| Overview |
Once you have created and opened a Year End Accounts task in BrightTax, this article explains how to navigate its structure — the table of contents, the key data entry areas, and the bottom toolbar actions.
| The YEA Tabs |
| Tab | What It Contains |
|---|---|
| Summary | Template details, address, associated clients, and task action buttons |
| Associated Clients | Links directors and other individuals to the accounts for signing information and officer data |
| Submission History | A record of all submissions made to Companies House for this set of accounts |
| Navigating the Accounts |
Once the Year End Accounts task is open, pages are navigated using the Table of Contents on the left-hand side. Any field displayed in grey can be edited — switch to Edit mode using the bottom-left toggle first.
| Key Areas of the Year End Accounts |
| Area | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Extended Trial Balance | The full trial balance used to populate the financial statements. Enter or import all account balances here. |
| Profit & Loss Account | The income statement — populated from the trial balance entries. |
| Balance Sheet | Populated from the trial balance. Must balance before accounts can be checked and generated. |
| Notes to the Accounts | Statutory notes — fixed content that cannot be reordered or edited directly. Additional notes can be added where supported. |
| Officer Data | Used to enter loans to directors information — feeds directly into the balance sheet notes. |
| Journals | Allows adjustments to be made using debit and credit entries directly within the accounts. |
| Check Accounts and Generate iXBRL |
Once all data has been entered, click Check Accounts & Generate iXBRL Files from the bottom toolbar. This process:
- Runs validation checks on the accounts figures
- Confirms that the balance sheet balances
- Calculates prior year brought forward figures
- Generates the iXBRL-tagged accounts files
- Collapses the notes and hides accounting policies in the printed accounts
| ✔ Tip: After Check and Generate, the accounts will collapse automatically — meaning notes and accounting policies that were expanded for data entry will be formatted correctly for printing and submission. This is expected behaviour. |
| Printing Reports |
Reports can be printed from the Print menu on the Year End Accounts toolbar or from the YEA Summary page. Available print options include the full accounts, balance sheet, profit and loss account, and trial balance.
| Notes to the Accounts — What Can Be Edited |
In BrightTax, the standard notes to the accounts and accounting policies are fixed — they cannot be reordered or have their text directly edited. However, you can:
- Add additional notes to the accounts (FRS 102 1A template only — go to the relevant notes page and enable headers using the toolbar toggle)
- Collapse or expand notes using Check and Generate
- Hide accounting policies using the collapse function after Check and Generate
| Frequently Asked Questions |
Q: Can I add a note to the accounts that is not in the standard template?
A: Additional notes can be added to the Notes to the Accounts section on the FRS 102 1A template. Enable row and column headers using the toggle in the toolbar, then add your note in the available rows.
Q: The prior period column is showing as Not Defined — how do I fix this?
A: This occurs when using BrightTax for a client for the first time. You need to create a prior year YEA task and mark it as complete to define the prior period. See the related article for full instructions.
Q: Can I round figures in the accounts?
A: BrightTax rounds figures automatically based on their penny value — figures of 50p or above round up, below 50p round down. You can view rounded figures in the Extended Trial Balance.
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