Adding a new source

There are two ways to add a new source:  

1. A source can be added when creating a dataset. When creating the dataset, click on Add New Source from the dropdown menu in the Source field.  

2. A source can also be added by clicking the File Settings button within the Active Ledger file and clicking Sources. 

Click the + New Source button from the Sources screen and proceed to add a new source.

Selecting a source

Next, a dialogue screen will pop-up with the various accounting software types available to connect to. 

Refer to the below sections for further information regarding each commonly used source option. 

Excel connection

Select the Excel tile. 

The following screen will appear. If your report has been exported from an accounting system which we directly support, select it from the dropdown menu, otherwise select none. 

The name of the accounting file should represent the source. In most instances, 'Client [SOFTWARE] file' is sufficient. Once complete, select Add Source.

Note: Account numbering systems supported by way of import from Excel are: 

• MYOB
• Xero
• Handi Ledger
• APS
• MAS
• Attache
• MYOB Accounts

After adding the source to the Active Ledger file, the information is imported using the import facility in the Excel add-in. See the knowledge article: Datasets - Excel trial balance import, to learn how to use the importer. 

Active Ledger connection

An Active Ledger connection allows you to import data from another Active Ledger file. This provides a greater range of flexibility in reporting. Some use cases are when creating a consolidated report (see the knowledge article: Consolidations) or when maintaining separate files for divisions (see the knowledge article: Accounts - divisions). 

Note: Only files from within the same client group can be imported. 

Select the Active Ledger tile. 

The following screen will appear. Select the client Active Ledger file from the drop-down list. The name of the source will default to the client name, this can be edited if required. 

Once complete, select Add Source.

MYOB connection

Select the MYOB tile. 

The following screen will appear. Click Login to MYOB and you will be taken to another screen to sign in. Select the relevant client. 

Once authentication has been completed, you will be directed back to Active where you can select the relevant source file by scrolling or search in the search bar. 

After selecting the source file, click Connect. After the system has indicated that the connection is successful, click on Add Source to finalise adding the source file to the system. 

The name of the source will default to the client name, this can be edited if required. 

Xero connection

Select the Xero tile.

The following screen will appear. Click Login to Xero and you will be taken to another screen to sign in.

Select the file you wish to use with Active Ledger. Click Allow access. 

Once authentication has been completed, you will be directed back to Active where you can select the relevant source file by scrolling or search in the search bar. 

After selecting the source file, click Connect. After the system has indicated that the connection is successful, click on Add Source to finalise adding the source file to the system.

The name of the source will default to the client name, this can be edited if required. 

Quickbooks Online connection

Select the Quickbooks Online tile.

The following screen will appear. Click Connect and you will be taken to another screen to sign in.

Select the file you wish to use with Active Ledger. Click Allow access.

This will redirect you back to Active Ledger. By default, the name of the source will be the QuickBooks Online file name, this can be changed if necessary. Finally, select Add Source to finalise the connection. 

Note: The financial year in QuickBooks online will need to match the financial year in Active Ledger. For many clients, the QuickBooks financial year should begin in July and end in June. Failure to set the financial year correctly can cause import errors. 

Editing and deleting a source

To edit or delete a source access the current data sources by navigating to Sources from the File Settings dropdown on the right-hand side of any screen inside the entity file.

This will display a list of currently available sources. To edit or delete a source, click on the source and a dialogue will open up. 

You are able to add another file or switch the connected file to be an alternative Xero file. 

Note: You are unable to add or switch the actual source itself, i.e. you cannot replace Xero with MYOB in this screen. 

Additionally, the data source name can be changed or the source can be deleted if desired.