Overview

You might notice that when running your General Ledger reports for a new accounting year (for example, 2025), the Balance Forward amount is showing as 0.00, even though you had transactions and balances in previous years (like 2024). This can feel confusing, especially since your reports for the previous year display balances as expected.

We want to clarify why this happens and what it means for your reporting.

How the Balance Forward Works in Your General Ledger Reports

• The Balance Forward amount in the General Ledger report reflects the total of all transactions within the current accounting year up to the period preceding your report's start period.
• It does not carry forward balances from prior years automatically.
• This means if you run a report starting at the first period of a new accounting year, the Balance Forward will always show as 0.00, because there are no transactions yet in the current year.
• If you select a period later in the year (for example, March 2025), the Balance Forward will show the accumulated balance from January and February 2025.

Example:

• Running your report from January 2025 will show a Balance Forward of 0.00.
• Running your report from March 2025 will show a Balance Forward including balances from January and February 2025 only, not prior years.

What Does This Mean for You?

• Balances from previous years (such as 2024) are not included in the Balance Forward for 2025 reports.
• If you want to see balances for prior years, please refer to reports generated for those years.
• If you require opening balances to reflect prior year totals at the start of a new year, these are typically handled through year-end closing entries or account opening balance adjustments.