Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Course Topics
INTRODUCING THE XERO SYSTEM ..................................................................................................................... 1
GETTING STARTED ............................................................................................................................................. 2
LOGGING IN ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
PARTNER EDITION AND BUSINESS EDITION ....................................................................................................... 5
OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................................................ 5
PARTNER EDITION ............................................................................................................................................... 6
DEMONSTRATION COMPANY ................................................................................................................................. 8
HELP ................................................................................................................................................................... 9
USER ROLES...................................................................................................................................................... 10
DASHBOARD .................................................................................................................................................... 11
BANK RECONCILIATIONS .................................................................................................................................. 13
BANK ACCOUNTS .............................................................................................................................................. 13
BANK FEEDS .................................................................................................................................................... 14
RECONCILING IN XERO........................................................................................................................................ 16
INTRODUCTION TO BANK RULES ........................................................................................................................... 19
INTRODUCTION TO CASH CODING ......................................................................................................................... 20
CHART OF ACCOUNTS ...................................................................................................................................... 23
GST RETURN..................................................................................................................................................... 25
REPORTS .......................................................................................................................................................... 27
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Getting Started
If youre new to Xero, youll first need to create a free Xero account. Once thats done, you can add
your organisation by entering its name. Select either Start trial to begin using your organisation on a
trial basis, or select Purchase now to choose a pricing plan.
To sign up for a free Xero account:
1. Go to the Xero website: www.xero.com
2. Click on Try Xero for Free.
Xero will now send you an email with a link. Use this link to verify your account.
5. Go to your email inbox and open the activation email from Xero.
NOTE: Check your spam folder if you dont receive the email within a minute or so.
6. Click on the activation link and then create a password.
NOTE: Your password must 8 characters or longer and include at least one number.
7. Click Activate your account.
8. Xero takes you to the My Xero page. Youre ready to add an organisation to Xero.
Self Test
How do you open multiple browser tabs?
What are the advantages of tabbed browsing when using Xero?
How do you sign up for a free Xero account?
After activating your free Xero account, what two steps will need to be completed?
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Logging in
To login to Xero, go to login.xero.com, complete the email and password field and then click Login.
4. Bookmark this page or create a shortcut (save it to your desktop). When you next login to Xero,
select the bookmark (or double-click on the shortcut) to open the login page. The Email field
automatically displays your email address if you bookmarked the page (or saved the shortcut)
correctly.
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6. Click Save.
WARNING: Make sure you click Save, not Approve. This case study wont show you everything
its designed for if you approve the invoice.
Which screen are you now in? What happened to the sales invoice?
7. Click on the previous browser tab; the one showing the Dashboard. What is the dollar value for
the Draft invoices? As this web page has sat idle, the total has not changed. Refresh the page to
update the Draft invoices total.
Did you notice you could move easily between Xero screens by using multiple browser tabs? The
technique means you can work more efficiently.
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Users
File storage
Bank feeds
Bank transactions reconciled
Sales Invoices
Bills
Multi-currency
STARTER
Unlimited
1 GB
20 / month
5 / month
5 / month
STANDARD
Unlimited
5 GB
PREMIUM
Unlimited
10 GB
Partner Edition is only available to approved Xero Partners. It comes with two extra pricing plans:
Cashbook: for managed clients who do not need invoicing
Because there is only one version of Xero, it is the selected pricing plan that allows access to Xeros
various features. Go to the Help Centre to find out how to change your pricing plan.
Self Test
Your client wants to use Xero. They dont need invoicing functionality but they like the idea of
using bank feeds. Which pricing plan is best for them?
Your client is an exporter and will need to use the multicurrency option in Xero. Which pricing
plan is best for them?
Your client is not registered for GST. They will not be reconciling their bank account, nor will they
be entering expenses, but they do want to view published reports. Which pricing plan is best for
them?
Your client wants to use bank feeds, reconcile their bank accounts and do their own invoicing.
They wont need the multicurrency option in Xero. Which pricing plan is best for them?
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Partner Edition
Also known as My Green Xero, Partner Edition gives extra functionality to help manage staff and
organisations when using Xero. Partner Edition also gives access to Ledgers and Cashbook editions.
If you do not see any tabs across the screen on your Xero home page, check the Practice
Administrator has set you up as a User.
