Import chart of accounts and opening balances

Open Settings → Import data and import the chart of accounts first, then opening balances. Accounts are created with a type and code; balances are posted as one journal, dated the day before your start date, with any difference going to Opening Balance Equity. Afterwards, the trial balance should match your old system's.

Which columns does the accounts import read?

Existing accounts are matched by code, then by name ignoring capitals, and are skipped, never changed.

How do account types from other software map?

Zoho Books exports an Account Type on every row, which maps directly. From QuickBooks, Xero or a spreadsheet, the type or kind column is read for the words below, ignoring capitals, spaces and punctuation.

These cover the account types QuickBooks Online and Xero export. Any other word is a row error that asks what kind of account it is: replace it with one of the words above, or simply asset, liability, equity, income or expense. In India, Tally Prime groups such as Sundry Debtors, Duties & Taxes and Capital Account are understood too, followed up the group tree.

Which accounts does the importer skip?

Five accounts are owned by SimpleERP, so rows that resolve to them are skipped with a note. On the opening balances card, income and expense rows are skipped too, because a new year starts at zero.

• Accounts receivable: filled party by party from customers.
• Accounts payable: filled party by party from suppliers.
• Inventory: filled from opening stock on products.
• Opening Balance Equity: takes the other side of every opening figure.
• Retained earnings: past profit; a Retained Earnings or Profit and Loss balance lands here.
• Income and expenses (opening balances card only): skipped, so put this year's profit or loss into the Retained Earnings row before you upload, or Opening Balance Equity will not come to zero.

What happens to bank accounts?

Every bank account in the file becomes a bank account in SimpleERP, but without the account number or bank codes, because exports do not carry them reliably. Open Settings → Accounting and complete each bank account; the setup checklist keeps asking until you do. The details are needed to print bank details on invoices.

How are opening balances matched and posted?

Each row names an account and an amount in a debit or credit column, or one signed balance with Dr or Cr. The account is matched by code, then by name, then by a list of common names from other software.

• Synonyms: "Cash" goes to your cash account; "Retained Earnings" or "Profit & Loss A/c" goes to Retained earnings; "Accounts Receivable", "Accounts Payable" and "Inventory" are recognised and skipped. Tax accounts such as VAT Control or Sales Tax Payable get a picker, so you choose your own tax account.
• Unmatched names are not errors: the card shows a "Choose an account" picker beside each one, and you pick where it belongs.
• Receivables, payables and stock are skipped: customers, suppliers and products already posted them, so taking them again would double the figure.
• Balancing line: whatever the lines do not balance goes to Opening Balance Equity.
• Posting: needs the right to approve journals; without it the journal is saved as a draft for someone who has it.

When customers, suppliers, products and these balances are all in, Opening Balance Equity should be zero and the trial balance should equal the old system's, line for line.

A worked example

Suppose Harbor Supply Co. starts on 1 January 2027. Its customers ($2,640), suppliers ($2,110) and stock ($2,520) are already imported. This is its trial balance from Xero as of 31 December 2026, with the title rows deleted. Xero also listed the year's income and expense accounts; the accountant added the year's profit, shown as Current Year Earnings on Xero's balance sheet, to Retained Earnings and left the income and expense rows in, knowing the card skips them.

1. 1

   Import the accounts

   Plant and machinery, accumulated depreciation, the bank loan and owner's capital are created. The business current account becomes a bank account. Receivables, payables and inventory rows are skipped with a note.

2. 2

   Check the opening balances

   Eight lines match, one of them after picking the tax account; receivables, payables and inventory are skipped, and so are the income and expense rows. The posted lines total $11,760 debit and $14,810 credit, so $3,050 goes to Opening Balance Equity as a debit.

3. 3

   Import

   One journal is posted, dated 31 December 2026, and appears under Accounting → Opening balances.

4. 4

   Confirm Opening Balance Equity is zero

   Customers credited it $2,640 and stock $2,520; suppliers debited it $2,110 and this journal $3,050. The four cancel out.

5. 5

   Compare the trial balance

   Run Accounting → Reports → Trial balance as of 31 December 2026. It totals $16,920 on each side, the same as Xero.

Where do I see the result, and how do I change it?

The journal shows under Accounting → Opening balances, exactly as if it had been typed there, and is locked once posted. To change it, reverse it first; the import refuses to post a second opening balances journal while one is posted.