Enter the default date for your opening balances. If required, you can amend the date for individual balances.

This is usually the day before the date you want to start processing in Sage 50 Accounts.

To age transactions for debt chasing purposes, enter each transaction individually using the original posting date. If you don't need to age the debt, enter the balance as a total on the default date you set for your opening balances.

1. Complete the Customer Opening Balances window as follows:

A/C	Choose the required customer account.
Date	The default opening balances date appears. If required, change this to the actual transaction date.
Ref	The reference O/Bal appears.
Department	Choose the required department.
Type	Choose either Invoice or Credit.
Gross - Standard VAT only	Enter the opening balance.
Net - VAT Cash Accounting only	Enter the net element of the opening balance.
T/C - VAT Cash Accounting only	Enter the required tax code.
VAT - VAT Cash Accounting only	Enter the VAT element of the opening balance.

2. Press Save.

To age transactions for debt chasing purposes, enter each transaction individually using the original posting date. If you don't need to age the debt, enter the balance as a total on the default date you set for your opening balances.

1. Complete the Supplier Opening Balances window as follows:

A/C	Choose the required supplier account.
Date	The default opening balances date appears. If required, change this to the actual transaction date.
Ref	The reference O/Bal appears.
Dept	Choose the required department.
Type	Choose either Invoice or Credit.
Gross - Standard VAT only	Enter the opening balance.
Net - VAT Cash Accounting only	Enter the net element of the opening balance.
T/C - VAT Cash Accounting only	Enter the required tax code.
VAT - VAT Cash Accounting only	Enter the VAT element of the opening balance.

2. To save your entry, press Save. 

After entering the customer and supplier opening balances, you need to check you've entered the correct values.

Use this option to run the aged analysis and trial balance reports to confirm the correct values.

1. Complete the Criteria for Batch Report window as follows:

Exc Later Payments	Leave this checkbox clear.
Transaction Date	Leave the first box as 01/01/1980. In the second box, enter the last day of the period before you're starting date. For example, if you're entering your opening trial balance as at 01/08/2011, enter 31/07/2011 here.
Inc Future Tran	Leave this checkbox clear.
Period	From the dropdown list, select Brought forward. Use the period before your starting date. For example, if you enter your opening balances on the last day of your previous financial period.
Customer Ref	To run this for all customers, don't change this. To run this for a specific customer or range of customers, use the dropdown lists to select your customers.
Supplier Ref	To run this for all suppliers, don't change this. To run this for a specific supplier or range of suppliers, use the dropdown lists to select your suppliers.

2. Press OK.

When you enter your supplier and customer opening balances, these appear on your nominal ledger under the debtors and creditors control accounts. To stop these duplicating when you enter your trial balance from your accountant, clear these values first. This option automatically identifies the correct transactions to post.

1. If you want to create a backup of your data, select Yes. If you don't want to create a backup of your data, select No.
2. In the Opening Balances Reversals window, confirm the figures are correct then select Reverse.

Enter the trial balance as received from your accountant, ensuring that the bank balance contains both your presented and un-presented items.

1. Under Date, enter the last day of the period before your starting date. For example, if your start date is 01/04/2026, enter 31/03/2026.
2. Complete the Trial Balance Entry window as follows:

N/C	Choose the required nominal code.
Name	The nominal code name appears.
Department	Choose the required department.
Details	Enter any details.
T/C	Leave this as T9.
Debit	Enter the opening balance value.
Credit	Enter the opening balance value.

3. Press Save.

Enter the individual transactions that haven't yet cleared the bank account. When you run your first bank reconciliation each of these individual bank payments or receipts, the software lists them for you to reconcile.

1. Complete the Bank Opening Balances window as follows:

Bank AC	Choose the required bank account.
Name	The bank account name appears.
Date	The default opening balances date appears. If required, change this to the actual transaction date.
Ref	The reference O/Bal appears.
Department	Choose the required department.
Type	Choose either Receipt or Payment.
Amount	Enter the amount of the uncleared item.
T/C	Choose the required tax code.
VAT	The VAT amount appears.

2. Press Save.

This posts either a bank payment or bank receipt to the suspense account. As well as journals to reverse the affect on the nominal ledger

Once you've entered your nominal and bank opening balances, compare the trial balance in Sage 50 Accounts to the your accountants trial balance. This ensures that you've entered the correct values.

1. In the Criteria for Period Trial Balance window, select the Period dropdown list and choose the period before your starting date. For example, if you enter your opening balances on the last day of your previous financial period, select Brought Forward.
2. Press OK. 

The Period Trial Balance appears and will match the trial balance from your accountant.

This runs the check data option to check if your data is error free.

1. If any errors appear, use our A - Z index of Check Data errors, warning and comments article to resolve.
2. Once complete, press Close.

1. Take and keep at least one backup of your data files.

This ensures you can restore back to this point if you want to check the vales or details of your opening balances.