Initial Setup - Receipts & Payments Accounts

Once you have logged into Scribe you can complete the initial set up.

This is a quick step guide to enable you to work through the stages of the initial set up.  If more detailed instructions are needed click on the section heading.

Download our step-by-step Success Checklist to make sure you've covered the initial set up and are ready to start using Scribe Accounts!

Success Checklist - Receipts & Payments

1. Complete your Council Profile

• Click on 'Account' and then choose 'Council Profile' and enter your Council details including VAT details if required.

2. Set up Cost Centres and Cost Codes

Cost centres are normally set as your main services.  The cost codes are the analysis codes beneath each cost code and is where budgets are added.

• Go to Setup/Cost Centres
• Click on 'Add Cost Centre'
• Type in the name (can be alphanumeric) and 'Add'. Repeat as required
• Then go to Setup/Cost Code
• Click on 'Add Cost Code' Enter the Cost Code name and select a Cost Centre that you have just set up from the drop down menu to allocate it to.
• If you want to you can allocate each Cost Code an Opening Balance (a specific amount carried over from the previous year as opposed to the current year budget).  
• Then allocate the Cost Code a Type.  This is required for the Annual Return so that the correct values are shown in the correct boxes.  E.g. the Cost Code for Precept would need to be allocated 'Precept'.  Any codes that would be included in Other Payments or Other Receipts can be left as 'Default'.
• If you want to enter the budget as you set up you can, or you can come back to this at another time.  The Receipt Budget is for money to be received against the code and the Payment Budget is for money to be spent against the code.  A Cost Code can have both a Receipt Budget and a Payment Budget if required, just enter the amount as the budget total.  There is also the option to flex the budget by clicking on 'Flexed Budget' which will then allow you to split out the annual budget you have entered above.
• Click Add once finished and then repeat for all the other Cost Codes.

Once you have set up all your Cost Centres and Codes it is important that you check the structure as it is much easier to correct before you start entering data. To do this:

• Go to Summary Reports/Summary Report and click View Report.  
• This will show you a breakdown of all the cost centres you have set up with the cost codes beneath them.  If you have entered budget figures it will also show these and give you a total at the end of the report so you can check your total budget is correct.

Click here to view an example Cost Centre & Cost Code structure.

3. Set up Bank Accounts and add Bank Balances

This needs to be done before you can complete a bank reconciliation.

• Go to Setup/Bank Balances
• An account for Petty Cash will already be set up.  If you have petty cash enter your opening balance as at 1st April. If you don’t have petty cash leave blank.
• An account for VAT will also already be set up.  Although it is under Bank Balances it should not be viewed as an amount in a bank - just what the VAT position is as at 1st April.  If you are owed VAT (i.e. you have submitted a claim for a refund of VAT) then you need to enter the figure as a negative amount (enter the amount with a minus in front).
• Then you can set up your bank accounts - click on 'Add Bank' and type in the name and add the opening balance (this will be the final balance at the end of the previous year, and is unlikely to be the same as the value on your bank statement). Save and repeat as required. The total of the opening balances (excluding VAT) should equal your total cash position as at the 1st April (and Box 8 of your previous year's Annual Return).

Please see here for further advice on how to deal with unpresented cheques in the first year of using Scribe.

4. Restate Last Year

The total of your bank accounts also needs to be entered under Restate Last Year.  

• Go to Setup/Restate Last Year.
• Select Cash at Bank and enter the total of the opening balances of your bank accounts.  This should be equal to your Box 8 figure (but with pence) from your previous year's Annual Return.
• The Annual Return tab allows you to enter the figures from your previous year's Annual Return in order to view it in the prior year column when running the Annual Return in Scribe.  Boxes 1-6 and 9-10 can be filled in directly from your figures (Boxes 7 and 8 will be taken from the Cash at Bank figure entered).

5. Setting up Suppliers (and Customers

This is where details of both your suppliers and customers are held.  Set up your regular suppliers and customers in here before you start entering transactions.  You can continue to add suppliers and customers in throughout the year as required.

• Go to Setup/Suppliers
• Click on 'Add Supplier' and enter the details (not all fields have to be completed) and click add.  Repeat as required.
• It is worth noting that for suppliers who charge VAT you must enter their VAT Registration Number so that the VAT report shows this (a requirement for Form 126).

6. VAT

Should just be a quick check to confirm all VAT codes that you require are set up.  

• Go to Setup/VAT.
• Check each rate set up to view as required.
• Rate R: Refund (100%) exists for entering the VAT refund.

You are now ready to start entering data (for help on this see Transactions).  In order to build up the year's accounts this must be from the 1st April, regardless of when you started using Scribe.