Post a draft voucher (maker-checker)

A draft voucher is saved but not in the ledger: it has no number and no report counts it. In the default roles an Accountant can create and edit vouchers but not post them, so a second person, usually the Finance Lead, reviews each draft and posts it. Posting gives the voucher its number and makes it permanent; after that it can only be corrected by a reversal.

Before you start

• The maker has saved the draft (see Record a manual voucher). Nothing notifies you when a draft is waiting, so agree how the maker tells you.
• The voucher's date falls in an open fiscal year and an unlocked period, and the books are active. Check under Books > Fiscal years (see Fiscal years).
• Permissions, in the role editor's words:
  • the View permission on Vouchers and on Books to find and open the draft;
  • the Post permission on Vouchers to post it (the default Administrator and Finance Lead roles);
  • the Edit permission on Vouchers if you want to correct the draft before posting.

Steps

1. In the sidebar open Accounting and choose Vouchers. Pick the books in the Books switcher at the top right. You see every voucher of those books, newest first. See Vouchers.
2. Set the status filter (it reads "Any status") to Draft. Only drafts are listed. Each reads "Draft" under Voucher; one whose debits and credits differ reads "Unbalanced" under Amount, and one dated in a locked month shows "Period locked" under Status.
3. Click Draft on the row, or its Open icon. The voucher page opens, titled "<type> draft", with the description "<date> · FY <name>, period <n> · <total>".
4. Review the draft: Details (narration, reference, project, booking), Totals (Debit, Credit, Lines), and Lines, where each bill-wise line lists its allocations ("bill numbered on posting" for a New Ref without a number). Totals must show Debit equal to Credit. To change anything, click Edit, correct it on Edit voucher draft and click Save draft; you come back to this page.
5. Click Post. The confirmation "Post this voucher?" reads "The voucher gets its number from the <code> series and becomes immutable: later corrections are reversals. Bill-wise lines open or settle their bills." Post is greyed out, with "Debits and credits must be equal" on hover, while the draft is out of balance.
6. Click Post in the confirmation. You see "Posted as <no>." The page title becomes the voucher number and the status badge Posted; Edit, Post, Cancel draft and Delete give way to Reverse.

What happens next

• The voucher is numbered from its type's series (for example JV-0012 for a Journal) and counts in every report: ledger, trial balance, day book, profit and loss and balance sheet.
• A New Ref allocation opens a bill, dated on the voucher date with the due date you typed; an Against Ref settles the bill it names. You see them under Outstanding bills.
• Details shows Posted with the time and your email.
• If the voucher turns out wrong, it can't be edited: see Reverse a posted voucher or discard a draft. A draft you won't post can be cancelled or deleted from the same page.
• All drafts of a year must be posted, cancelled or deleted before the year can be closed. See Close a fiscal year.

If something goes wrong

• The confirmation shows "Debits <x> and credits <y> must be equal and above zero", "A voucher needs at least one debit and one credit line.", "Account <code> <name> is retired", "Line <n> (<code>) is bill-wise: allocations <x> must equal the line amount <y>", "Line <n> (<code>) is not bill-wise; remove its allocations", "Bill <no> has <x> outstanding, allocation is <y>" or "Bill <no> already exists on ledger <code>": edit the draft, fix the line and post again. See Voucher cannot be posted (trouble.accounting.cannot-post-voucher).
• "Period <n> of <FY> is locked", "That fiscal year is closed." or "The voucher date lies outside its fiscal year.": the date has no open period. Unlock the period, reopen the year, or edit the date. See No open period for the date (trouble.accounting.fiscal-year-missing).
• "These books are inactive. Reactivate them under Books to post entries.": see Books inactive (trouble.accounting.books-inactive).
• "Only a Draft voucher can be posted (this one is <status>)": someone else posted or cancelled it meanwhile. Refresh the page.
• No Post button: your role lacks the Post permission on Vouchers. See No access (trouble.admin.no-access).

Related

• Vouchers
• Voucher
• Edit voucher draft
• Outstanding bills
• Record a manual voucher
• Reverse a posted voucher or discard a draft