Skip to main content

How to set up divisions

To assist users in navigating Active Ledger & Reporting to create account divisions to assist with reporting

Updated over 2 weeks ago

Overview: Divisions are a way of separating reporting for different divisions within an entity's file. This can be done on any basis required, for example different business locations, different entities in a consolidation or even different salesperson reporting. The benefit of divisions is flexibility.

Please refer to the Glossary for definitions of key terms used in this article.


Creating a division report - overiew

This style of report is generated automatically when creating the report by allocating an account to a division. There are three steps in this process:

  1. . Creating a division

  2. Allocating an account to a division classification

  3. Producing a report with divisional report settings.

A sample of a division report layout is as follows.


Creating a division

To create a new division, click File Settings and select Divisions from any screen within the client file.

You will be directed to a screen where all available divisions are listed. To create a new division, select + New Division.

The below screen will pop up.

This where you will need to provide the following details including:

FIELD

DESCRIPTION

VALIDATION

Code

A code to identify the division.

Required

Name

A name to identify the division.

Required

Profit and Loss Location

Choose from 'Income', 'Other Income', or 'None'. This determines where the summary appears on the profit and loss statement.

Required

Page Title

Specify an alternative title for the division page in a report. If left blank, by default, it will use the division name.

Optional

Page Layout

Specify an alternative page layout for the division page in a report. If left blank, it will use the default Active page layout.

Optional

Column Layout

Specify an alternative column layout for the division page in a report. If left blank, it will use the default Active column layout.

Optional

Link to Source Division

If you have tracking categories already set up in the client accounting file (e.g. tracking categories in a Xero file), you can choose to link these to this file. This has the added benefit of not having to manually select the accounts to allocate to the tracking category. This process is outlined below.

Optional

Once you are happy with the above information, proceed with linking the division to a source division (if applicable).

Click on the Link to Source Division button.

This will bring up the option to select the relevant source and associated divisions available for that source. Once selected, click the Add button to link the division.

Note: Multiple divisions can be chosen from multiple sources.

Once completed click the Add Division button to create the division.

You will now see it appear in the list.


Allocating an account to a division

If you have chosen to link to a source division as described above, you are only required to select any additional accounts you wish to report within that division which are not outlined in your client's accounting file.

To allocate an account to a division, navigate to the Accounts screen and edit an account by selecting the edit icon to the right of the relevant account.

On the accounts edit screen, select the required division from the drop-down list.

There are two options, you can either:

  • Select the default behaviour of the whole Active Ledger account; or

  • Select the behaviour of a single source account. This is useful for sub-accounts or linked accounts that may have different properties.

Note: An account can be added to both a division and a trading account. For more information on trading accounts, see the support article: How to set up trading accounts. This allows you the most flexibility when reporting.

After editing the account, select the Save Account button. The account has now been allocated to that division for the purpose of reporting.


Divisional and trading account view

To allocate multiple accounts to divisions quickly you can use the 'Divisional and Trading Accounts' view in the Accounts screen. For more information, see the support article: How to work with accounts.


Producing a report with divisional report settings

See below for additional resources which will assist when producing a report with divisions.

SUPPORT ARTICLE

REPORT

To produce a report which includes both divisions and trading accounts.

For information relating to customising profit and loss pages for divisions.

For information relating to general report settings, including customising for divisions.


Divisions vs trading accounts

You can also use trading accounts in a similar way.

For a comparison between the two, refer to the table below. See the support article: How to set up trading accounts for more information.

FEATURE

DIVISIONS

TRADING ACCOUNTS

Tag accounts

Tag transactions

Filter report columns

Separate profit and loss pages

Primary production

Did this answer your question?