I've started work for a client who only started doing Bank reconciliations in 2009, what is the best way to 'get rid' of all the old Bank reconciliations on Sage so that I can make the Sage Bank balance more realistic?
Didn't want to just delete them, they're all valid transactions but just have never been part of a reconciliation process!
I assume they are a sole trader? Might be easiest to do a big journal dr/cr bank dr/cr cap introduced/drawings, then reconcile on sage all the unreconciled old and the journal (dated in previous year). Not ideal but if there is a whole load of transactions, it does need clearing up. Someone may have a better and more 'proper' way of dealing with it though.
It sounds like the client did all their own bookkeeping themselves in the past? Perhaps you could talk to the accountant and get opening balances to set up a completely fresh set of books. Of course it would mean ensuring all outstanding debtors and creditors are re-entered but you would have a clean start. In Sage you can rebuild the books and keep the supplier and customer account details on, so it wouldn't mean reinputting all that. Take a back up first if you consider this option!
I would do Robs last idea if it is viable, who knows what else had or had not been done in the past. With a new set of books you could have a fresh start so you could be sure what is going on...
