CenterPoint® Accounting - Create a Budget that Automatically Budgets the Cash Account

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CenterPoint Accounting has a variety of options available in budgeting. These tools can be used to create anything from a basic budget to a budget that does "if - then" computing. In this example, we'll be setting up a budget for revenue and expense accounts but also offsets to cash. This type of a budget will help you track your cash flow flow for the year and assist in planning the need for operating loans.

The budget screen displays three tabs. All budget amounts are entered in the Flow of Funds tab. The information from the Flow of Funds tab is also then displayed in the Balance Sheet and Income Statement tabs.  In this example we are only budgeting for revenue & expense accounts, so the Balance Sheet tab will display actuals.

Creating a New Basic Budget Offset to Cash

  1. Select Setup > Budgets.
  2. On the Open a Budget screen, click New.
  3. On the Budget Properties screen, enter a name used to identify the budget in the Budget Name field.

  1. In the From/To boxes, select the range of dates this budget is for.
  2. The Balance From date should be the period prior to what was entered in the previous From box.
  3. If you are using Account Numbers in your company/fund, select to Include Account Numbers.
  4. If you chose to Include Account Numbers, in the Order By box, select the way you want the account numbers ordered, by Account Name or AccountNumber.
  5. If this is the only budget you will be creating for your company/fund, or this is the most commonly used budget for this company/fund, then select Set As Default Reporting Budget. By selecting this option, any reports that use budget numbers will automatically use this budget.
  6. Select the Entry Mode tab.

  1. Within the Default Entry Mode box, select Journal Entry Offset to Cash.
  2. Select the Bank Account (cash and line of credit accounts can be selected). When values are entered in the budget, the system will automatically create offsetting budget numbers for this account. For example, if you enter in $3000 in an insurance expense account, the system will automatically assign a negative $3000 budget number to this bank account.
  1. If this budget is for a particular Profit Center, Production Center, etc., then select those options. Click OK to create the budget.
  2. A blank budget screen will be displayed.

  1. By default the budget will be monthly. If you prefer to do a quarterly or annual budget, select Format > Predefined Layouts and choose the appropriate option.
  1. Budget numbers can be added into the grid a number of ways:
  • Manually Add Values: To manually add numbers into the grid, simply click in the appropriate cell and enter the number.
    • To duplicate the same amount across a number of periods (for one account), select Edit > Adjustments.

  1. Select the appropriate account on the upper left side of the screen.
  2. If you want to apply the adjustment to the budget properties set for the budget, select the Apply all adjustments to [xxxx] check box where [xxxx] is the name of the current entry default values as displayed at the top of the budget screen. Example: Apply all adjustments to
  3. In the Adjustment Type field, select Assign Amounts to Multiple Periods.
  4. Select the periods in From To.
  5. Specify the Amount.
  6. Click on Perform Adjustment to duplicate that amount in each period selected for this account. To accept the values, click Save.
  • To distribute an annual amount equally across a number of periods (for one account), select Edit > Adjustments. The process will be the same as above, but change the Adjustment Type to Allocate Amount to Multiple Periods and the Amount should be the annual amount.

  • Copy From Actual: If you would like to start with a budget that uses last years actual numbers as a basis, select Edit > Copy to Budget.

  1. Select a Source of Actual.
  2. Select the prior year dates to copy from in the Period From/To fields.
  3. Select all the Revenue & Expense accounts in the Accounts field.
  4. Select the Destination Properties and specify if you want to add or replace the existing data, the type of entry mode, and how you want to handle copying (copy source information, do not copy - leave blank, or assign a specific value).
  5. Click OK.
  • Copy From Budget: If you'd like to start this budget with numbers copied from another budget (for example, last years budget numbers), use the same Edit > Copy to Budget process outlined above, but use a Source of Budget instead of Actual.

  1. When budget amounts are entered into any account, the system will create offsetting amounts in the bank account. For example, if $3000 was entered in an insurance expense account, the system will automatically created another entry that deducts $3000 from the Bank Account budget. Budget amounts entered into revenue/income accounts will increase the bank account budget. Amounts entered into expense or cost of goods sold accounts will decrease the bank account budget.

Note: Refer to the main "Understanding & Using Budgets" document for additional information on how to change the display of rows, how to delete budget numbers, and a Frequently Asked Questions section.

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