Migrate Your Data From Sage 50 Accounts to Sage Business Cloud

Migrate from Sage 50 Accounts

Two options migrate your data from Sage 50. they are:

• Import all the records of the database including that of the customers, product, and supplier-related info, without the assistance of any specialist.
• If there is an Accounting Partner Edition installed in your system and your accountant is using that, migration is just a few easy steps away.

To manually migrate your data, you must perform the below steps

Step 1: Preparing migration from Sage 50

Before migration, you have to choose a date for migration and complete the outlined task as given here for updating the data:

Select the Migration Date

• It is highly recommended to select a start date like the beginning of the new month or a quarter. The selection of the date depends on your frequency of VAT return.
• Finish the Following
• Entry all the transactions till the date you will be using Sage 50.
• Finish the VAT return for the period (quarter or last month) for which you will be using the software.
• All the recent bank transaction statements are handy.

Printing the Reports

Take out a hard copy of the following from Sage 50 to check the data post the migration is completed. The reports must be till the date you are migrating:

• Trial Balance
• Aged Debtors Analysis (Detailed): Customers, then go to Reports> Aged Debtors, click on Aged Debtors Analysis (Detailed)> Print. The “To” date will be the last day you are accessing Sage 50. You do not have to checkmark the boxes.
• Aged Creditors Analysis (Detailed): Suppliers, then go to Reports> Aged Creditors, click on Aged Creditors Analysis (Detailed)> Print. The “To” date will be the last day you are accessing Sage 50. You do not have to checkmark the boxes.

Step 2: Downloading switching report to assist migration from Sage 50

Access the special reports to ensure that all the data you exported from Sage 50 is in the accurate format. The following reports will help to export:

• Supplier Records
• Customer Records
• Service Records
• Product Records including non-stock and stock.
• Opening balances of the customers
• Opening balances of the suppliers

Downloading the Backup File

Depending on the browser that you are using, the file will be:

• Downloaded to the Downloads folder
• “Save” it to the “Downloads” folder.

Extract or unzip the saved file to access the backup:

• Open the “File”.
• Select “Extract All”.
• Select the location of the unzipped file, in this case, the “Downloads” folder.

Restoring The Backup of Switching Reports

• Log in to your Sage 50 account.
• Select “File”
• Choose “Restore”
• Browse the destinations where you have stored the Switching Report
• Click on the file to open it.
• Tap on “OK”> “Yes”> “OK”.

Step 3: Exporting the data from Sage 50

If you want to export data, you have to run the following. In case, you want to export a portion of the records, just select those as relevant lists before running the report:

Exporting Suppliers and Customers Records

• Open all the Reports:
  • Supplier Records– Suppliers, Reports, My Supplier Reports, Switching, and lastly, Supplier Records.
  • Customer Records– Customers, Reports, My Customer Reports, Switching, and lastly, Customer Record.
• Select the File you will be exporting and then choose the location where you will be saving the file.
• From the “Save As Type” list, select the CSV file with the .csv extension and then click Save.
• The steps will be the same for each report.

Export the Opening Balances of the Customer and the Supplier

• Open all the Customer Switching Reports. From the Customers, select “Reports”, and finally “My Customer Reports”.
• Click on Switching- Customer Opening Balances.
• For running the report, select the tenure from the beginning to the date you want to process in Sage 50 Cloud Accounts.
• Unmark the checkboxes and hit “OK”.
• Select “File” and “Export”. Browse the destination where you will be saving the file.
• From the “Save As Type” list, select the CSV file with the .csv extension and then click Save.
• Repeat all the steps for the supplier. Go to “Suppliers”> “Reports”> “My Supplier Reports”.
• Go to Switching
• Finally, tap on the “Suppliers Record”.

While importing the date, column D must have a value. After the export, review the file and enter the value in the same column (if needed).

Step 4 – Check your settings in Accounting:

As you have exported the data, just confirm a few points in Sage Accounting to import the data.

Have you created a Nominal Ledger Account?

