Report category codes

The report category code is an alphanumeric reference that must be applied to posting and memorandum type nominal accounts.

The category code is used to:

• Determine whether the nominal account value is reported on the layout for the Balance Sheet (Asset and Liability) or Profit and Loss (Revenue and Expenditure), and whether the value is a debit or credit.
• Group the nominal accounts under the headings specified in the report layouts.

Note: The values for each Profit and Loss nominal account are set to zero when you run the Year End routine. It is particularly important to set the categories correctly as either Profit and Loss or Balance Sheet to prevent the loss of valuable information when the Year End routine is invoked.

Plan how you can use category codes to group similar types of accounts. For example, use a range of codes for all income accounts. If you use a random method of coding, you may find it more tedious to plan your financial layouts as well as your nominal account records.

As the category code governs the position of the nominal account in your financial statements you may prefer to design the Profit and Loss and Balance Sheet financial statements first before creating the nominal accounts.

In the same way you manage your nominal accounts, you need to manage your category codes. Therefore you will create, amend and delete category codes as and when appropriate using the Nominal Ledger.

Note: You cannot create category codes while creating new nominal accounts.

You can also import your report categories from outside Sage 200.

Add or amend a category code

Open: Nominal Ledger > Utilities > Ledger Set Up > Report Categories.

1. The report categories are displayed.
   • To create a new category, click Add.
   • To edit a category, select the detail to change.
2. Enter the Code reference. This is the unique code that will identify the category.
3. Enter a Description of the category.

4. To include the category on financial report layouts, specify the Report Type and Category Type.

   • To include the category on the Balance Sheet layout (for standard reports) or Asset and Liability layout (for Excel reports):
     • Set the Report Type as Balance Sheet.
     • To choose whether the value is a credit or debit on the Excel report, set the Category type to either Asset for a debit or Liability for a credit.
   • To include the category on the Profit and Loss layout (for standard reports) or Revenue and Cost layout (for Excel reports):
     • Set the Report Type as Profit and Loss.
     • To choose whether the value is a credit or debit on the Excel report, set the Category type to either Expense for a debit or Income for a credit.

   Note: If the Category Type has not yet been set for the category code, it will be shown as Undefined.

5. Click OK.

Delete a category code

Open: Nominal Ledger > Utilities > Ledger Set Up > Report Categories.

1. Select the category code from the list.
2. Click Delete.