Creating Report Descriptions

Path: Settings > Report Descriptions 

You can create any number of report description groupings. Each account has the ability to be assigned to any and all report description groups that exist, but no assignment is mandatory for an account.

Report ID: A short identifier for the reporting group.

Report Name: Description of the reporting use. 

Levels

Level 1 - 4: Reporting levels consist of the combination of four parts that will be used to control the sorting of the accounts that use the group. Levels should be arranged to allow for headings and totaling of the accounts in a group. 

Description: The description that will be used in the Financial Statement to identify all GL accounts that are assigned the specific number combination. Note that levels can be created to print header or total descriptions on the financial statement. These number combinations do not get assigned to any GL account.

Note – We recommend you set up your report description levels with a number structure spread out enough to allow for the insertion of more numbers if that would be needed in the future.

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Assigning Report Descriptions

Path: Records > Accounts > Edit 

Account maintenance screen allows you to specify the four-part number of the desired report description groupings. Each account has the ability to be assigned to any and all report description groups that exist, but no assignment is mandatory for an account.

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Importing Report Descriptions

Path: Records > Accounts > New(Import)

This is used to import a report description definition. This creates the four-part identifier along with the title associated with it.

Action: Select ‘Import report description setup’.

Connection: See import connections for help with setting up a connection to a file to import.

Reference columns by: See import connections.

Report ID: Select the Report ID to be updated with the imported values.

Description Column: Specify what column in the import file contains the description to be imported. Identify the column by the heading or by the column number based on the above ‘Reference columns by’ value selected.

Level 1 - 4 Column: Specify what column in the import file contains the specific level to be imported. Identify the column by the heading or by the column number based on the above ‘Reference columns by’ value selected. 

Note – the levels are numeric values, so you will need to specify a number in each of the columns in the import file, even if the value is zero.

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Importing Report Descriptions for Accounts 

Path: Records > Accounts > New(Import)

This is used to assign report description levels to the GL Accounts to be grouped.

Action: Select ‘Import report descriptions for accounts’.

Connection: See import connections for help with setting up a connection to a file to import.

Reference columns by: See import connections.

Report ID: Select the Report ID to be updated with the imported values.

Add by: Specify how the GL accounts are to be identified for assigning the four-part number. You can list each individual account in your import file along with the levels for each one. If you wish to apply the same four-part level every account that matches a given account part, you can import based on just that portion of the account. Identify the column by the heading or by the column number based on the above ‘Reference columns by’ value selected.

Account Column: Specify what column in the import file contains either the GL account or the account part to use as the criteria of what accounts will be updated with the associated four-part number. Identify the column by the heading or by the column number based on the above ‘Reference columns by’ value selected.

Level 1 - 4 Column: Specify what column in the import file contains the specific level to be imported. Identify the column by the heading or by the column number based on the above ‘Reference columns by’ value selected. 

Note – the levels are numeric values, so you will need to specify a number in each of the columns in the import file, even if the value is zero.

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Using in Financial Statements

Report descriptions can be used to create an alternate number structure for your chart of accounts. Reports can automatically be sorted and grouped based on the existing account parts, but report descriptions can be used when there is a need to sort and group accounts outside of the existing numerical order of the account number.

To use the alternate structure within a given financial statement, on the General tab, select the report description to use from the dropdown list.

Example for a custom balance sheet

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Account Assigning Tips

If an account has no report description, this account will not be included in a report’s totals if the Rows tab is set to sort on report description level. However, it will be included if the report is set to sort on a G/L account division (branch, department, minor, etc.).

A report by report description will usually be sorted (Rows tab) in order of Level 1, Level 2, etc. If you want to be sure to include any accounts that might not have a report description, temporarily add an additional line for “Account” after the various Levels.

These unassigned accounts will be displayed at the top of the report. Right-click to edit any account and add the report description; save; re-display the report.

Another option: You can add a report description level with all zeros called “Not Assigned”. That way they will show up on your report as Not Assigned. To get a list of accounts without a report description, here is an easy way:

1. Display the report
2. Right click on the Not Assigned total
3. Drill down to Account. Nothing will be displayed at first.
4. Click Customize View
5. Change the “Level 1 Equal to 0” to Level 1 Is nothing"
6. Click Display