GL Acct Missing on Billing Items

I have just run the Billing (AR) GL Distribution Detail Report and have received several errors because of Missing General Ledger Accounts for specific billing items.

I can't figure out how to correct these errors. There does not seem to be anyway to manually add a GL account to a billing item. It seems that the GL Account is automatically added by BM and if BM leaves it out, then there is no way to fix it.

I'm hoping someone knows a way to fix this. Here's more details.

Whenever a new matter is created, we always select a default GL Account in the billing preferences. As we create billing items, (in most cases) the default GL Account is applied to the billing items. After the items have been invoiced, client makes a payment. When the Billing (AR) GL Distribution Detail Report is run, the default GL account is shown for all the individual billing items that were paid with that payment.

But with some of our matters, the default GL account is not shown for the billing items. If the problem occurs, it is with every billing item paid for that matter. Since these items have no GL Account, they cannot post. I would like to manually add the GLs, but can't find a way to do it. I would be willing to delete and re-create the billing items, but that doesn't work either. The recreated billing items have the same problem. I've double checked the bill preferences and a the default GL is specified.

Is there some other setting needed to get BM to use a GL?

Derek Hong

Hong Law

Cedar Rapids, IA

319-294-5853

Where the GL account comes from depends on your setup. If you go to file - setup - general - program level - billing - inv & allocations you will see the receipt allocation methods.
This tells what method is used to allocate the receipts and can help you identify what's missing.
If the allocations are set to client - then every client must have a GL account assigned in the Billing Preferences - AR tab
If the allocations are set to Bill Code then each Bill code (time and/or expense) must be assigned a GL account under file -setup - codes - Billing codes then open the code and go to the options tab
If the allocations are set to Staff then each staff person needs a GL account assigned under Database - Staff - open the staff person and go to the options tab.
The flat fee is an area that often causes issues. If you have a client setup as flat fee AND there are no billing items then the GL Account on the bill code under Flat fee will be used, even if the client has a GL account assigned in the billing preferences and the allocation method is set to Client.
By looking carefully at where the errors are and the above setups, you should be able to find the problems and fix them.
If you can not then you might need a Billing Matters CIC to review the errors with you and help wtih fixing them. Most CICs can help with this remotely.

Caren:

I am having a similar problem. I use TM9 with Quickbooks 2007. When I send my report to Quickbooks it is posted via the distribution detail report. The problem I am having is that one of my trust clients overpaid, so when I posted the payment in TM there is an overpayment balance. There is no GL account associated with the overpayment and I can't seem to find any place where there would be a code to even associate with the overpayment category.

Do you have any idea where I might find it. This is so frustrating because one missing item will result in the entire report not posting. In my opinion this is a huge problem with TM. All other items should post and only the problem client/record should be held back...but that rant is for a different day.

Any guidance or suggestion would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

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Payments not applied to bills credit the account 'suspense'. Find this account at program level setup, (alt+shift+P), on the billing tab, on the accounting tab. Whatever account is in the 'suspense' field will get the credit when a payment is not fully applied to an invoice. My humble opinion is that this account should be a liability, but there are many who make this account a fee income, and name it something like 'uncategorized income'. I agree fully with your suggestion that correct entries should be allowed to post out without having to modify dates and types, and will enter it on the 'wish list'. I am mindful, however, that firms print out the distribution report, and so those error items would be listed without actually being part of the posting. A small price to pay, though, for keeping up with items that are correct.

Same problem here, but I think since I'm using 8.0, some of the  codes are different.  I don't have/or can't find allocations for "client," "bill code," or "staff."  All I'm finding is "contact/matter billing," "matter," and "contact."

Contact/matter billing, matter and contact determine how you are doing your billing. You need to look within the billing area of program level setup. Look for inv & allocations - that is where you determine how the receipts are allocated. Once you know how receipts are allocated it is easier to determine where in the setup you might have missed a step.

I had no luck and gave up for a while.  I've now revisited this problem.  I still can't find the inv & allocations tab.  Attached is a screenshot of the window I get.

Don't have version 8 handy but look at the tabs withing the billing. I believe it is the billing sub-tab but it might be one of the others.