The common nominal ledger accounts for suppliers, products, services, and customer records are the same for the Sage versions of Instant, 50, Accounting, etc.: 5000 (Purchases) and 4000 (Sales).

If you are not using these default accounts, instead you are using default ledger accounts like 5001 or 4001, you must:

• Create the codes in Sage Accounting, or else the import fails.
• From Settings, select “Chart of Accounts” and open a new account.

Confirm the Start Date and the VAT Scheme

You need to ensure that you have selected the appropriate VAT scheme from Sage Accounting.

• Go to “Settings”> “Business Settings”> “Accounting Dates & VAT”.
• Enter the date from when you want to begin Accounting, in the “Accounts Start Date” field.
• Choose the VAT Scheme
• “Save” the changes.

Step 5 – Import Sage 50 data into Accounting

Importing the Chart of Accounts

As you import a Chart of Accounts, you must ensure the following:

• Having a new accounting venture without any records or transactions.
• Saving the new Chart of Accounts file saved in .CSV format.
• Using similar column formatting and headings in the chart of accounts .CSV template file.

Importing the Supplier and Customer Records

• Click on “Contacts”
• Go to the “New Customers” dropdown menu.
• Tap on “Import Customers”.
• Click on “Choose File” to seek the exported Sage 50 file.
• Tap on “Open”.
• On the list of .CSV format, select “Sage Instant Accounting”. (This step is applicable for the import from Bith Insatanad Adn Sage 50).

You must perform the following steps if you are from Sage 50 Accounting:

• Click on “Upload”
• Go to “Contacts”
• Go to the “New Suppliers” dropdown menu.
• Tap on “Import Suppliers”
• Repeat the last given steps.

Importing Products and Services

• Go to the “Products and Services” dropdown menu.
• Tap on the “Products and Services” dropdown menu. Tap on the imported items.
• Tap on the options that you want to export from Sage Accounts. For example Stock.
• Go to “Upload your CSV file” to browse and open the file you have just imported.
• The steps are all the same for any other product and services you want to import.

Importing the Opening Balances of Customers and Suppliers

• Before importing the files, it is mandatory to enter the transaction reference. Click open the file with .CSV extension. In column D type the reference such as O/BAL.
• The date should be entered in dd/mm/yyyy format.
• For both EU customers and suppliers who already have VAT registration, the VAT rate changes to “No VAT”. Moreover, the gross amount is reflected in the Total and Net columns. The reason is the VAT is imposed on the transactions for creating the invoice not for making or receiving a payment. If the VAT is not reflected in your Sage 50 account, manually adjust it with the next return to reflect the change.
• The tax codes are matched accordingly. Besides, when you make an entry, make sure you enter the VAT rate as per the respective transaction.
• If there is any change in the opening balances while importing it, the relevant balance in Sage Accounting will be different from that of Sage 50. When entering the nominal opening balance, select the area where you will be posting the difference.
• Importing the Customer and Supplier Trial Balance: Settings>Business Settings>Opening Balances>Customer. Check whether the “Account Start Date” is right or not. Select “Import Opening Balances” from the dropdown menu of “New Opening Balance”. After clicking on “Choose File”, access the file that you have exported. Tap on “Open” to browse the .CSV list for opening the Sage Instant Accounts. “Upload” and “Save”.
• For the import of Supplier Opening Balance, go to “Settings”> Business Settings> Supplier. Go to “New Opening Balance”> “Import Opening Balance”. The rest of the steps are identical to the other steps of the “Customer Opening Balance”.
• To enter your Bank Opening Balance, Navigate to Settings> Business Settings> Opening Balances. Select your Bank and enter the details under the “Bank” menu.
• To import the Opening Balance of Normal Ledger, Visit Settings> Business Settings> Opening Balances. Choose “Nominal Ledger”> “New Opening Balance” to enter the details.

Step 6 – Check your imported data:

Evaluate the Trial Balance

• Go to the “Trial Balance” from the “Reporting” section.
• Tap on “Custom” from “Period”.
• Now select the financial year.
• The period must match the trial balance period of Sage 50 Accounts.
• Calculate.

