My boss posted a vendor's invoice and checked the boxes to have it  paid immediately while posting it. Then I think when she realized she had paid it through the wrong acct she reversed the payment. However now my AP balance and my unpaid invoices do not match when I run the Check Data Integrity function in the Maintenance module, it is out by exactly that amount. The AP is lower than the unpaid invoices. I tried to fix it, but it is still out of balance and I am at a loss as to how to correct this one. Any ideas? I looked at the posting of the invoice and the recap shows that it was DR to Employee Benefits and CR to the Savings account, but it bypassed the AP Journal completely.  However the payment reversal didn't, it DR the Savings account and CR AP, thus the discrepancy.  HELP?????  Thanks, Jacke

Could share how you resolved a Data Integrity issue?

I would love to. This is taken directly from the Knowledgebase. I just asked for help with data discrepancies and this came up. I followed the steps exactly and it corrected the error in both of my company files.  Rocket Scientists had been doing these books before I started and had messed up big time, however, all is now good, all accounts balance.   Good luck.  Jacke

Inconsistencies can occur when the linked account is changed to another account, or if the system is interrupted while posting a transaction and one side doesn’t update properly.

If a backup was made prior the inconsistency occurring, restore the backup. Do not replace the current data in case the backup is too old to be viable. Otherwise proceed to the next step.

Click Maintenance, Check Data Integrity. An asterisk (*) in the Integrity Summary window indicates the module in which the problem exists. Write down the amounts and the affected modules.

To correct the inconsistencies, you will need to unlink the associated control accounts for the affected modules and make a correcting entry in the General Journal, adjusting the amount up or down to equate the balance sheet account with the associated subsidiary ledger.

1. Click Setup, Settings. Click the appropriate section for the affected module. e.g. Payables (Vendors & Purchases), Receivables (Customers & Sales), Payroll Income, then click Linked Accounts.

2. Highlight the account (e.g. Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Prepaid Sales/Deposits, Vacation Payable, Payroll Advances) and press the Delete button on your keyboard. The field should now be blank. Click OK to close the window.

3. Open the General Journal (Miscellaneous Transactions) and post a journal entry to increase or decrease the control account that you have unlinked. The other side of the entry can be the other account affected by the inconsistency, if you can determine it, or otherwise a temporary account such as a miscellaneous expense.

4. Click Setup, Settings. Return to the appropriate section's linked accounts and re-select the linked account that you had previously unlinked in steps 1 and 2.

5. Ensure that the data is now balanced by clicking Maintenance, Check Data Integrity. If the data is OK, create a new backup at this point.

Note: If your Account Reconciliation Files do not match, you will need to reset your bank reconciliation data.

Thanks for the sharing. I have the same problem long before I started working here, and I saw this imformation, but I am not sure what "The other side of the entry can be the other account affected by the inconsistency, if you can determine it, or otherwise a temporary account such as a miscellaneous expense" means. If I choose the miscellaneous expense, will the total expense be affected in the income statement? Is there are duplicated expenses in the system because of A/P is more than the amount of unpaid invoices? I am afraid of doing so will affect the income statement, so I have not fixed the data inconsistency yet. Can you please share what happened after you done that? Thank you

Hi Lisa-Anne.  I knew exactly what had caused the problem in both companies as I had done a complete internal audit and discovered the discrepancy in one of our vendor accounts. Some rocket scientist had posted an invoice from the vendor and told the system to pay it while posting it. Then they went in and reversed the payment. when you post an invoice [in either AP or AR] and you tell the system to pay it immediately it bypasses the AP / AR modules completely and your entry looks like this if you click on the Report button at the top and then "Display Transaction Details':

i.e. 5200  Parts Purchased Dr $xxxxx          1050   Bank of Your Choice  Cr $xxxxx

As you can see, there is absolutely no numbers posted to either AR or AP. So if you reverse the payment it will Dr your bank account and CR AP or AR because that is what it should do.    After I made the GL entry and reset the linked accounts I checked my AP account and it now balanced with the unpaid invoices.  All I had to do then was to go into that vendors account and reverse the 'stupid' invoice.  Then their account balanced to what they thought they owed.  Thankfully my vendors are honest and helpful and assisted me in cleaning up their accounts.  As far as "Miscellaneous Expense" to post against, you can add an account in your Chart of Accounts just for this purpose if you like, and if you can't determine what the offsetting entry should be. As I said, I knew it was Parts Purchased that had been affected, so I DR parts purchased and CR AP and then reset the linked accounts.  If I can help anymore, I would be glad to, I would also highly recommend Brent Corner, you can find him  under "Blogs" on SA homepage,  He is a fountain of information and his knowledge of SA is extraordinary.   Good luck, Jacke

Thank you for your valuble information, Jacke. I do not knkow what causes this discrepancy in A/P and when because it is here before I am here, and my boss said it's caused by the system errors. I will look for Brent and try to solve it. Thanks again. Lisa-Anna

I have found a discrepancy in my system from OLD postings. 

I have done a general journal entry to make the balance in the g/l match the balance owed to current employees but my inactive employees are causing the data integrity check to show an error.

My accrued payroll is not balancing because of entries to employees terminated long ago.  I have two that actually show a negative balance in the vacation owed category.  Has anyone come across this and how have they fixed it?   

 I also have several that have small amounts showing as owed because someone has paid out the vacation pay probably as wages rather than clearing the vacation owed category.

Thanks