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Opening balances and opening stock

Enter the stock on the shelf and what customers and suppliers owed before BooksPOS, as of one closing date, and correct a wrong figure later.

On the day a shop starts using BooksPOS, it already has stock on the shelves, customers who owe money on the old khata register, and publishers it owes. These are opening figures. BooksPOS records them against opening balance equity, so they set the right starting point without counting as today's sales, purchases or payments.

Choose one closing date

Take every opening figure as of the same day: usually the evening before BooksPOS starts. Count the stock that night, and total each customer's and supplier's balance up to that night. Everything after that date is billed in BooksPOS.

Opening stock

Many items: import them with an Opening stock column and a Unit cost. See Importing items, customers and suppliers from Excel or CSV.

A few items by hand:

  1. Open Stock and choose Opening stock.
  2. Add each item with the Qty on the shelf and its Cost / unit: what one copy or piece cost you.
  3. Choose Post adjustment. No reason is needed for opening stock.

"Stock already on the shelf when BooksPOS started, at its cost. Credits opening-balance equity." The cost becomes the item's average cost, so profit on the first sales is right.

A customer's opening balance

  1. Open Khata (customers) and choose the customer (or add them).
  2. Choose Opening balance ("What this customer owed before BooksPOS").
  3. Type the Amount owed (Rs) and the date As of (day-month-year), for example 30-06-2026.
  4. Add a Note, for example From the 2026 khata register, page 14.
  5. Choose Record opening balance.

"Posted against opening balance equity, not as a sale or a payment, so today's takings do not change." The customer's statement starts with this line, and Receive payment settles it like any bill. Opening balances need the opening-balance permission: owners, managers and accountants.

The Opening balance dialog for City Grammar School (demo) with Rs 4,500 as of 30-06-2026

Opening balance. Money a customer owed before BooksPOS, entered once with its date and a note. Screenshot of the current build (28 Sep 2026), synthetic demo data.

A supplier's opening balance

The same for a supplier: open them on Suppliers (or choose them on New receipt) and choose Opening balance ("What the shop owed this supplier before BooksPOS"). It is paid off like any supplier balance.

Correcting a wrong opening balance

Nothing is overwritten. To reduce a figure entered too high, record another opening balance, tick This reduces an opening balance entered earlier (a correction), and type a Note saying why. Both entries stay on the statement.

A correction can never leave a customer in credit or a supplier owing you; BooksPOS refuses it ("That would leave … in credit."). To correct opening stock, post a stock adjustment with a reason. See Stock adjustments.

Rules worth knowing

  • Advances from before BooksPOS are taken as new advances on the first day: an opening balance is money owed. See Customer advances.
  • Closed books. If the owner closes the books through a date, an opening balance dated on or before it is refused. Enter opening figures before closing any period.
  • Consigned copies are not opening stock: they are the supplier's. Receive them with Consignment. See Consignment (sale or return).

Common questions

Why not enter old balances as sales?

Because they were sold before BooksPOS, perhaps last year. As sales they would inflate today's sales and profit; as opening balances they only set the starting point.

Can I enter the stock value without counting?

Opening stock needs quantities and costs per item, because every later sale takes its cost from them. Count first, or import from your old system's stock list.

What if a customer disputes their opening balance?

Correct it with a reduction and a note. The statement keeps both lines, so the history is clear.

Last updated 30 September 2026. Still stuck? Contact us.