Note: The values in Accounting must be identical to the Sage 50 Accounts trial balance before data migration. Experts recommend profit and loss and balance sheets with the Sage 50 Accounts report.

Evaluate the Aged Creditor and Debtor Reports

• Go to “More” from “Reporting”.
• Tap on “Aged Creditors” from the “To” dialog box. The date you enter should be the same as that of Sage 50 Accounts.
• The balance in “O/S Amt” should be exact with the Sage 50 Accounts balance sheet.

Note: The steps are the same for the Aged Debtors.

Evaluate the Chart of Accounts

To evaluate the Chart of Accounts, compare it with Sage 50 Accounting. To assess the ledger accounts:

• Go to Reporting, and Click on “More”.
• Pick “Chart of Accounts”> Export> PDF or CSV.

Evaluate the Nominal Codes Visibility

• As a user, you can conceal some ledger accounts while performing transactions, to reduce errors. To set it:
• Visit “Settings” to navigate to “Chart of Accounts”.
• Click on the specific nominal ledger account and modify the visibility section as needed.
• Save.

Evaluate the VAT Return

• Open VAT to access “VAT Return”.
• Review the dates of the next VAT date before calculating the VAT return.
• Include the unreconciled transaction (if any).
• For accounting, navigate to “Reporting” and select “VAT Returns”.
• Choose “Create VAT Return”, select the date range, and click “Calculate”.
• Just go through whether the values of the boxes are the same or not.

Reviewing the Bank Accounts

• Open the primary bank account from the banking section.
• Compare the book balance in Sage 50 with the balance.
• Tap on “Reconciliation”. Contrast the balance to the last reconciled balance of Sage 50 Accounting.
• You can also check any other bank balances or create other accounts in case required.

Migrate your data from Sage 50 Accounts to Sage Business Cloud Accounting

With the help of the migration tool, you can easily migrate the client’s records from Sage 50 Accounts to Sage Business Cloud Accounting. This tool assists you in converting the data of Sage 50 accounts into an importable format for accounting.

Steps to Migrate Your Data from Sage 50 Accounts to Sage Business Cloud Accounting

You must execute the migration on the device where you have installed Sage 50 Accounts. Before migration, check whether you have completed the preparation steps or not.

Assess the location of your account data.

• Log in to your registered account with Sage 50.
• Click on “Help” located on the menu bar, to redirect to “About”.
• Make a list of “Data Directory” from the program details, such as C:\Program Data\Sage\Accounts\2020\Company.002.
• List down the “Serial Number” under the “License Information” details.
• Close your account.

Choose the company

• Click on the “Sage Business Cloud Migration Tool” from the Windows of your system.
• Choose the company to which you will be migrating. In case the company name does not appear, tap “Browse”. It will land you at the location you have read about under the above heading.
• Tap on “Next”. Type the serial number and the manager password of the company. Re-tap on the “Next” tab.

Note: The folder you are browsing must comprise the folder ACCDATA. For instance: C:\Program Data\Sage\Accounts\2020\Company.002.

Assess the company settings

The company settings comprise the following: So, check it before data migration:

• Company Details: Check whether the name of the company you have entered is correct or not. If you are migrating to a training or testing company, do not forget to mention it when entering the name. Do not forget to enter details like the telephone number, postal code, name of the street, etc.
• Sorting the Migration Items: Pick up the items like opening balances, transaction histories, or account records.
• Overlook the Inactive Accounts: This is for the redundant accounts that are marked inactive in Sage 50 Accounts. You can remove it from the migration list.
• Tenure: The year is only applicable when you are migrating the transaction histories. Enter the period and the data that you want to migrate; it (the tool) will automatically detect the end date, date of opening balance, and account start date. An ideal example is if you enter 2 and the present financial year is January 1, 2019. The date of account start is January 1, 2018; the year-end will be December 31, 2019; and the date of opening balance is December 31, 2017.
• Date of Opening Balance: While migrating an opening balance, you must consider the latest transaction date. The account start date will be the day after the opening balance date. Moreover, all transactions in Sage Business Cloud Accounting must have a date similar to the account start date or after it. For example, if the last transaction is dated December 31, 2021, and there are no transactions recorded on or after the first day of 2022, 31/12/2021 will be the opening balance date and 01/01/2022 will be the account start date.

