Opening balances
Short answer
The brought-forward control balance will only clear correctly when the bank payment or receipt is allocated to the corresponding opening subledger item. Coding the bank movement to a nominal account can leave the opening debtor or creditor outstanding.
What to check first
Work through these before changing the accounting recordConfirm the opening customer/supplier item exists in the subledger.Check the bank payment or receipt has not been coded as a new expense or income.Confirm the amount allocated equals the intended portion of the opening item.Review partial payments and overpayments.Check the control account after allocation.
Why this happens
Balansix carries opening customer/supplier balances with subledger detail so later cash can clear the specific brought-forward item and the control account together.
Steps to resolve it
- Open the relevant customer/supplier opening item.
- Select the later bank payment or receipt in settlement matching.
- Allocate the full or partial amount to the brought-forward item.
- Treat any excess separately as an overpayment/on-account balance.
- Re-run the subledger and control report and bank reconciliation.
What to avoid
Keep the audit trail intact. Do not clear the control account with a journal if a real bank settlement exists. That can make the nominal control look right while leaving the customer/supplier ledger wrong.
Frequently asked questions
Can I partially clear an opening balance?
Yes. Allocate the actual payment amount and leave the remaining opening item outstanding.
What if one payment covers several opening items?
Use multi-item allocation where the payment genuinely settles more than one brought-forward item.
Why does the nominal control still show a balance?
Check whether the settlement was allocated to the opening subledger item and whether any amount remains genuinely outstanding.