DataFlow closes each period in a fixed sequence — Order Processing, then Stock Control, then the Trade Ledgers, then the Nominal Ledger, then VAT. Every module is squared before the next one shuts, so postings land where they belong and the trial balance is trustworthy on the day.
The problem
When month-end is a scramble.
If the close has no fixed order, postings slip between modules and the numbers only settle days later.
Month-end is a scramble
Everyone closes their own corner at once, chasing stragglers by email, and nobody can say whether the period is actually finished.
Closing out of order loses postings
Shut the Nominal Ledger before stock or the trade ledgers have finished and their late entries have nowhere to go — cost of sales and allocations fall into the wrong period.
The trial balance is trusted late
Because the trading figures are re-keyed after the fact, the trial balance is only reliable days after the period was meant to close.
Closed periods get reopened
A late correction reopens a month that was already reported, quietly shifting figures the board has signed off, so last period’s numbers no longer match what was filed.
Overview
One sequence, run in order.
Each module closes only once the one before it is squared.
Post every outstanding document first
Post every outstanding sales and purchase document for the period. Hold anything incomplete so it cannot slip through half-recorded.
Firststage of the close
Alloutstanding documents posted or held
Finalise stock movements and cost of sales
The stock period close finalises movement totals for the period. Closing stock triggers the cost-of-sales postings into the Nominal Ledger.
Finalisedstock movement totals
Autocost-of-sales postings to the nominal
Close the sales ledger, then the purchase ledger
Close the sales ledger first, then the purchase ledger. Reconcile the control totals to the nominal control accounts.
Salesledger closes before purchase
Reconciledto the nominal control accounts
Close the ledger last, once everything has posted
Run the trial balance, P&L, balance sheet, recurring, inter-company and FX first. After the close, no further postings can land in the period.
Laststage before VAT
Lockedno postings after close
Close the VAT period for Making Tax Digital
Close the VAT period once the ledgers are settled. Leave the period ready for a Making Tax Digital submission.
Finalstage of the close
MTDready to submit
In their words
Automating our finance and reporting routines saves us in the region of ten days of work every month.
JCB FinanceFinancial services
Explore more
More capabilities.
Period close is one of the workflows that keep the accounts trustworthy — explore the other capabilities it draws together.
Order Processing first, then Stock Control, then the Trade Ledgers — the sales ledger before the purchase ledger — then the Nominal Ledger, and finally VAT. Each module is squared before the next one closes.
Why does the Nominal Ledger close last?
Because every other module posts into it. Once stock, the trade ledgers and their reconciliations have landed, the ledger closes and no further postings can enter the period, so the trial balance, P&L and balance sheet are final.
What happens if I close out of order?
Postings are lost to the wrong period. If the ledger shuts before stock or the trade ledgers finish, their late entries — cost of sales, allocations — have nowhere correct to go and the accounts no longer reconcile.
When is VAT closed?
At the end of the sequence, once the ledgers are settled. Closing the VAT period leaves the return ready for a Making Tax Digital submission.
