Creating a Custom Account Tree

This section describes how to create a custom account tree from scratch. You can also use the information in this section to fine-tune an account tree created from an existing account tree (see “To review, edit, delete, or save a copy of an account tree”) or in Excel (see “Creating an Account Tree in Microsoft Excel”).

Account trees are virtual charts of accounts, so many of the guidelines for creating a chart of accounts apply to creating an account tree. For information about how to set up a chart of accounts, see “Developing a Chart of Accounts”.

The process for creating a custom account tree from scratch includes the following tasks:

Add an account-tree record	Set up the following account-tree information: c Code and description c Numbering format c Whether the account tree is for use with PortfolioVMF
Add sections	A section comprises a corresponding heading and total account, and one or more normal accounts. You can add normal accounts individually, but you must heading and total accounts together, when you add a section. Unlike normal accounts, heading (or header) and total accounts do not map to the chart of accounts. NOTE If your account tree contains only a single batch of accounts, skip this task. You can add all of the accounts within the single section Voyager provides by default when you add an account tree record.
Add normal accounts and map them if necessary	By default, each section you add contains a single account. You can add additional accounts manually or by copying them from the chart of accounts.
Specify divisor account	Voyager divides by the total of the divisor account when calculating percentages on income and cash-flow statements. If you do not specify a divisor account, Voyager uses the sum of regular, credit-balance, income-statement accounts.

How to...

To add an account tree

To add a section to an account tree

To manually add an account to an account tree

To copy G/L accounts to an account tree

To add an account tree

1	From the side menu, select Setup > System > New Account Tree.

If your system is configured for multiple charts of accounts, a filter appears. Specify the chart you want to associate with the new account tree and click Submit.

The Account Tree screen appears, with the tree placeholder (New Tree) selected.

2	With the tree placeholder selected, complete the Tree and Tree Attributes sections. For field descriptions, see the “Tree Selected” section under “Account Tree Screen Reference”.

3	If your account tree includes more than one heading and total, add sections. See “To add a section to an account tree”.

4	Add accounts. You can manually add accounts, or copy them from the chart of accounts. See “To manually add an account to an account tree” or “To copy G/L accounts to an account tree”.

5	If you do not want to use the sum of regular, credit-balance, income-statement accounts as the divisor for income and cash-flow statements, specify the divisor account:

a	In the tree pane, select the divisor account.

b	Right-click and select Set as divisor from the shortcut menu.

You cannot select and right-click in a single step. You must select the appropriate account first (step a), and then right-click and choose Add Section (step b). If you do not select the account first, the account selected before you right-clicked becomes the divisor account.

6	Click Save.

To add a section to an account tree

1	On the account tree pane, select the item above which you want to add the section:

Z	Select a total account or TOTAL placeholder to add a section within the section the total ends.

Z	Select a normal account or ACCOUNT placeholder to add a section within the section the account is in.

Z	Select a section divider (-------------------) to add a section at the same level as the divider.

2	On the account tree pane, click the total above which you want to add a section.

Z	Select the account-tree total to add a top-level section.

Z	Select a section total to add a subsection.

3	Right-click and select Add Section from the shortcut menu.

You cannot select and right-click in a single step. You must select the appropriate total first (step 1), and then right-click and choose Add Section (step 3). If you don't first select the appropriate total, Voyager adds the new section to whatever was previously selected.

Voyager adds a new section consisting of a section divider, and placeholders for HEADER, ACCOUNT, and TOTAL.

For information about adding additional accounts within the section, see “To manually add an account to an account tree” or “To copy G/L accounts to an account tree”.

4	Repeat for each section you want to add.

By default, the ACCOUNT placeholder remains selected after you add a section. If you do not select a different item before right clicking, Voyager will add the new section above the ACCOUNT placeholder.

5	Select each HEADER and TOTAL placeholder and complete the Tree Account and Print Style sections. For field descriptions, see the “Account Selected” section under “Account Tree Screen Reference”.

Unlike normal accounts, heading (or header) and total accounts in account trees do not map to heading or total accounts in the chart of accounts.

6	Click Save.

To manually add an account to an account tree

1	In the tree pane, select the item above which you want to add the account:

Z	Select a total account or TOTAL placeholder to add an account within the section the total ends.

Z	Select a normal account or ACCOUNT placeholder to add an account in the same section.

Z	Select a section divider (-------------------) to add an account in the section preceded by the divider.

2	Right-click and select Add Account from the shortcut menu.

You cannot select and right-click in a single step. You must select the appropriate item first (step 1), and then right-click and choose Add Section (step 2). If you don't select the appropriate item before right-clicking, Voyager adds the new account above the previously selected item.

Voyager inserts an ACCOUNT placeholder above the selected item.

3	In the Related G/L Accounts section, select the G/L account or accounts that you want to associate with the newly-added account.

If you link one account-tree account to multiple G/L accounts, it totals the associated accounts. If you link multiple account-tree accounts to one G/L account, Voyager includes the G/L account in account-tree-- calculations multiple times.

4	Complete the Tree Account and Print Style information for each account. For field descriptions, see the “Account Selected” section under “Account Tree Screen Reference”.

5	Click Save.

To copy G/L accounts to an account tree

1	Click a normal account (or ACCOUNT placeholder) in the tree pane to display the Related G/L Accounts section.

2	In the Related G/L Accounts section, select the account or accounts that you want to copy. To select multiple accounts, press CTRL while clicking, or click and drag over a range of accounts.