Xero gives a Practice one free Premium Organisation to manage their accounts.
Partner Edition has a My Xero link and six tabs:
Clicking My Xero displays the last five organisations you accessed. Youll also see other applications
you have access to; for example, My Xero, Practice Manager, Workpapers.
Go to the Help Centre for more about Xeros Partner Edition.
Staff Tab
The Staff tab lists every staff member in your practice. It is much quicker and easier to add and
manage practice staff from here as you can bulk-invite several staff members for each client. You can
also give staff members permission to add clients to your practice billing plans. Go to the Help Centre
for more about adding and managing practice staff in Xero.
All staff members receive updates from Xero about each new release and features.
Xero limits access to reporting codes and year-end differential reporting to practice staff members.
Reporting Tab
Use this tab to create customised Annual Accounts and other Report Pack templates suitable for
each organisation you manage in your Practice. You can use a wide range of Xero reports to make up
a Report Pack template. You can also create as many Report Pack templates as your Practice needs.
You can also create customised text or data layout for individual reports within each Report Pack.
Use the New Report Pack button to create new report packs or copy existing
ones. Copying an existing report pack is useful when creating templates.
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Training Tab
Settings Tab
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Demonstration Company
If youve signed up for a Xero account, youll have access to the Xero Demonstration Company. This
company uses fictitious data, is separate from your other organisations, is private and is available for
both Partner and Business Editions. Use the Demonstration Company to get familiar with Xero and to
try out new features. You can use it for testing purposes too.
When you access the Demonstration Company, Xero creates a copy of it just for you. You can import
data and enter transactions into it. Nobody will see this; only you.
NOTE: Dont use the Demonstration Company for your own organisations data. Use a free Xero trial
subscription instead. Then create and set up your own organisation using that subscription.
Xero expires the data entered into the Demonstration Company after 28 days. If you want to remove
the data before then, reset the Demonstration Company using the Reset link. Resetting means youll
clear all entered data. That is, youll get a fresh copy for further experimentation.
To reset the Demonstration Company, click on the list icon (top-left) and then select My Xero
(found under the last five organisations accessed). In the screen that opens, scroll down to
the bottom of the screen and then click on the Reset link.
You can also change the country and/or edition in the Demonstration Company by clicking on the
Change Country or Edition link.
Choose the region you want: New Zealand. Then choose the edition: Partner Edition (Cashbook) or
Business Edition (Premium). Click Save to begin the reset. Once reset, your Demonstration Company
will use the selected country and edition.
NOTE: Use the Partner Edition (Cashbook) edition to show a client what it will be like for them if they
have the Cashbook Client user role.
Know how the Demonstration Company behaves so you know what to expect.
In the Demonstration Company:
Youll have the Adviser user role. This means youll get to see the full range of Xero features
available (except for bank feeds).
You wont be able to view the Demonstration Company from another user role perspective.
You wont be able to set up bank feeds.
Xero wont save the banks name when setting up new bank accounts.
Self Test
What are the advantages of using Xeros Demonstration Company?
How would you reset the Demonstration Company? What happens when you reset it?
Your client wants to use the Demonstration Company for their organisations data.
Why is this not a good idea?
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Help
You can access the Xero Help Centre from the help.xero.com/nz/#home page, or by selecting the
Help Centre link shown below.
The Help menu (shown to the left) is handy for:
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User Roles
With Xero, multiple users can access the same set of data at the same time. The person inviting a
user into the Xero organisation sets up the appropriate level of access. To find out how, view the
Adding New Users in Xero video clip.
Partner Edition user roles:
Managed Client: User can check, view and add comments but cant access bank-related functionality,
process sales/purchases or adjust settings. Basically read-only access.
Cashbook Client: User has access to bank accounts and expense claims but they cant access Sales or
Purchases. User also has access (with some restrictions) to contacts, reports and settings, and they
have optional access to the cash coding function. A little more open than a Managed Client, but this
user still has restrictions.
Adviser: User has full access but excludes the ability to approve sales invoices or bills as well as
processing overpayments and prepayments. Xero Partners have this role for each client organisation
they manage. The additional Provide Support option allows clients to email Partners directly from
within Xero.
Practice Admin: Only one person in the organisation can have this role. Give this role to the person
responsible for adding and billing clients using Xero. The person with this role also has the Adviser
role for all organisations they set up.
