Who this is for: New Puzzle admins/bookkeepers who are moving from another accounting system and want to set up their beginning balances.
Goal: Enter your opening balances from your previous accounting software so Puzzle’s ledger matches your old books on the cutover date.
1) Review your Chart of Accounts
From the Dashboard, go to Chart of Accounts.
Compare Puzzle’s default chart to the accounts in your prior system.
If needed:
Export Puzzle’s chart of accounts (via the Downloads page).
Add accounts manually (using the Add Account button at the top right).
Or bulk‑import accounts:
Navigate to Settings → Company → Historical Books → Upload Template.
Click Start to download the pre‑formatted template.
Fill in your accounts, save as CSV, and re‑import. The accounts will appear in Puzzle’s Chart of Accounts
2) Set your Ledger Start Date
In Historical Books, choose your Ledger Start Date.
Example: If bringing balances as of 12‑31‑2024, set your ledger start date to 01‑01‑2025.
Historical ledger end date = 12‑31‑2024.
Ledger start date = 01‑01‑2025.
This cutover point allows you to book historical entries before starting new activity. NOTE: This will also remove all historical data prior to the ledger start date.
3) Create the Historical Journal Entry
Go to Accounting → Manual Journal Entries.
Click Add Journal Entry.
In the entry window:
Add a Memo (e.g., “Historical balances 12‑31‑2024”).
Important: Select Historical as the entry type. This enables posting to all accounts, including bank accounts.
Enter balances one by one:
Select each account.
Input the debit or credit amount from your old Trial Balance.
Continue until all balances are added.
4) Post the Entry
Double‑check that Debits = Credits.
Confirm the entry date is the last day of your prior period (e.g., 12‑31‑2024).
Click Post Journal Entry.
5) Verify
Run a Trial Balance in Puzzle as of the cutover date.
Compare it against your prior accounting system’s Trial Balance.
If they match, your beginning balances are successfully brought in.