Contents

1. Where can I find the Accounting Setup Wizard?
2. Setup steps
   1. Step 1 of 8 - Individualising payment accounts
   2. Step 2 of 8 - Individualising VAT rates
   3. Step 3 of 8 - Setting up the chart of accounts
   4. Step 4 of 8 - Start date
   5. Step 5 of 8 - Open items
   6. Step 6 of 8 - Carrying over the previous year's balance sheet
   7. Step 7 of 8 - Carrying over the previous year's income statement
   8. Step 8 of 8 - Finishing the setup

Where can I find the Accounting Setup Wizard?

If you have not yet done anything in bexio under «Accounting», click on «Set up accounting», and you will be taken to the Setup Wizard.

If this menu item is no longer visible, go to «Accounting» → «Year-end closing» and from there to «Carry over balance sheet and income statement». 

If you now want to start setting up your bexio accounting, click on «Set up accounting» at the bottom left. This will take you to the Setup Wizard. 

Set up steps

Step 1 of 8 - Individualising payment accounts

Here, you can enter all cash accounts (cash register, post office, bank) so that they are available when posting payments. These accounts are created in your chart of accounts in the "Liquid assets" group. In step 4, you have the option of editing the account numbers and the names for these accounts. One account is already created by default, the sample bank account. The first thing you need to do is to edit and complete it. It's best to make this your first real bank account. Simply click on the account and enter the necessary information. You can find out how to do this in the article "How do I create a new cash/post office/bank account?".

If you need a new bank account while working with bexio accounting, you can set it up in the "Banking" section. It's important to note with regard to bank accounts that they have to be system accounts, so that you can select them in the documents (invoices, etc.).

Step 2 of 8 - Individualising VAT rates

bbexio provides you with all the usual tax rates in Switzerland as standard. You won't need all of them. You can deactivate those that you do not need. Simply click on the corresponding tax rate and deactivate it using the "Delete" button or set a "Valid from" and "Valid until" date before starting with bexio

You can also amend and add to your tax rates afterwards - you can find out how to do this in the article "How do I add a new VAT rate"

Step 3 of 8 - Setting up the chart of accounts

Create your own individual chart of accounts. To do this, select a template from our list. Once the chart of accounts has been created, you can add, edit, and remove accounts at any time. All bexio charts of accounts are based on the SME account framework, but have been adapted to the needs of the individual business forms. Under "Preview all templates", you can view the different charts of accounts and use them the same way.

Once you have selected the right language and template for yourself, you can load the chart of accounts.

Now, you can select the correct standard VAT rate for you and continue. In the next screen, you will see the chart of accounts again. This chart of accounts is based on the template you selected. You can amend it as desired.

If you carry over figures from previous years or from other accounting programs, make sure that the two charts of accounts match.

You can edit, copy, deactivate, or delete accounts based on your needs. To delete an account, simply click on the three dots to the right of the account and delete the account. Only accounts which no subgroup has been assigned to yet and which are not system groups i.e., are not marked with a lock, can be deleted.

Additional accounts can be added or edited at any point at a later date. You can find out how to do this in the article: "How do I manage my list of account groups and chart of accounts?".

Step 4 of 8 - Start date

In this step, you define when your accounting starts with bexio. bexio currently only offers financial years that correspond to a calendar year. For this reason, you can always choose the first January of the corresponding year.

If you want to keep accounts for a past financial year, no problem. Just select a past year as the start date.

If you have not yet prepared your figures for the previous year, you can interrupt the wizard here until you are ready.

Step 5 of 8 - Open items

You have two options for entering your open items in bexio.

1. You record these here and add them later. This offers you the advantage of being able to post them directly because the receipts are available in bexio.

2. You record the closing inventories in the next step. This means you have no documents for these in bexio.

Step 6 of 8 -Carrying over the previous year's balance sheet

Now enter the values of your previous year's balance sheet. If you have not yet done so, go back two steps and click on "Save and continue later". The column "ACTUAL balance" is calculated from the postings already existing in the system. You have the option to overwrite these numbers in the "TARGET Balance" column. The necessary adjusting entries are then created automatically. Important: This step carries over the previous year's figures (provisionally), or the opening postings are generated. You will then find these in the journal.

Please note that the sum of the assets and the sum of the liabilities must be balanced in order to proceed to the next step. This is usually ensured in definitive annual financial statements.

Step 7 of 8 - Carrying over the previous year's income statement

Also enter your balances from the previous year's income statement. The column "ACTUAL balance" is calculated from any postings already existing in the system. You have the option to overwrite these numbers in the "TARGET Balance" column. The necessary adjusting entries are then created automatically. This step carries over the previous year's figures (provisionally). You will then find these in the journal.

Please note that the sum of the expense accounts and the sum of the income accounts must be balanced in order to proceed to the next step. This is usually ensured in definitive annual financial statements.

Step 8 von 8 - Finishing the setup

You're almost there! If you click on "Finish", you will exit the setup and then have access to the full range of features in bexio accounting. You are now ready to post your business events.