Business Edition user roles:
Read Only: User can view most areas of Xero but cannot edit or add information. Good for Board
Members and people who want access to look, but cant touch.
Invoice Only: This role is suitable for someone who needs to raise invoices or enter bills, but doesnt
need access to bank accounts or reports. There are four Invoice Only roles: Draft Only, Approve &
Pay, Sales Only and Purchases Only. Further, users with Sales Only or Purchase Only roles can add
and edit contacts but they wont be able to view a contacts payment history or Xero Network Key.
Also, they cannot see sales or purchase figures from contact Dashboards. Note too that Xero will not
allow anyone with the Invoice Only role to export contacts.
Standard: This is the default user role. Standard users have almost full access to Xero, with optional
access to cash coding and an optional restriction, No Reports. By default, Standard users have
Standard + All Reports rights. This gives them access to the Reports menu, Budget Manager and
Manual Journals. They do not have access to the Management Reports and they cannot publish
reports except for the Bank Reconciliation Summary and the GST Return.
Standard users with Standard + No Reports rights wont have access to any reports except the Bank
Reconciliation Summary report (without the ability to publish) and contact reports in Contacts. They
also wont have access to Budget Manager or Manual Journals.
Adviser: User has full system access; that is, they have the same access to Xero as Standard users,
but with extra permissions. These include access to lock dates and the ability to publish reports.
You can also give Standard or Adviser users Manage Users and/or Payroll Admin rights.
Manage Users: Ability to add, edit and delete users.
Payroll Admin: Ability to add, edit and delete employee contacts and run/manage pay runs.
Check out the user role comparison tables in the Xero Help Centre.
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Dashboard
Xeros Dashboard is the main screen for each organisation in Xero. It displays a snapshot of your
organisation's financial position based on transactions entered into Xero.
Use the Dashboard to directly drill down into a transaction, or do common tasks quickly like bank
reconciliation or adding sales invoices or bills.
If you would like to keep an eye on the balance of key accounts in your Chart of Accounts (excluding
bank accounts), you can display them on the Account Watchlist. The table summarises the current
month and year-to-date figures of your chosen accounts.
You can add an unlimited number of bank accounts to the Dashboard. You can also set the display
order and change this when necessary.
Each bank account has a Reconcile button and the number on this button identifies the number of
unreconciled bank statement lines for the account.
Go to Xero TV to view a video clip that explains how the Dashboard can give you the overall business
performance at a glance.
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Self Test
You need some help from Xeros Customer Support. How can you ensure youll receive priority
support from them?
What is the default user role in Business Edition? How is this role different from the Adviser role?
A new employee will only be entering sales invoices into Xero. What user role will they need?
What are the advantages of including an account on the Account Watchlist, on your Dashboard?
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Bank Reconciliations
Bank Accounts
When using Xero you can create as many bank accounts as you need, for no extra cost.
Use the Add Bank Account button to set up bank accounts, credit cards, petty
cash accounts and Paypal accounts. Go to the Chart of Accounts screen or use
the Accounts > Bank Accounts path to access this button.
Go to the Help Centre for more about adding and setting up PayPal Accounts.
NOTE: Xero treats credit cards as a bank account so you can make use of bank feeds and other tools
when reconciling your Credit Card account. Xero is also smart enough to consider Credit Card
accounts as current liabilities on the Balance Sheet. You wont need to prompt Xero to do this.
6. Click Save. Xero will now take you back to the Bank Accounts screen.
7. Scroll down to find the ASB Cheque Account and then use the
it displays first on the Dashboard.
8. Scroll down to find the Business Savings Account and then clear the Show account on Dashboard
checkbox to remove this account from the Dashboard.
9. Go to the Dashboard. Which account shows first? Is the Business Savings Account displayed?
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Bank Feeds
Once set up, bank feeds let you automatically import bank statements into your Xero organisation
from banks and other financial institutions. This saves you having to manually import them yourself.
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If your bank offers OFX, choose this format over any other. This is because OFX recognises
duplicate bank statement lines, and if you use OFX files, Xero will ignore any bank statement
lines that are the same as those already imported.
If you choose QIF, take care to only download bank statement lines not previously
downloaded. When using QIF files, Xero cannot identify duplicate bank statement lines.
Go to the Help Centre for more about manually importing OFX or QIF bank files.
