Context: Where standard Business Fitness record templates are insufficient to complete your job, you can create your own worksheet or use a standard firm worksheet where required.
Please refer to the Glossary for definitions of key terms used in this article.
Setting up your screen to add a worksheet to a binder
Once you have created a binder and linked a data source, you can link documents to relevant trial balance accounts in the index screen (both in the web and in the Excel taskpane).
If you have access to two screens, we recommend you open the Excel binder on one and the web on the other. Where you are only on one screen, open the Excel binder and use the taskpane.
For more information regarding using the online or Excel binder, see the knowledge article: How to use the online and Excel binder.
For this example, we will use the Excel binder and taskpane.
Creating your own worksheet
Once you have created a binder and linked standard record templates to the accounts in your trial balance where possible, you can create your own worksheets to reconcile other balances.
Navigate to the Workpapers index screen.
This example will use Accrued Expenses to illustrate how a non-standard worksheet can be created to reconcile a balance in Active Workpapers.
Click the + at the bottom of the Excel binder to add new sheet.
Tip: You can bring your own custom or standard firm worksheets into your Excel workbook by using the move or copy function in Excel.
Tip: Ensure the Excel taskpane is fully loaded like above before inserting a worksheet into your Excel binder.
The following screen will open. Rename Sheet 1 to ‘Accrued Expenses’ by double clicking on it.
Complete your worksheet.
To reconcile the balance against the trial balance, make the total accrued expenses balance a reconciliation field by clicking on the balance and then in the Active Workpapers add-in, pressing Add Reconciliation Field.
A pop-up screen will appear in the Excel taskpane. Name the reconciliation field to 'Accrued Expenses', and the Named Range will automatically pre-fill. Click Save.
You are also able to perform a reverse reconciliation between the trial balance and your worksheet by right-clicking on the account balance in the trial balance screen in the taskpane and selecting Copy Ledger Formula.
Paste the ledger formula into the relevant area of the worksheet and calculate the variance.
Once you are satisfied with your reconciliation fields, click on the + button to the right of the relevant account line.
Click Link to Existing Sheet.
Click on the Accrued Expenses worksheet.
Set the reconciliation field to be Accrued Expenses. If you wish to rollover the record to the following year, select the checkbox for 'Rollover this record'.
Press Save and Close.
Your worksheet will now be linked to the Accrued Expenses liability line, and it will show a green tick to indicate that the balance per the worksheet agrees to the balance as per the general ledger.
The record will now be reconciled.
Finally, ensure the status is set to Ready for Review.
Repeat the above process for all accounts requiring non-standard worksheets when reconciling their balances.