Overview: This glossary provides clear definitions for key terms frequently used in support articles for Active Workpapers and Active Ledger & Reporting, enabling users to better understand the provided resources.
PRODUCT | KEY TERM | DESCRIPTION |
Account | A unique account number and name combination that Active tracks. It comprises one or more client accounting system accounts | |
Active Sync | This is a connection between Active and your firms practice management system | |
| Binder | This is all the information relating to a specific job for a given period. Typically, a binder will include the trial balance (the 'Index') along with supporting records, worksheets and documents |
| Binder template | This is a standard template that is used across the firm for specific types of work, e.g. accounts and tax or FBT |
Classification | The broad account type, whether it is an asset, liability, equity, revenue, cost of goods sold, expense or other. The classification is used by Active to help automatically link accounts to the standard chart of accounts. Once an account is linked to the standard chart of accounts the classification loses its relevance | |
Client queries | These are the questions asked by the preparer to the client in relation to their work preparation | |
Custom header | A type of header account that a user creates inside a specific file | |
Dataset | Financial information for an entity for a given date range, e.g. 1 July 2024 - 30 June 2025 | |
Entity | A legal entity, e.g., individual, partnership, trust or company | |
Standard header | An account in the standard chart of accounts that contains no data but acts as a 'container' in which to group other accounts. There are two types of header accounts: system headers and custom headers | |
Standard account | An account in the standard chart of accounts that has been created in Active at a firm level to help standardise the chart. A standard account may have several accounts linked to it | |
Standard chart of accounts | Comprises of all standard headers and standard accounts that have been set up in the Admin Centre | |
Matching rules | Assists in the conversion process of accounts from client accounting files to Active. They are rules that are used to assign an account particular attributes | |
Record | These are supporting documents within the Active Workpapers binder, including worksheets, documents or comments | |
| Record template | This is a standard template that is used across the firm which acts as a supporting document to certain ledger accounts, e.g. an amortising loan. This can be either be an Active worksheet or a firm worksheet that has been added in the Admin Centre |
Source | This is where the financial information is being imported from into Active. Either Excel, or one of the API feeds that Active can connect to in order to download financial data, for example MYOB, Xero or QBO | |
Source account | This is the general ledger account pulled from the clients accounting file or created within Active | |
| Statuses | These are the statuses a Workpaper binder, record or client query can be set to, for example, In Progress or Completed |
System header | A header account that Active includes by default, and cannot be edited | |
Taxonomy | The categorisation of accounts into specific sections of the tax return, e.g. for the accounts receivable account, the taxonomy is: asset, current asset, trade debtors. This means this figure will populate into the asset, current asset and trade debtors line in the tax return worksheet | |
Tolerances | The amount by which a workpaper reconciliation can be out by and still be treated as reconciled |