Independent Balance (IBAL) Columns in Trial Balance

Independent Balance (IBAL) columns allow you to record and compare balances at different points in time—such as original and final budget amounts—directly in your Trial Balance and TB Reports. IBAL columns are designed for flexibility and clarity, supporting up to three independent columns per engagement.

When to Use

Use IBAL columns when you need to:

  • Track original and final budget balances side-by-side and compare balances across different reporting dates.

  • Record balances that do not flow to or from other columns in the Trial Balance, as well as meet requirements for preliminary and final budget reporting.

IBAL columns are available for annual non-consolidated engagements only and work with a Pro license.

Adding an IBAL Column

  1. Click the Independent Balances (IBAL) button on the right-hand navigation toolpane.

  2. Toggle the IBAL column to Show. This toggle is universal and, if set to hide, will hide the IBAL from the Trial Balance and any TB reports.

  3. Enter a Name for the column (e.g., “Prelim Budget”).

  4. Select a Date (defaults to today, but can be customized).

  5. Save your changes.

You can add up to three IBAL columns per engagement. Each column is independent—balances do not flow to or from other columns.

Editing and Managing IBAL Columns

  • Edit Balances: Click the pencil icon to enter edit mode. Make changes and save.

  • Import/Re-import: Use the import function to add or overwrite balances, similar to importing unadjusted balances.

  • Paste Balances: Paste values directly from the final balance column to your selected IBAL column.

  • Clear Balances: Remove all balances from a column if needed.

  • Lock Engagement: Locks IBAL columns and balances to prevent changes.

  • Copy/Roll Forward/Template: Definitions are copied or rolled forward, but balances are not. Dates for rolled forward columns increment by one year.

  • TB reports: In common with other configurable columns, IBAL columns can be shown in TB reports by accessing the Format Columns tab in TB report options.

Limits & Behavior

  • Maximum IBAL Columns per engagement: 3

  • Available for: Annual non-consolidated engagements only.

  • Displayed on: Financial and Tax Trial Balance pages (current year only) and TB Reports.

  • Export/Save: IBAL columns export to Excel and are included in saved TB views.

  • Import/Manual Edit: Balances can be imported, pasted, or manually edited.

  • Internationalization: Fully supported.

  • Real-time Collaboration: Multi-user updates via Signal R.

Back to top