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Setting up accounts  
 

Company Setup Wizard

After completing the required step of the Company Setup Wizard and saving your company file, you can begin using Office Accounting 2007. However, it is recommended that you first complete the setup of all accounts, customers, vendors and items. This article will teach you how to set up your accounts.

The company setup checklist shows you the sections of the Company Setup Wizard that you have completed, in addition to the sections you still have to complete. At any point in time, you can exit the wizard by pressing Close. If you return to it later (by selecting Company Setup in the File menu) Office Accounting will keep track on your progress.


Company setup checklist in Microsoft Office Accounting 2007

This screen can be used to launch wizards to help you complete the setup of accounts, customers, vendors, employees, items, integration with Outlook with Business Contact Manager as well as business services.

Accounts

The accounts section of the company setup wizard enables you to add or edit new financial accounts as well as setting their balance as of the start date of the company.


Setting up Accounts

Click Next to see the list of accounts that exist for you company. These may have been selected earlier, if you chose a specific business type or they may just be a list of the system accounts that have been automatically set up by Office Accounting 2007.


Accounts and opening balances

To set up a new account press New. To edit an existing account, select the account on the list and press Edit. To delete an account, select the account on the list and press Delete. You cannot delete accounts with an opening balance, system accounts or accounts referenced by other accounts.

You can see that the list of accounts has a Balance column and an As of column. This enables you to set an opening balance for each account as of a specific date. As default the starting date of the company is provided.

When setting up a new account, you have to select the account type first:


Select Account Type

The following table provides an overview of the individual account types:

Account TypeDescription
IncomeAccounts that represent the revenue from sales of goods and services to your company's customers.
Other incomeAccounts that represent revenues coming into your company that do not relate directly to the main purpose of your company. For example, interest income.
ExpenseAccounts that represent what your company is spending to operate the business. For example, operating expenses include wages, rent, supplies, advertising, or utilities.
Other expenseAccounts that represent expenses that do not relate to the normal course of your company's business. For example, interest payments on long-term debt.
Cost of goods soldAccounts that represent the cost of goods, materials, or services that are directly related to the generation of your company's sales revenues.
CashAccounts that consist of cash items, such as petty cash or undeposited funds.
BankAccounts that are considered liquid or easily convertible to cash. For example, bank accounts, short-term investments, and some securities.
Other current assetAssets other than liquid ones that have a life of less than one year. For example, accounts receivables and inventory. Even though accounts receivable is a current asset, you do not have to set up accounts receivable in Other Current Assets. When you create a company, Microsoft Office Accounting 2007 creates a system account named Accounts Receivable, which is categorized as an Accounts Receivable account type.
Inventory assetThe value of goods on hand at a given time. Inventory assets are purchased or manufactured to sell to your customers.
Other assetAssets of a minor type that are classified outside of the current or fixed asset categories. They can include investments or intangible assets such as goodwill or patents.
Fixed assetEquipment, property, or plant assets that are purchased to use in your company rather than for resale. Fixed assets can be depreciated over various lengths of time depending on their type. Your company can absorb the expense over a period of time.
Credit cardCurrent obligations to a financial institution that are created by using your credit card for purchases or expenses.
Payroll liabilityTax obligations that the company owes to Federal and State tax agencies as a result of running payroll.
Current liabilityObligations due within one year or the normal operating cycle of your business. Accounts payable, short-term notes, accrued liabilities, and taxes accruals are examples of this type of account. Even though accounts payable is a current liability, you do not have to set up accounts payable in Current Liabilities. When you create a company, Accounting 2007 creates a system account named Accounts Payable, which is categorized as an Accounts Payable account type.
Long-term liabilityObligations of greater than one year or the normal operating cycle of your business. Mortgages, long-term notes, or non-current portions of customer warranties are examples of this type of account.
EquityAn account to record the difference between assets and liabilities. This category is also known as net worth, shareholders' equity, or net assets on company balance sheets. Another account of this type is Retained Earnings, which records the cumulative amount of net income left in the company.
Account types in Office Accounting 2007

After you have selected the account type, you can edit the account details.


Editing a new or existing account

The only mandatory information is the name of the financial account. You can add the rest of the details later. The financial account form is described in detail in the Understanding financial accounts article.

When you have completed editing the list of accounts click Next.


Accounts completed

Click Finish to complete the Accounts section.


Company setup checklist with accounts completed

Related articles


Below you can find links to related articles on setting up your company in Office Accounting 2007:

Setting up Customers
The Customers section of the startup wizard enables you to set up your customers with details and opening balances.

Setting up Vendors
The Vendors section of the startup wizard enables you to set up your vendors with details and opening balances. Vendors are sometimes known as suppliers.

Setting up Items
Office Accounting 2007 uses items to keep track of goods and services that your company sells. The Items section of the startup wizard enables you to set up your Items with details and quantity on hand.


 
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