# Import Opening Balances

You can import the prior period Balance Sheet to establish opening balances in Kick. The importer extracts account names, classifications, and balances from your uploaded file, then maps them to your Chart of Accounts.

Opening balances are dated one day before the entity's bookkeeping start date — this anchors the Balance Sheet so all subsequent activity builds from the correct starting point.

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## How to import

The importer is a three-step flow: **Upload → Extract → Map**.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Upload**

Go to **Accounting → Balance Sheet** and click **Import balances**. Select the entity and upload a Balance Sheet exported from your previous accounting system.

The file should be dated one day before the entity's bookkeeping start date. For example, if bookkeeping starts January 1, 2025, upload a Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2024.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Extract**

Kick uses AI extraction to parse your uploaded document. The result appears in a split view — source document on the left, editable spreadsheet on the right — with columns for **Account**, **Classification** (Asset, Liability, or Equity), and **Balance**.

Review the extracted data and correct any misreads. A running balance check at the bottom confirms whether Assets equal Liabilities + Equity. The balance sheet must balance before you can continue.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Map**

Each imported account needs to be mapped to an existing Kick account or a new one.

Kick auto-maps accounts where the name and classification match your Chart of Accounts, and suggests mappings for close matches (e.g., "A/R" to "Accounts Receivable"). Review the suggestions and adjust as needed.

For accounts that don't match anything in your Chart of Accounts, click **Create account** to add a new one. The account name, classification, and subtype are pre-filled from the imported data.

All accounts must be mapped before you can submit.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

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## Opening Balance journal entries

When you import opening balances, Kick creates journal entries with the **Opening Balance** entry source. These are distinct from manual journal entries — they are system-managed and tied directly to the import.

{% hint style="info" %}
To view opening balance entries on the General Ledger, go to **Accounting → General Ledger**, click **Add filter**, select **Entry source**, and choose **Opening Balance**.
{% endhint %}

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## Opening balances during reconciliation

For bank accounts and credit cards, opening balances can also be set during [reconciliation](/close-workflows/reconciliation.md). When you reconcile an account for the first time, Kick suggests an opening balance journal entry based on the extracted statement data. This is the recommended approach for connected financial accounts.

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## Re-importing

You can run the importer more than once per entity. If opening balances already exist for any of the accounts being imported, Kick shows a confirmation listing each account with its current balance and asks whether to overwrite.

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## Requirements

* The balance sheet date must be exactly one day before the bookkeeping start date
* Assets must equal Liabilities + Equity
* Requires the Chart of Accounts edit permission

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## Removing an opening balance

To remove an opening balance from an individual account after importing, see [Remove an opening balance](/setting-up/chart-of-accounts/remove-an-opening-balance.md).

→ [Chart of Accounts](/setting-up/chart-of-accounts.md)

→ [Catch-Up Guide](/kick-best-practice-guides/catch-up-guide.md)


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