Next Generation - Enter a sales ledger credit note

To make your transactions easy and consistent, all our transaction entry windows throughout the sales ledger have the same structure.

In this article, we include two tables which take you through both the header and detail tabs and an explanation on each field. These two tabs make up your full transaction.

There are two different ways you can get to the credit note screen, direct access from the customer record or accessing from the navigation.

Access credit note directly from a customer record to create or enter a sales ledger credit note

To access a credit note directly from a customer record, to create or enter a sales ledger credit note, follow the steps below:

Click Debtors then click Customers.
Note: All customers are displayed. You can narrow down your search by using the advanced filters. You can also search on the columns directly by pointing the mouse to the name of the column and click on the icon and choose from the available filter list, then click OK.
Select the checkbox next to a customer you wish to work with.
Note: The Action Panel automatically opens from the right-hand-side of the screen.
On the action panel, click Add Credit Note and the Sales Ledger Credit Note screen opens with the customer field pre-populated with your selected customer record.

Access credit note from the Navigator

Click Debtors then click Transactions.
Select Credit Note.

Below is an explanation of how to enter your details on the header and details sections of a credit note:

Tabs	Description
Header	You can enter the customer account code. If you're unsure of the code, you can click on the drop-down arrow and select the Show More option which displays several more records and offers you the option to search on the code and the name of the customer. You can type in a customer who's been set to be On Stop as a prompt appears to confirm this action. If your customer is set up as an any currency customer, after leaving the customer field, this enables the currency field and populates with the default currency the customer has been set up with. You can change the currency either by: Typing in the code. Clicking the drop down arrow and select from the record list. Clicking Show More. For more information on setting up an any currency customer or a currency customer, follow our articles on setting up an any currency customer and setting up a currency customer. When you select a currency that's different to the currency of the database, the Exchange Rate field presents with either the default rate that assigns to the customer or the most relevant rate from the system which you can update manually. Note: Adding a manual rate only saves against the credit note and not the customer. The Date of Transaction always defaults to the system date, you can either enter it manually or you can select it from the date picker via the calendar icon. The Year and Period fields default to the closest year and period to the current date depending on the system settings. If you have permission to post to restricted periods or have future period posting permission, you're able to post to future periods and past years and periods depending on the start date in your system settings. The Due Date populates with the system date and updates either according to the customer terms or default to the same date as you select for the transaction date. The Credit Note Number field is compulsory and can have up to 10 alphanumeric characters. When the Automatic Credit Note Number setting is on in system options, this field is no longer available and a consecutive number allocates to the credit note after you save the transaction. When you use Sub Ledgers on the credit note, the Credit Note Number is no longer compulsory, but you can enter it. If you leave the Credit Note Number field blank, on saving, the credit note picks up the consecutive Credit Note No. that is set up on the sub ledger itself as the header reference. When you manually enter a Credit Note Number where a Credit No. is set up for the sub ledger, then upon saving the credit note, this number will be assigned to the transaction and the Credit No. on the sub ledger will be ignored. When the System Option Sub Ledger: Do not allow Ref. to be changed is selected, the Credit Note Number field will be disabled. When you save on the transaction, the next credit note number for the selected Sub Ledger will be automatically assigned to your transaction as the Header Ref. number. The Description field, you can enter a brief description and this prints on the customers statement. The Sub Ledger field, you can manually type in the code or name if you know it, click on the drop-down arrow and select from the list, or find the record by selecting Show More. If you use an any currency customer, you're able to select the Home/Currency Gross option. The option defaults to Home Net. You can also select the Currency Net option which is only available for currency transactions.
Dates	The Receipt Date field always defaults to the system date and you can enter it manually or select it from the date picker via the calendar icon.
Customer	You can view the Aged Debt, Account Balance, and Contact details. Clicking the email hyperlink in the Contact Details section, opens your email application with the email populated.
Terms	The Terms tab displays the term details which are relevant to the credit note. The Settlement Discount field pull through any values set on a terms template that you assign to the customer but you can change this manually. Changes won't update the terms held against the customer, they just apply to the current credit note. You can also flag credit notes to be on Dispute by selecting the Disputed option. When selecting the Disputed option, the Query Reason screen opens where you can select the relevant query code and enter any notes.
Credit Control Notes	You can view any existing credit control notes and add new notes by clicking + New Note. Any notes you add in through Credit or Credit Control Notes save against this transaction.
EU	For EU State customers, the button opens the EC Info window to enter details about the goods and their method of delivery including the SSD codes. The VAT Registration number pulls from the customer.
Custom	All Custom fields which are set up for your database grouped together. These can hold extra information about the transaction you're working with.

Details

Description

Detail section

You can enter individual lines of your credit note here, each credit note can have multiple detail lines. The Analysis field populates with the default sales analysis code.
If your customer has a default sales analysis code, this analysis code displays on the credit note. If you don't have a default set, the system default pulls through. You can change the code by:
- Entering a different code.
- Selecting one from the drop-down list.
- Selecting Show More.
You can enter the Net Value in the GBP net field.

Note: If your database currency isn't GBP then the relevant currency code displays.

If your customer has a default VAT code, this VAT code displays on their credit note. If you don't have a default set against the customer, then the system default pulls through. You can change the VAT code by entering a different code, selecting one from the drop-down list, or from the Show More option.
Once you populate the Net and VAT fields, the GBP Gross automatically calculates.
You can add more information for the credit note in the Detail field. Click the Detail field and it displays a four way arrow which you can use to open the Detail screen larger to enter multiple lines.
If you use the Costing module in Access Financials, you can add the project and cost centre. If you have Compulsory Costing set up, you need to enter both the project and cost centre otherwise a validation message appears when saving the credit note.
Clicking the drop-down in the Project Code/Name field, you can select the record you wish to work with or you can access more records by selecting Show More.
Clicking + New Project, you can create a new project which automatically populates in the Project field.
Clicking + New Cost Centre, you can create a If you're using transaction user keys, these display on the detail line of an credit note.
If Transaction User Keys are set up on your database and are in the columns on the Details section, you can see these columns as default after the Project and Cost Centre columns.
You can find more information on the Transactions user keys at the end of this article.
- Note: The labels for the transaction user keys are customisable so you might see different labels display.
- You can select a value from the drop-down or enter values into all of the Transaction User Key columns. Any manual values you enter only save for this transaction.
When Sales Ledger Accruals is set up, three columns display called:
- Accrual Period - This field is pre populated with a number of periods that is set up on the Analysis record you are using and you can change this.
- Changing the number of Accrual Periods on a transactions is only valid for the transaction.
- Accrual Nominal - This may be pre populated with a nominal account if one is set up, and you can change this or add one in.
- Defer Accrual - You can select this if you wish to defer the credit note.
You can add in extra detail lines by clicking + New Record or by tabbing through an existing detail line. You can organise your columns the way that best suits your needs by clicking the cog icon then selecting Configure Columns.
- On the Configure Columns screen, you can deselect any columns which are available and you can add any extra fields where you haven't selected any checkboxes. All compulsory columns you can't remove from the view and these will be marked with a grey checkbox with a tick in them.
- For more information on configuring columns, follow our article on configure column customisation.
When you come to saving the credit note, click Save. This won't post your credit note however a Save Options screen appears where you can set the following:
- Batch Transaction
- Allocate Transaction Now
- Remember Customer
Once you click Save, these are set for when you enter another credit note for this customer.

Transaction User Keys

If you're using transaction user keys, these display on the detail line of an credit note.

For more information on setting up transaction user keys, follow our article on transaction user keys.

For information on attaching a transaction user key to a transaction, follow our article on attaching transaction user keys.

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