In this guide, we show How to Use the Centralised Procedure to Handle Opening and Closing Balances in the MAT Finance Module.
Access: The minimum permissions required to Use the Centralised Procedure to Handle Opening and Closing Balances are found in the Finance Module section of Config > Setup > Roles & Permissions.
To begin, from the left Menu, go to Reports > Finance > Balance Sheet.
Select relevant filters from the Report parameters. Click Preview to see updated balance information.
The Report contains three key columns:
- Opening Balance
- Movements
- Closing Balance
Each is generated using a standardised central process to ensure consistency across Trusts.
Opening Balance is derived from:
- Period 0 Journals from all closed Financial Years
- Period 0 Journals from open Financial Years, where applicable
- Manually added Period 0 and Period 13 Journals
- Excludes system-generated Financial Year End Journals if the Financial Year End is not yet marked as complete
Movements reflect financial activity within the selected filters and Financial Year.
Closing Balance is automatically calculated as Opening Balance + Movements
The Balance Row always displays zero, regardless of any DAC filters applied. This ensures the Report maintains proper accounting balance and integrity, even when data is scoped to a specific user’s access.
The system therefore provides accurate and consistent balance reporting across all MAT entities. All figures respect DAC rules, ensuring users only see data they are authorised to view. Manual adjustments and multi-period movements are now accounted for in a unified and traceable way.