This guide explains how to import standard budget information into Sage 50 Accounts.
If you use the standard budgeting method it's easy to import nominal codes containing budget information. For example, you may want to re-use budgets from one company in another, import budgets at the start of your financial year, or adjust them part-way through the year. Here we take you through exporting a list of nominal code records with budgets and re-importing it once you've made any adjustments.
TIP: If you simply want to apply a percentage increase on this year's budgets or actuals to create budgets for next year, you can do this automatically as part of your year end.
Prepare your import file
If you're creating your budget information from scratch within Excel, we recommend you Nominal Record FULL template.xls from the file import templates to make the process easier. Alternatively, you can export existing nominal ledger records as a starting point and then amend the values in Excel as required. Read more >
- In Sage 50 Accounts, open the company you want to copy your nominal list from.
- Click Nominal codes, click Reports, then click Nominal details.
- Click Nominal Record CSV then click Export.
- Browse to where you want to save the file, for example, your Windows desktop.
- In File name enter a new filename, then from the Save as type drop-down click CSV Files (*.csv).
- Click Save then in the Criteria window click OK.
You've now exported a copy of your nominal list and budgets and can amend it in Excel as required. Once you're ready, you can then import it.
Import your nominal budgets
Once you have your budget information saved as an Excel file or comma separated values (.csv) file, you're ready to import it into your accounts data. For the nominal codes included in your import file, the import overwrites existing budget information with the values in the file.
- Close any other software used to create your import file. For example, Excel.
- In Sage 50 Accounts, open the company you want to copy your nominal list to.
- Click File, click Import, then click Backup and follow the steps to back up your data.
- Once the backup is complete, click Next.
- Under Data Type, click Nominal Accounts, then click Next.
- Under Data Source, select Comma-separated (*.csv) or Excel worksheet (*.xls;*.xlsx) as required, then click Browse.
- To the right of the file name, in the drop-down choose All Files(*.*).
- Browse to and double-click your import file, then click Next.
- To match the Sage fields with the columns in your import file, under Imported Field choose the relevant column for each Sage field.
For example, if the nominal reference is in column A in Excel, on the first row choose A. If the nominal name is in column B, on the second row choose B and so on for each value you want to import.

- Click Next, click Import then once the records are imported, click Close.
That's it, you've now imported your nominal budget information.
TIP: If you get an error when importing don't worry, these are easy to fix using our import errors guide.
- Solution ID
- 211206133950223
- Last Modified Date
- Wed Mar 11 10:25:52 UTC 2026
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