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Accounting & GST · 3 steps

Lock a closed period

Stop anyone posting or changing entries dated on or before a date, once you've closed the books for that period.

Before you start: You need permission to lock periods. Everyone with access to the General Ledger can see the current lock.

1Find the period lock

Open Accounting → General Ledger. A compact row under the title shows the status — Books are open, or the date the books are locked up to — with the date box, Lock and History beside it.

Scalar360 screen: Find the period lock
Numbered outlines show what to click, in order.

2Choose the lock date and lock

Pick the last day of the closed period in the date box on that row — for example the end of the last quarter you've filed — then choose Lock.

Scalar360 screen: Choose the lock date and lock
Numbered outlines show what to click, in order.

3Re-open a period if you must

To re-open, choose an earlier date or Clear. You'll need to give a Reason for re-opening, and the button changes to Re-open. History lists every lock change, who made it and why.

Scalar360 screen: Re-open a period if you must
Numbered outlines show what to click, in order.
Post a manual journal entryRecord adjustments that don't come from an invoice, bill or expense — accruals, corrections or owner contributions — as a balanced journal entry.Enter opening balances when you start using Scalar360Record what each account held on the day you moved from your old books, and check that the difference reaches zero before you save.Prepare GSTR-1 and GSTR-3BReview your outward supplies and tax liability for a month, download the files you need for filing, and lock the period once you've filed.

Still stuck? Contact our support team — or start a free trial to try this in your own company.