Create and amend report categories

Find this screen

Open: Settings > Cash Book / Nominal Ledger > Report Categories

How to

Add a new report category

A set of predefined report categories is provided for you, but you can add new report categories of your own.

If you add your own report categories, make sure that:

  • You've selected the correct Report Type and Category Type.
  • You link each new category to the relevant nominal accounts.
  • You also add them to the layouts for your printed financial statements and Excel reports If you don't do this, transactions posted to any nominal accounts with this report category won't be reported on your financial statements.

Add a new SOFA category

You'll only need to do this if the requirements for the SOFA report have been changed since SORP 2015.

You can add new categories on the SOFA Categories tab.

When adding additional SOFA categories, make sure:

  • You select the correct Category Type:
    • Income - Included under Income from resources
    • Expense - Expenses section of the report
    • Asset - Included in the bottom section of the report
  • Link it to the relevant nominal accounts.
  • Add it to the SOFA report layout.

Delete a category

  • To delete a report or SOFA category, select it and click Delete.

You can't delete a report or SOFA category if:

  • The category is linked to a nominal account.
  • You are editing the category in the Configuration Assistant. You can delete categories after you have completed the Configuration Assistant.

You'll see a warning if you try to delete a category that's included on a financial report layout or an Excel report.


Useful info

What are report categories for?

Report categories are used to create your financial statements. They divide your nominal accounts into groups, which are then used to create the Balance Sheet and the Profit and Loss.

Each report category determines how the value from each nominal account is reported on your financial statements. To do this, each report category has a:

  • Report Type: Determines whether the account balance is reported on the Profit and Loss or Balance Sheet.
  • Category Type: Determines the section the balance is included in; Asset or Liability for the Balance Sheet; Income or Expense for the Profit and Loss.

Report categories are used to create your financial statements and group your account balances for reporting purposes.

Each report category determines how the value from each nominal account is reported on your financial statements. To do this, each report category has a:

  • Report Type: Determines whether the account balance is reported on the Income and Expenditure reports (Profit and Loss) or Balance Sheet.
  • Category Type: Determines the section the balance is included in; Asset or Liability for the Balance Sheet; Income or Expense for the Profit and Loss.

How do I create report categories?

We have provided a set of predefined standard report categories that reflect the broad groups of things required by most businesses. These are created when you first set up Sage 200, along with a layout for the Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss reports. If you just use the predefined report categories, then you can produce financial statements 'out of the box', with no further set up.

If you also chose to use the set of nominal accounts provided by us, these will already be linked to the predefined report categories and no further set up is required.

When you first set up Sage 200, a predefined set of report categories is provided for you, along with a layouts for your financial reports so you can print them 'out of the box' with no further set up.

Academies

For academies, the report categories represent those used by most schools.

Maintained schools

For maintained schools, these report categories match the CFR codes.

What if I add new report categories?

When you add a new report category, you need to consider the following:

  • Make sure that the new category has the correct Report Types and Category Type so that it's included on the correct financial statement and in the right place.
  • To make grouping accounts easier when creating financial statements, consider creating report categories in groups with similar codes.

    For example, if you have more than one report category related to sales, they all have start with the same number, such as 400, 401, 402, etc.

    For example, your next income report category could be I07.

  • Make sure that you link the relevant nominal accounts to the new report category, to make sure the balances are included correctly on your financial reports.

  • Make sure you add the new report category to the layouts for your financial reports.

    If you don't do this, the balance of any nominal accounts using the new category won't be included on the report. You need to do this for your printed reports (Financial Statement Layouts) and Excel reports (Financial Statement Designer).

Can I change the report category assigned to a nominal account?

You may need to change the report category that you have already assigned to a nominal account. You can do this in two ways:

  • Change the category on a single account, using Amend Nominal Account Details. See Amend account details.
  • Change the category on a number of accounts at once, using Amend Report Categories and Consolidation Settings. See Amend Report Categories.

What are SOFA categories for?

SOFA categories are used to group your nominal accounts together to report the income and expenditure of your funds on the SOFA report.

A fund will only be included on the SOFA report if the nominal account has a Cost Centre and a SOFA category.

As a general rule, all nominal accounts with a Cost Centre and a Profit and Loss report category, will require a SOFA category.

A predefined set of SOFA categories has been created for you. These are taken from SORP 2015.

What if I add new SOFA categories?

If you need a different SOFA category, you can add new ones on the SOFA Categories tab.

When you add a SOFA category, you need to consider the following:

  • Make sure that the new category has the correct Report Type and Category Type so that it's included on the correct section of the SOFA report.
  • Make sure that you link the relevant nominal accounts to the new SOFA category, to make sure these funds are included on the SOFA report.

  • Add the new SOFA category to the SOFA report layout. See Design a SOFA report layout

Importing report and SOFA categories

If you have a large number of report categories to add to the predefined set of report categories provided by Sage 200, you can import these into Sage 200 from a CSV file.

Each imported category must:


Fix it

Can't amend a category code?

You can't amend a category Code if you're editing the category in the Configuration Assistant. You can amend the category codes after you have completed the Configuration Assistant.

Can't see the SOFA Categories tab?

You can only see the SOFA Categories tab if you're set to be an Academy in the Company Details.

If you weren't set to be an Academy when Sage 200 was first set up, you can change this now. Once you're set as an Academy, the SOFA categories are created for you.


What happens when I

Save a new category?

The new category is added to the drop-down lists and can be selected when creating nominal accounts.