Accounts Preference

Related Help

Preferences define how you want your CenterPoint program to behave and can be changed at any time. If you change a preference and are currently in the screen that uses that preference, close the screen and then enter the screen again to initiate the preference.

How are the different tabs used?

Preferences can be set at different levels. The preference level is a hierarchy, for example, the Global level will be used if no Application, Database, or User levels are set. The levels are accessed with the tabs across the top of the Preferences screen.

Current Settings: Simply displays the settings that are currently being used.

Global: The Global level is typically used when your system is a network. The Global level affects all databases on the network. This allows a network administrator to setup Preferences just once and they will be used for all Database & all Users within that network setting.

Application: If the Preferences are set at the Application level, then all users of all databases will have the same Preferences.

Database: Preferences set at this level will affect each individual database separately. One can then have different settings for each Preference in each database.

User: Preferences set at the User level will only affect that user. This tab is not available on all preferences and is only available if you use Database Security.

Accounts Settings Preferences

Set Account Number Mask

Defines the account number mask (format) for the account number box , up to 22 non-literal characters maximum. Setting a format secures account number conformity. The account number can be set to be required or not required. Masks can be set to be numeric, an alphanumeric, or an alphabetic field.

In the box at the bottom of the mask descriptions, enter # to set a required number placeholder. For example, #### represents an account number format that is required that uses four numbers such as 5410.

Or, in the box at the bottom of the mask descriptions, enter 9 to set a number placeholder that is not required. For example, 9999 represents an account number format that is not required that uses four numbers such as 7891.

Or, in the box at the bottom of the mask descriptions, enter A-Z to set a alphanumeric placeholder that is required. For example, aaaa represents an account number format that is not required that uses four alphanumeric characters such as AB10.

Or, in the box at the bottom of the mask descriptions, enter a-z to set a alphanumeric placeholder that is not required. For example, aaaa represents an account number format that is not required that uses four alphanumeric characters such as AB10.

Or, in the box at the bottom of the mask descriptions, enter ? to set a required alphabetic placeholder. For example, ???? represents an account number format that is required that uses four alphabetics such as LAND.

Or, in the box at the bottom of the mask descriptions, enter & for any character including spaces.For example, 99&9999 would represents an account number format that is not required that uses two numbers, a space, and four additonal numbers such as 10 1234.

All other characters are literal characters that display as themselves. 22 non-literal characters maximum.

Account List Display

Defines the way that the Setup > Accounts > List tab displays. If the Display As Flat List preference is set to Yes, the Account List will display as a continuous list without the Account Type (Assets, Liabilities, Expenses, etc.) and Account Categories ( Accounts Receivable, Purchased Crop Inventory, Postage Expense, etc.). If the Display As Flat List preference is set to No or Not Set, the Account List will display with Account Types and Account Categories.

Expand All Accounts and Item Lists

Defines how your Account List displays.

Under Expand All Accounts And Items Lists, in the Expand all accounts\items when load
accounts \lists,

Select Yes to expand all accounts and items when displaying the Account list.

or

Select No or Not Set to display a condensed list that can be expanded by clicking the (+) sign to the left of an account.

Distributions Preference

Check Distribution Checkbox by Default

This preference determines if the Distribution column that displays on the Processes > General Journal Entries screen is selected by default if there is a distribution for the account/company used in the transaction. If the Distribution column remains selected, the distribution will take place. If you choose to remove the selection at the time of the transaction, the distribution will not be implemented.

Inactive Accounts Preference

When inactive accounts are included in Recalled and Recurring transactions

This preference allows you to determine if you want a warning message to display when a Recalled or Recurring transaction is entered that includes inactive accounts.

When inactive account is selected in a transaction

This preference allows you to determine if you want a warning message to display when entering AP or AR Invoices, Cash Payments, Cash Receipts, and General Journal transactions, and the account selected is inactive for the company/fund chosen at the top of the screen. If this preference is set to Not Set, a warning message will not display.

Internal Accounts Preference

Use Internal Accounts

Defines if you wish to use internal accounts. Internal accounts can be suppressed on financial reports produced for external purposes and are used to consolidate transfer of funds between multiple companies in one database. For example, you can mark certain accounts as internal that are used for analysis internally but can be left off of financial reports that are produced for external purposes. Examples of such accounts might be Internal Crop Sales accounts used to sell a crop from one profit center to another.

If you want to use internal accounts, in the Use Internal Accounts box, select Yes. If you do not want to use internal accounts, select No.

If you use internal accounts and change the Internal Accounts preference to No, a message will inform you that there are accounts designated as Internal Accounts. You will need to set the Internal Accounts Setting for Use Internal Accounts to Yes to change that designation in the future.

If you chose to use internal accounts, and you wish to display internal accounts on financial statements, set the Display Internal Accounts filter to Yes when you print the Balance Sheet or Income Statement (the first time you use this filter, you will need to click More Items and select the filter from the Report Selection Items screen). If you do not want to include internal accounts on the financial statement, set the Display Internal Accounts filter to No.

Multiple Bank Accounts Preference

Multiple Bank Accounts in Subdivision

Defines an option to determine if you want to display a warning message that informs you about multiple bank accounts in one journal entry for cash entries other than bank transfers. This option is used for databases entering transactions for more than one company/fund in a single transaction. The reason you would not want to include multiple bank accounts in a journal entry would be because the system would have a hard time determining which entries were actually offset to cash and might skew the cash flow report.

Under Multiple Bank Accounts in Subdivision, in the Allow multiple bank accounts in a subdivision box, select Yes to allow multiple bank accounts in one journal entry for cash entries other than bank transfers without receiving a warning message or enter No to not allow multiple bank accounts in one journal entry for cash entries other than bank transfers and receive a warning message.

Note: If you choose to create the transaction without displaying the warning message, there may be certain cash reports with erroneous data.

Personal Accounts Preference

Use Personal Accounts

This preference allows you to choose whether or not to identify certain accounts as personal accounts. When this preference is set to Yes, accounts can be marked as accounts that are for your Personal company. Use this preference to activate the This is a personal Account check box in Setup > Accounts > Accounts where you can mark an account as a personal account that allows you to use the account in Purchases > Payments and Vendor Invoices (A/P) and Sales > Customer Invoices (Basic) and (Detail) and Receipts transaction entry screens and easily identify both personal as well as farm information and be able to prepare combined or separate financial reports.

Override

When this preference is set to Yes it allows you to override the Farm Financial Standard Council Financial Guides for Agriculture recommendation of displaying Interest Expense in the Other Expense section of the Income Statement and move it to the Expense section instead. When the preference is set to No or Not Set, Interest Expense will display in the Other Expense section of the Balance Sheet. Please see the Understanding and Modifying the Income Statement topic for more information.

Note: When the Override preference is set to Yes, it will cause invalid ratio index analysis.

Document: 3360