GL out of balance - what can cause it

SUGGESTED

I continue to be baffled by the things that can happen in Sage.  I have never worked in an accounting system before where the GL could go out of balance.  If I enter a check, for example, the check amount must equal whatever expense accounts or AP" amounts that apply to it.  If I make a deposit, all individual components must have balanced credits and debits for enter the transaction.  If every single transaction balances, how can the GL ever get out of balance?  What could I possibly get Sage to accept where the debits and credits did not balance?  Or where the cash did not balance to what it should be?

Someone please help me to understand this.  I have taken my share of accounting classes and in an era where we learned to begin with a general journal and post everything by hand and the spread through other journals from there.  My point is that I should be able to understand any reasonable answer.  I work for a CPA and he seems to understand it, but is completely incapable of explaining it.  He just tells me to keep looking through entries until I find it.  I don't even have a clue what I am looking for.

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    SUGGESTED

    If a transaction is interrupted during the posting process, the transaction may not post successfully. The transaction may be missing from the corresponding modules, and cause out-of-balance errors in General Ledger. To resolve, perform the following:

    - G/L, Reports, Journal Report. Generate the Journal Report to confirm that the transaction posted to the correct GL accounts. If out of balance messages occur go to the Sage Knowledgebase (support.na.sage.com) and enter Article 18748 "How to resolve General Ledger Out of Balance issues"

    - In the corresponding module, review the Transaction Detail report, and verify the transaction posted correctly. (Example:  AP, Reports, Detail Report)

    - If the transaction is missing from the corresponding module, rebuild the data files in the affected module and in the General Ledger.  Enter Article 17418 "How and when to rebuild Sage BusinessWorks company data files"  

    - If the rebuild does not correct the issue, restore a backup made prior to the issue occurring. Enter Article 17283 "How to restore company data or system files"

    For additional assistance please call Sage Customer Support at 800-447-5700, option 3.