If your bank does not support OFX or QIF format, enter the bank statement lines into an Excel
spreadsheet. Save the spreadsheet file as a CSV (comma delimited) file.
A CSV file is formatted with comma separated values. Because there are many formatting
possibilities when creating the CSV file, youll need to double-check it before using it to import the
bank statement lines Xero. Some formatting issues youll need to keep in mind are:
When using a CSV file to import bank statement lines into Xero, you will need to map (assign) the
columns in the CSV file to a similar field that Xero recognises.
NOTE: Xero will automatically map any Date, Amount, Payee and Description fields.
Double-check the mapping before completing the import. Assign the column headings in the CSV file
(left side) to a similar field in Xero (right side). Use the drop-down to change the mapping.
Other information you might find useful:
Checking your CSV file before importing it
Manually importing BankLink statement lines
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Reconciling in Xero
In Xero, reconciling a bank account involves matching bank statement lines from your bank account
to the transactions you create in Xero. Xero automatically matches transactions in Xero against a
bank statement line where it can. If Xero cannot find a match, you can add the necessary
information as you go. You can reconcile the bank statement line when Xero displays the OK button.
Xero splits the reconciliation screen into two.
NOTE: Ledger Account transactions include transactions created in Xero, such as Spend Money,
Receive Money, Sales Invoices, Bills and Expense Claims.
In the bank reconciliation screen, where possible, Xero links a bank statement line to an existing
transaction in Xero (known as matching), or it suggests coding information using bank rules or
auto suggestion. Xero does this in the following order: amount, bank rules, auto suggestion.
If Xero cannot find a match, or if it cannot suggest coding information, you will need to manually
code the bank statement line. Use the Create tab is code transactions.
In Xero the balance of the imported statement (a calculated balance called the Statement Balance in
Xero) should match the Balance in Xero amount once the bank statement lines have been reconciled.
Because the Statement Balance is a calculated balance, you should compare the Statement Balance
to the online or paper bank statement balance as at the same date. The two balances should match.
If they dont, you can use the Reconciliation Reports to help identify any errors.
You can also go to the Help Centre for more about identifying and fixing errors and the reasons your
Statement Balance and Balance in Xero amounts differ.
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Match Tab
Xero displays the Match tab when it finds a match for the bank statement line.
You can use the Find & Match link to find your own match. Use the search function to find the
transaction you want. Once youve found it, select it (tick the checkbox) to make a match.
NOTE: If you need to review the sales invoice or bill before selecting it,
click on the contact name to open the transaction screen.
Create Tab
If Xero cannot find a match for a bank statement line, it will automatically display the Create tab.
The Create tab allows you to manually code the transaction. Complete the Name, Account and
Description fields to create a Spend Money or Receive Money transaction. (Xero creates a Spend
Money transaction if the bank statement line shows an amount spent; it creates a Receive Money
transaction if the bank statement line shows an amount received.)
NOTE: If a contact record does not exist for the name entered, Xero will automatically create one
when clicking OK to reconcile the transaction.
You should only use the Create tab when you know a sales invoice or a bill does not exist in Xero for
the bank statement line amount. In other words, only use the Create tab for cash transactions.
Transfer Tab
Use the Transfer tab to record the transfer of an amount from one bank account to another.
Xero will not perform the actual bank transaction; it will just record it. When using the Transfer tab,
Xero will update both bank accounts with the transfer details.
Using the Transfer tab is also useful for credit card payments when the credit card has been set-up
as a bank account in Xero.
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Discuss Tab
You can use the Discuss tab to leave a comment when reconciling the bank statement line. After
saving the comment, Xero will always display the Discuss tab. This ensures that other people
reconciling the bank statement line will be able to read it.
Use this tab if you dont know which account code to post the bank statement line to, or if there is
something unusual about the bank statement line. Just leave a comment.
Click OK to post the deposit, update the Accounts Receivable Ledger and reconcile the bank
account.
Where did the transaction go? Xero lists all transactions posted to this bank account on the
Account Transactions tab. Click on this tab and then click on Search to find it.
4. Click on the Reconcile tab. Find and reconcile the $4,500 payment to Smart Agency. Click on
Find & Match and then use the Search field to find the two bills this payment is for. Once found,
select them (tick the checkbox). Xero will now match the bills to the $4,500 payment. Reconcile.
