoice number field asking for an "Original" number?
Old documents keep the number from your previous system. Your live numbering is not used up by them.
Can I change an old document's date to after go-live?
Not directly. Cancel it and enter it again with the new date. The same applies the other way round.
Why do my receivables not match my balance sheet?
Receivables and payables include old documents, and the books don't. In the books, old documents sit inside each party's opening balance. The Opening Balance Check shows any difference.
Will old invoices appear in my GST returns?
No. They were reported from your previous system.
Can I generate an e-invoice or e-way bill for an old invoice?
No. Old invoices can't get a new e-invoice or e-way bill.
Can I move my go-live date after I've started?
Not once something has been posted on or after it. See Go-live dates.