Account Priming

When you migrate to CifraHQ from another Accounting system, your existing account balances don't come with you automatically. Account Priming is the one-time Setup step that fixes this: you enter each account's opening balance, CifraHQ generates a balancing journal entry, and your books start from the exact same position as your previous system.

Where to find it

Go to Master Data > Accounting > Account Priming.

When to use this

Run account priming once, at the very start of your CifraHQ implementation, using balances from your final trial balance in your previous system (or from an audited period-end). This is not a tool for ongoing corrections — any subsequent adjustments go through standard Journal Entries.

How to prime your account balances

1. Set the Posting Date — use the last day of your previous Accounting period so the opening entry sits cleanly before your first CifraHQ transactions.
2. Select a Balancing Account — typically your Opening Balances equity account. CifraHQ automatically calculates the offsetting entry here so your trial balance stays in balance.
3. In the accounts grid, enter the opening Balance for each account.
4. Review the totals — the net difference posts to the Balancing Account.
5. Click Post.

CifraHQ creates a journal entry with a debit or credit for each account, all offset by the Balancing Account.

Tips

• Run this only once. If you need to correct an opening balance after posting, use a journal entry — do not attempt to re-prime.
• The Posting Date determines which posting period captures the entry. Make sure that period is Unlocked before you post.
• Leave zero-balance accounts blank — there's no need to enter a zero.
• Print or export a trial balance from your old system before priming. Keep it as your reference; the numbers in CifraHQ after priming should match exactly.

Related: Chart of Accounts · Posting Periods · Audit Trail · Product Groups · Invoices · Vendor Bills