NOTE: When selecting the second bill, did you notice the Match tab turned green? That shows
you are reconciling the bank statement line against transactions already in Xero. If the Match tab
was still blue, this would show youd be posting a new transaction when reconciling it.
5. Scroll down to the $59.55 amount paid to Swanston Security.
Using the Create tab, start typing the contacts name (Swanston) in the Name field. Xero
recognises any contact already created. When only Swanston Security is showing, press
the Tab key to accept it.
Click the Acct arrow to select the General Expenses account.
Click OK to reconcile. As you click OK, watch the Match tab turn green. This shows a General
Ledger posting. Once reconciled, it will disappear altogether.
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View a video clip on Xero TV or go to the Help Centre for more on how to create Bank Rules.
Creating a bank rules means creating conditions. You can set as many conditions as you need.
Set conditions about the Payee, Description, Amount, Reference or Analysis Code (cheques).
When a bank statement line meets the conditions, Xero will apply the bank rule.
You can also set fixed line items and/or allocate amounts based on a percentage figure.
Bank rules work best if advisers set them up for the client in the first month or so.
NOTE: Xero applies all bank rules in the order in which they sit in the list. To change the order, click
anywhere on the bank rule row and then drag and drop the rule into position.
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Cashbook Client users also have access to the Cash Coding tab.
Use the cash coding tool when you want to quickly reconcile bank statement lines representing
transactions not yet in Xero. Cash coding lets you select accounts and tax rates for multiple bank
statement lines, which means it's much quicker than using the Reconcile tab.
WARNING: Do not use the cash coding tool for amounts received for sales invoices, or amounts paid
for bills. Instead, use the Find & Match link (on the Reconcile screen). Because the amount is a
payment for a non-cash transaction, you will need to match it to the sales invoice or bill, otherwise
the sales invoice or bill remains unpaid in Xero.
Once you have saved and reconciled the bank statement lines using the Cash Coding tab, Xero will
automatically create a matching Spend Money or Receive Money transaction. (This is why you
cannot use the cash coding tool for amounts received for sales invoices, or amounts paid for bills.
It would lead to posting amounts to the same account twice.)
To bulk-code multiple transactions:
1. Click on the Cash Coding tab and then click on the Payee heading to group similar bank
statement lines together.
2. Find the bank statement lines you want to bulk-code and then bulk-select them, as follows:
3. After bulk-selecting the group of bank statement lines (highlighted in green), complete the
details for the top line. When you tab out of the field, the entered details are copied down.
4. Click Save & Reconcile Selected to create the Spend Money (or Receive Money) transactions.
Youve now completed several lines of transactions in a few seconds!
5. Repeat for any other repetitive transactions.
For a bulk-coding demonstration, view the video clip on Xero TV. You can also find more about using
the Cash Coding screen in the Help Centre.
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Self Test
How many bank accounts can be created in Xero?
True or false? Xero has two bank account types one for bank accounts and one for credit cards.
Your client closed their Savings Bank Account. How would you remove this from the Dashboard?
Your client wants to set up bank feeds for their bank account. How would you go about this?
Xero supports three formats when importing bank statement lines into Xero. What are they?
What minimum data does Xero need when importing bank statement using a CSV file?
What shows on the left-hand side of the Reconcile screen? What shows on the right-hand side?
True or false? The Statement Balance in Xero is a calculated balance.
If possible, Xero suggests the coding for bank statement lines. What two methods are used?
Name the two types of bank rules you can create in Xero?
True or false? You can create bank rules to code sales invoices and bills.
Explain the benefits of using the Cash Coding tab. Can anyone use it?
True or false? Your client entered several bills from MIC Business Services. Your client paid each bill
separately and those payments are now showing as bank statement lines in the Reconcile screen.
Use the Cash Coding screen to bulk-code these payments.
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Chart of Accounts
The Chart of Accounts is a list of accounts used for sending transaction amounts to.
Go to Settings > Chart of Accounts to view your organisations Chart of Accounts.
NOTE: Only people with the Adviser or Standard user roles can access the Chart of Accounts.
When setting up your organisation in Xero, you can start with the default Chart of Accounts, or you
can import your own Chart of Accounts. Either way, you can amend the Chart of Accounts any time.
