Running the Accounting Link Update

Description

This process creates a file of financial totals that can be imported into a user's accounting software (like Quickbooks).

Before you begin

The transaction types in Trash Flow must be mapped to corresponding locations in your chart of accounts; see Setting Up the Accounting Link for instructions.

Context

The Accounting Link is used to speed up entering financial data. It takes the charges made and payments recorded in Trash Flow and creates a file that you can then import into your accounting software to get it "on the books." (You can accomplish much the same thing without the accounting link by running reports and entering data manually.) Please note that Trash Flow does not send each individual charge and payment to your accounting software. Instead it takes totals for whatever date range you select and updates the corresponding accounts accordingly.

Running the update

  1. Click Billing > Accounting Link Update.
  2. Choose your accounting Software Type. If you are not sure or just need a generic file you can safely choose Trial Balance.
  3. Set the Period dates that you want to export.
  4. Set the S Tax Accounting method that Trash Flow should use: Accrual, Cash, or Unearned Income. Please note that Unearned Income is simply a variety of accrual-based accounting where you want to distinguish earned revenue from unearned revenue (charges for services you have not yet performed, like billing people in December for trash pickup in January).
  5. Leave the Business option set at All Businesses unless you are exporting transactions for only one out of multiple businesses.
  6. If you want to view a list of transactions within the given date range showing how Trash Flow arrived at the totals then check Detailed Charges.
  7. If you want to prevent any transactions from being deleted or added prior to the last day of the period chosen then check Update Closing Date?.
  8. Click OK to view the report.
  9. If the totals on the PDF look correct then click Yes when the prompt appears to Accept This Report and Create File?.

When you're done

After the report is generated you can go into your accounting software to import the file. It will be saved in Trash Flow's working directory, usually C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Trash Flow 3.

Further resources

Setting Up the Accounting Link