Create and manage nominal accounts

The chart of accounts shows the nominal accounts available in this set of accounts. Changes you make to the nominal accounts are contained within this set of accounts and do not carry over.

To create a nominal account

Creating a nominal account adds it to the current set of accounts. It will not appear in other sets of accounts or other clients.

However, when creating a new set of accounts and basing on an existing set, a copy of the chart of accounts is taken. This means that you can make changes to the chart of accounts for a client, including adding and removing nominal accounts, and see those changes in new years.

  1. Trial Balance > Chart of Accounts > Create Nominal Account.
  2. Enter the following information:

    Based on When you base a new nominal account on an existing one, your new nominal account is added to the same nominal groups.This means your new nominal account will behave in the same way as the one you’ve based it on (i.e. it will appear in the same sections and totals within the set of accounts).
    Code A new code number is assigned (defaulting to the next available after the one you’ve based it on) but you can change this if you want. Codes must be unique and have fewer than 8 numbers (only numbers can be used for the code).
    Name Enter a name for this nominal account.
  3. Click Create.

Nominal accounts you create are shown in the chart of accounts, with Custom in the Chart column.

To find nominal accounts you’ve created

  1. Trial Balance > Chart of Accounts.
  2. Nominal accounts you create are shown in the chart of accounts, with Custom in the Chart column. Click the Chart column heading to sort by that column.

Depending on how the Chart column is currently sorted, you’ll either need to click the column heading 1 or 2 times to bring your own nominal accounts to the top of the list.

To delete a nominal account

You can delete nominal accounts that you’ve added (displays Custom in the Chart column), as long as the account has no postings for the current set of accounts. It’s not possible to delete nominal accounts that are in the standard Sage chart of accounts (displays Standard in the Chart column).

  1. Trial Balance > Chart of Accounts.
  2. Find the account to delete.
  3. Click the delete button . Deleting an account, only deletes it from the current set of accounts. If you want to remove it from all sets of accounts, you’ll need to repeat this procedure for each set of accounts.

To make changes to a nominal account

  1. Trial Balance > Chart of Accounts.
  2. Click the nominal account you want to make a change to. You can use the search box to find the right code.
  3. Make changes to the nominal account. For accounts you’ve added, you can change all properties. For standard Sage accounts, you can only change the name.
  4. Click Save.

To rename a nominal account

You can rename any nominal account.

  1. Trial Balance > Chart of Accounts.
  2. Click the nominal account you want to rename > enter a new name > Save.

    You can use the search box to find the right code.

Renaming an account only affects the current set of accounts. Repeat this procedure if you want to rename in other sets of accounts.

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