As with any Chart of Accounts, Xero classifies each account into one of five categories: assets,
liabilities, equity, expenses and revenue. Xero shows the five categories as tabs.
The category defines which report each account balance is displayed in; however, it is the account
type that determines where Xero will display the account in the report.
Account Category
Assets
Liabilities
Equity
Expenses
Revenue
Use the Add Account button to add a new asset, liability, equity, expense or revenue account.
Use the Add Bank Account button to add a new Bank Account, Credit Card or PayPal Account.
When creating a new account, each account will need:
Reporting in Xero uses the Chart of Accounts hierarchy, Tracking and Report Grouping features. No
need for sub accounts! The ability to customise your reports means that they will keep their flexibility
in the long run. View the video clip on Xero TV for more about the improvements made possible
because of the way Xero has reinvented the reporting function.
After creating the Chart of Accounts, youll need to enter the conversion balances. You can do this
one account at a time (using the Conversion Balances screen), or you can export the Chart of
Accounts to Excel and then enter the conversion balances in the Balance column.
NOTE: Xero imports a positive balance as a debit, and a negative balance as a credit.
Before importing the conversion
balances, save your work in CSV
format and be sure to select the Yes
option during the import process.
You can also use the export and import function to edit accounts in bulk. This is useful if you want to
modify Xeros Chart of Accounts to create a Chart of Account template.
NOTE: You cannot delete an account with a transaction amount. Archive them instead.
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3. Click on the name of the account to open the Edit Account screen.
4. View the Account Type field. What type of account is the Advertising account? Unless youre
using custom report layouts, account types affect your reports. Use the diagram on the right to
learn how. Which report will the Advertising account go to? Which group will Xero place it?
NOTE: You cannot select Bank Accounts from the Account Type drop-down. This means Bank
Accounts is not an account type even though the diagram suggests it might be. Xero adds bank
accounts to the Chart of Accounts in another way.
5. Change the account name to Online Advertising.
6. Clear the Show in Expense Claims checkbox (remove the tick).
7. Click Save. Editing accounts is easy!
Self Test
How does the Account Type, selected when creating a new account, affect Xeros reports?
How many alphanumeric characters can be used when creating a new account code?
Your client has been using Xero for some time. When reviewing the Chart of Accounts, you
decide several accounts need editing. What two methods can you use to achieve this?
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GST Return
With bank statements flowing into Xero on daily basis, you can keep your reporting accurate and
up-to-date as you go. So, when it comes to filing your GST Return, you only need to run Xeros
GST Return report and then double-check the transactions.
Before running Xeros GST Return for the first time, you will need to confirm GST has been set up
correctly. To do this, go to Reports > GST Return and then check your organisations GST details.
If you need to, edit your GST Registration Number, your accounting basis, your filing frequency and
the next period youll need to file a GST Return for. Click Save to confirm the details.
Once youve confirmed the GST details, open the GST Return report Xero has created for you by
clicking on the GST period dates.
Xeros GST Return has three reports, shown as tabs.
Xero will also display a Late GST Claims tab if you have changed or backdated any transactions in this
GST Return period from previously finalised GST periods.
The GST Return tab mirrors the actual IRD form. The amounts shown are transaction totals for the
selected period. If you have any debit or credit adjustments to make, you can enter these directly
into the GST Return.
The GST Audit Report tab reviews the transactions that make up the amounts showing in the GST
Return tab. You can also make any necessary corrections from the GST Audit Report tab. Click on the
listed transaction to open the transaction screen and then select an editing option.
WARNING: When posting a manual journal, Xero will not include any amounts coded directly to the
GST account in the GST Return calculations. If you enter transactions through the normal channels,
Xero will always pull through GST amounts to the GST Return.
At the bottom of each report tab youll find Export and Save buttons.
Use this button if you want to export the report.
You can export the report to PDF, Google Docs or Excel.
Use this button if you want to come back to the report.
Select Save Draft and return to it when youre ready.
When youre ready to finalise the GST Return, select Save Final.
Xero will now transfer the GST Return to the Final Returns tab.
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Xero will always tell you if there are any unreconciled transactions in the period. This reduces the
possibility of accidentally finalising a GST Return before all transactions have been reconciled.
If you need to, you can work on the next GST Return without finalising the current GST Return.
However, finalising the GST Return is essential if Xero is to capture late GST claims on your returns.
