After entering all your transactions in a batch, and before updating or posting the transactions to the ledger, you need to print a list of the transactions entered in the batch.

- This will allow you to finally check that all of the transactions entered into a batch are correct. If there are any errors, you should edit and correct them before posting the batch.

- Once the transactions in a batch are posted (updated) to the ledger, and there were errors, you need to process another transaction in another batch to correct these errors.

- It is also good practice to print a batch list, and attach the source documents (e.g. slips, invoices, etc.) from which you have entered the transactions in the batch. The reason for this is to provide an audit trail to the transactions.

This will also enable you, or any auditor or inspector (e.g. from the Receiver of Revenue or Inland Revenue), to independently verify the transactions in your Set of Books.

In accordance with various legislation (e.g. Income Tax Act, VAT Act, Companies Act, etc.), the records of account (including source documents) should be retained for a prescribed period (usually 5 years).

You may list the entries at any time when transactions have been entered in a batch, even if the batch has been balanced or not. Before printing a list of your batch transactions, you need to decide if you wish to include the balancing entries. Should you wish to include the balancing entries on your batch list, you need to first balance the batch.

To List Transactions Entered in a Batch:

1. Click on the F8: List icon, or press the F8 key on your keyboard.
   - You may also right-click on the selected batch (journal) on the Batch Type Selection screen, and select the Print option on the context menu.
   
   - You may also click on the F9: Process icon, or press the F9 key on your keyboard. You then need to select the List Batch from the list of batch processing options.
   The Printing Options screen is displayed:
   
   
2. Select to send the batch to the screen, printer, save it in a specific file format or send it via e-mail or fax.
3. Click on the OK button. The List of transactions will be generated to the Send To Options selected in the Send Report To field.

- If the Printer was selected in the Send Report To field, you may select the number of copies you wish to print the batch list. The batch list will be printed to the default printer on your system.

- If you click on the Printer Setup button, you may also select a different printer than the printer set in the Setup→Preferences→Printer menu option. You may also set the margins, paper type, paper size, and paper quality in the Page Setup button on the Select Printer screen if a Dot-matrix printer is selected.

The batch list displays the information of the transactions in a similar format, as entered in the Batch Entry Transaction screen:


An example of the Batch Entry Details or Batch List for the transactions entered in the Payments Journal is as follows:

- In this example, the heading reflected Payments Jnl - [Payments Jnl]. Once the alias has been changed, it reflects [ChequesMarch2007].

The details of the transactions, displayed in eight columns, are as follows:

1. Reference Number - This is usually refers to the source document from which the transaction is entered (e.g. the cheque number, deposit number, invoice number, supplier invoice number, etc. as entered in the Reference number field.
   - If a batch is balanced (if the Consolidate Balancing is selected in the Options for this batch), the reference number will be indicated by eight asterisks.
   
   - This refers to the contra account and should not, under any circumstances, be over typed or changed before you post the batch.
   
   
   
2. Date and Period - This is the transaction date as entered in the date field. The period is listed next to the date and indicates the accounting period or reporting dates.
   - When you need to generate reports on the Report Options screens you need to select the accounting period on This Year or Last Year Periods lookup facility. For some reports you may select the dates using the Date picker.
3. Transaction Detail - This is the description of the transaction as entered in the description field.
   - This detail should be entered sensibly so as to enable any person or independent auditor to determine the nature of the transaction (what was paid, purchased, sold, etc.
   
   - When a creditor account or a debtor account was selected, the descriptions should also make sense for the creditor or debtor if Creditor Remittance Advices or Debtor Statements are sent.
   
   
4. Account Code and Description - The account code for the selected General Ledger, Creditor or Debtor Account and the description or account name will be displayed.
   - If a batch is balanced (if the Consolidate Balancing is selected in the Options for this batch), the selected Contra Account (balancing account) will be displayed.
   
   - If any VAT/GST/Sales Tax was applicable to transactions and a Tax Account or Code was selected, the Tax Code and Description would also be displayed as a balancing entry.
   
   
5. Tax - The description for the selected Tax account will be displayed.
   - For payments and purchase journals, it should refer to Input Tax. For receipts and sales journals, it should refer to Output Tax.
   
   
   
6. Debit - The amount of each transaction as entered in the debit column.
   - This should reflect amounts if transactions are entered for payments or purchases or sales returns.
   
   
   
7. Credit - The amount of each transaction as entered in the credit column. \ - This should reflect amounts if transactions are entered for receipts, sales or purchase returns.
   
   
   
8. Inclusive Amount - This will display the amount inclusive of VAT/GST/Sales Tax if a Tax code is selected.
   - If a Zero-Rated Tax code or the No Tax is applicable to a transaction and was selected, it will reflect the same amount as entered in the debit or credit column.
   
   

- If you have entered more than one transaction from the same source document, (e.g. paid with a cheque for petrol and maintenance), you should have entered two transactions with the same reference number and have selected two different account codes (e.g. petrol and maintenance).

- Once a batch is posted to the ledger, you may generate a Batch Type Report in the Reports→Batch Type menu option. You may need to select a specific batch type from the Batch List lookup facility to generate a Batch Type Details Report or to Export Posted Batches. If you do not utilise the feature to change the alias, you may not find it easy to identify the correct batch.