Voyager omits selected header and total rows (indicated in the Related G/L Accounts section by an H or T before the account number) when you paste into the account tree. Heading and total accounts in custom account trees are independent from heading and total accounts in the chart of accounts, and are added by adding sections. For more information, see “Creating a Custom Account Tree”.

3	Right-click and select Copy from the shortcut menu.

4	Select the item above which you want to add the account or accounts:

Z	Select a total account or TOTAL placeholder to add the accounts within the section the total ends.

Z	Select a normal account or ACCOUNT placeholder to add the accounts in the same section.

Z	Select a section divider (-------------------) to add the accounts in the section preceded by the divider.

5	Right-click and select Paste from the shortcut menu.

6	In the Related G/L Accounts section, select the G/L account or accounts that you want to associate with the newly-added account.

By default, the pasted account is mapped to the copied account. If you want to change the mapping, click to deselect and select accounts in the Related G/L Accounts section. If you link one account-tree account to multiple G/L accounts, it totals the associated accounts. If you link multiple account-tree accounts to one G/L account, Voyager includes the G/L account in account-tree-- calculations multiple times.

7	Complete the Tree Account and Print Style information for each account. For field descriptions, see the “Account Selected” section under “Account Tree Screen Reference”.

8	Click Save.

Account Tree Screen Reference

This section provides three graphics and corresponding screen-reference tables:

c	Tree Pane Elements within the tree pane.

c	Tree Selected Appearance of the screen when you select the tree name or its placeholder (the top item) in the tree pane.

c	Account Selected Appearance of the screen when you select an account, header, or total, or its placeholder, in the tree pane.

• Tree Pane

New Tree/ Code & Description	Completing the Tree section for this item replaces the New Tree placeholder with the Code and Description for the account tree.
-------------------	Section divider. When you add a section, it includes a section divider, placeholders for the section heading and total, and a single account. You can add additional accounts and subsections within a section. Deleting the section divider deletes the section.
HEADER/ Heading Account	Heading account placeholder or heading account. Completing the Tree Account (H) section for this item replaces the HEADER placeholder with the account Number and Description. For more information, see “Account Selected”. Account-tree heading accounts do not map to chart-of-accounts heading accounts.
ACCOUNT/ Account Number	Normal account placeholder or account. For information about mapping an account-tree account to a chart-of-accounts account, see “To manually add an account to an account tree”.
TOTAL/ Total Account	Total account placeholder or total account. Completing the Tree Account (T) section for this item replaces the TOTAL placeholder with the account Number and Description.

• Tree Selected

Section	Item	Description
Tree	Code	Identifier for the account tree.
	Description	Description of the account tree.
Tree Attributes	Format	Quantity and configuration of alphanumeric characters and separators (hyphens and periods) used for account numbers in this tree. For example, ??-?? or ????.????. NOTE A prime benefit of account trees is the ability to use a different account-number format from the chart of accounts. You can use an account tree to match a client's numbering format without redesigning your chart of accounts.
	Type	Normal Regular account tree. Select this option unless you are using PortfolioVMF (formerly RealDCF). RealDCF Template Portfolio VMF template. RealDCF Valuation PortfolioVMF valuation account tree based on a PortfolioVMF template. For information about PorfolioVMF, see the PortfolioVMF User's Guide.
	Divisor	Account from which Voyager uses the total as a divisor when calculating percentages on income and cash-flow statements. If you don't specify a divisor account, Voyager uses the sum of regular, credit-balance, income-statement accounts.

• Account Selected

The graphic shows the Account Tree screen with a normal account selected in the tree pane. If you select a heading or total account, the Graph check box and Related G/L Accounts section do not appear.

 

Section	Item	Description
Tree Account	Label	Tree Account Normal account. Tree Account (H) Heading account. Tree Account (T) Total account.
	Number	Account number for the normal, heading, or total account. If you paste an account from the chart of accounts, Voyager completes this field with the number from the copied account. If the numbering format isn't the same, you may need to modify the entry after pasting. For information about the account-tree number format, see “Format”. NOTE In the account tree, heading and total accounts do not require account numbers. Unlike normal accounts, they do not map to the chart of accounts.
	Description	If you paste an account from the chart of accounts, Voyager completes this field with the description from the copied account. Make descriptions for heading and total accounts consistent. For example, if you make the heading description Tax, make the total account description Total Tax.
Print Style	Margin	Number of spaces from the edge of the print area to where information about the account prints. Most users specify different margins for regular, heading, and total accounts.
	Advance	Number of empty rows before the entry. Enter 0 to print immediately below the preceding entry, 1 to insert one empty row, 2 to insert two empty rows, and so on. NOTE The preceding entry may have an After setting that adds additional space.
	After	Number of empty rows following the entry. Type 0 to add no space, 1 to insert one row, 2 to insert two rows, and so on. NOTE The following entry may have an Advance setting that adds additional space.
	Underline	1 Voyager prints one rule below the item. 2 Voyager prints one rule above and two rules below the item. TIP An underline typically signifies a total.
	Bold	Item appears bold.
	Italic	Item appears italic.
	Hide	Excludes item from reports.
	Negate	Reverses the sign on reports, so that negative numbers appear positive and positive numbers appear negative. NOTE This check box affects reports only; it does not reverse the value in the database. This check box has no effect on heading accounts.
Custom Fields	[No Label]	Entries appear on the account-tree validation report Account Tree Format Guide with GL Account Mapping in columns labeled Custom 1, Custom 2, and so on.