You dont need to publish Xeros GST Return before finalising it. However, publishing Xeros GST
Return is good practice, so you should get into the habit of doing it.
To publish Xeros GST Return:
1. Go to Reports > GST Return
2. Click on the Final Returns tab.
3. Click on the finalised GST Return you want to publish.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and then click Publish.
5. If you want to, edit the options provided for formatting and customising the report.
6. Click Save. Xero will transfer the report to Reports > All Reports > Published (tab)
7. Click on the PDF icon to view the published report.
View the video clip on Xero TV to learn more about how the GST Return works in Xero.
You might also find these Help Centre links useful:
How the GST Return works in Xero
Where Xero gets the GST figures from
GST on imports
Self Test
Xeros GST Return can show four tabs.
What are the names of these tabs? When would you use them?
How would you edit a transaction showing in the GST Audit Report tab?
Which formats can you export one the GST Return reports to?
When youre ready to finalise the GST Return, what step must you do?
True or false? You can work on the next GST Return without finalising the current GST Return.
How would you publish Xeros GST Return?
True or false? Xero will include all amounts coded directly to the GST account in the GST Return.
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Reports
Xero offers a range of reports. These reports include detailed, audit, reconciliation, management
and annual reports. To view the reports available for client organisations, go to Reports > All Reports.
The Summary tab sorts the reports by category. For example, the reports listed in the Performance
Reports category are based on revenue and expenses so they will show you how the business is
performing.
Some reports on the Summary tab have a blue star beside them. A blue star marks the report as a
favourite. Favourite reports appear in the Reports menu which means these reports are quicker and
easier to access. To make a report a favourite, click on the white star to the left of the report name.
You can customise Xeros reports. If youre customising a report, but havent finished yet, you
can save the customised report as a draft report. Xero shows draft reports on the Draft tab.
Your user role controls whether you can view, edit, publish or delete draft reports.
If you publish a report, Xero will save the published report to the Published tab. From there you can
export the published report to PDF, Excel or Google Docs.
If you want to, you can archive a published report. Xero lists archived reports on the Archived tab.
Your user role controls whether you can view, export or delete archived reports.
Use the table below to find a listing of popular reports. When viewing several reports, it's a good
idea to open each new report on a new tab. You can then easily compare each open report.
Report Name
Account Summary
Account
Transactions
Detailed Account
Transactions
Journal Report
Report Description
Displays monthly balances for the selected period, for the selected account.
Displays a summary of all transactions for the selected period, for the
selected account.
Displays a detailed list of all transactions posted to all accounts for the
selected period. This report shows a lot of information, so click Wide view
(top right) to show everything on one screen. When youve finished, click
Standard view to return to the main screen.
Lists the General Ledger journals for the selected period. To remove the
system journals (those journals automatically created by Xero), select
Show Posted Manual Journals Only (tick the checkbox).
Use Ctrl + F to search for a specific journal.
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If you need to, you can narrow your selection to cash basis transactions when running reports. This
means they will only show actual amounts paid or received. Xero wont include any unpaid items in
these reports. To run a cash basis report, select the Cash Basis checkbox.
Another very useful report is the History & Notes Activity report. This report allows you to search for
specific transactions, changes or types of activity. Its a great tool as it gives you the ability to find out
whats happening and whos doing it. Because of that, the History & Notes Activity report is only
available for users with Adviser permissions.
Go to Adviser > History & Notes Activity to view the report. Use the control bar (shown below) to
narrow your search. Choose the Period, Item and User you want to see history and notes for.
You can also use the Filter Results field to narrow your search
even further. Filter by date, item, action, user or notes. Just
enter key letters, numbers or words into the field.
For more about the reports found in Xero, view the video clip on Xero TV, or search the Help Centre.
6. Save Xeros report as a draft report. Click Save as Draft. Xero saves the report to the Draft tab.
7. Publish the General Expenses Transactions report.
Find the report on the Draft tab. Click on the report name to open it.
Click Publish.
Customise the report and then click Publish. Xero saves the report to the Published tab.
8. Click on the
icon to export the report in PDF format. Open with Adobe Reader. See how
quickly and easily Xero produces beautiful reports once youve finished entering transactions?
If you want to, you can also email the PDF report to your client. Save it to your hard drive first
and then send the report as an attached file.
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