Note: An opening balance date is always a crucial part of the migration. This date is also considered a hard period, meaning that all transactions recorded are before migration. On the other hand, transactions that are not yet entered are recorded on the side for migration.

• VAT Registration: If your company is already VAT registered in Sage 50 Accounts software, the check box will be auto-marked. Enter the VAT number and choose the return frequency. If the company does not have a VAT registration number, simply skip this part. In this case, if any recorded Sage 50 Accounts transaction has a VAT value greater than zero, that data is not eligible for migrating to Accounting.
• Choose Reference: Choose which data you want to migrate: extra reference or invoice reference.

Data Mapping

• Proceed to “Next”, if you are already satisfied with the company settings.
• Thoroughly check the “Chart of Accounts”.
• Click on “Go”.
• Repeatedly tap on “Next” and tap on “View All Items”. Modify or review the settings.
• Finally, press “Next”.

Note: Once you are done with the migration, you can save the settings for the future. However, it is better to save it for next time to save time. So, next time you are migrating, just click on “Load Previous Settings”.

This migration tool automatically matches tax codes and the Chart of Accounts of Sage 50 Accounts with Accounting. Just check whether you are satisfied with the feature before proceeding to the “Next” step.

Report Categories

The nominal codes are auto-matched with the categories of nominal ledger accounts in accounting. Check whether the entered codes are correct. You can also make changes if needed.

However, for the credit cards and the bank account, no changes can be made. The primary reason is their categories. Let’s have a look:

• Accounts that represent cash deposits or banks fall under the bank section.
• Accounts that represent credit cards fall under the line of credit section.

Dealing with Default Accounts

You can only overwrite the default accounts while posting transactions in the accounting software. Otherwise, overwriting such accounts is not possible. Keep some extra time aside to evaluate whether you are content with the matched codes or not. If you want, you can add some necessary changes.

Control and System Accounts

Accounting possesses more control and system accounts than Sage 50 Accounts. In some portions, the nominal codes and the chart of accounts are automatically matched. Still, you have to match some manually.

The mandatory accounts are marked with an * (asterisk). The same nominal code cannot be used for more than a control or system account.

Tax Codes

Accounting prefers using VAT codes over tax codes. Thus, you must check that all your tax codes are according to the appropriate VAT rates. Being an accounting user, you can know more details about the VAT rate in the software, besides which box is affected by the VAT return.

Resolving References

Sage 50 Accounts allows you to use a similar reference for the supplier and the customer. However, the scenario is different with accounting. Here, the references should be unique.

If there is the same reference number existing more than once, the Resolve Accounts Reference Conflicts screen appears. You can manually resolve the dispute or click on “Auto-resolve Conflicts” to resolve it automatically.

Completing the migration

• Go to “Next” and then “Download Data File”.
• Choose the file destination, enter the name of the file, and “Save” it. You will import this file to Accounting later.
• Tap on “OK” and then “Finish”.
• As you tap “Yes”, you are saving the settings you accessed for company migration.
• Choose the file destination, enter the name of the file, like the migration settings of Sage Business Cloud Accounting, and “Save”.
• You can save this setting and use it to migrate any other company at the data mapping step. It will save time.
• Hit “OK”.

In the End!

To conclude the discussion on migrating data from Sage 50 Accounts to Sage Business Cloud, it is essential to follow the structured steps outlined in the guidelines provided. Starting with preparation, ensuring all data and reports are backed up, and confirming that the correct settings are in place is crucial. The migration process involves verifying company details, handling opening balances, and noting VAT registrations, ensuring all transactions align correctly before and after the migration. Post-migration, it is important to thoroughly evaluate the integrity of your data through the trial balance, aged reports, and VAT return comparisons. Proper execution of these steps will facilitate a smooth transition and maintain accurate financial records.

Frequently Asked Questions