Moving your accounts from another system to Catacloud? Here's how – from exporting your data to being ready to keep booking.
Tip: The turn of the year or the start of a new VAT period is a natural time to switch systems, but you can switch at any time.
1. Export data from your old system
Export what you need to bring with you. The most common items are:
Customer and supplier list
Product catalogue
Chart of accounts
SAF-T file – contains the opening balance and, optionally, the transactions for the previous year
Invoice and voucher history for reference (can be kept in the old system)
Keep access to the old system until you have verified that everything is correct in Catacloud.
2. Create the company and go through the basic setup
Before you import any data, the basic settings should be in place: company details and chart of accounts.
3. Import the SAF-T file
The SAF-T file is the most important import – it brings the opening balance and, optionally, the transactions for a previous financial year into Catacloud.
NOTE – this is important: Always do the SAF-T import before you record any vouchers in Catacloud, and verify thoroughly that everything is correct first. The reason is not that the import becomes impossible later, but that you lose the ability to undo the import as soon as there are vouchers posted after the time of the import – it is then locked. If you discover an error in an import after you have started booking, it must be corrected manually in the accounts instead of undoing and importing again. If you import several files, import them in chronological order.
How to import:
Go to Administration → Data transfer.
Select SAF-T import and upload the file.
A selection screen shows everything that can be imported from the file. Tick what you want to include.
What can be imported?
Accounts – always preselected (grey tick) and cannot be deselected. The chart of accounts from the SAF-T file is always imported.
Customers and Suppliers – contacts from the old system. Can be deselected.
Departments and Projects – dimensions used in the old accounts. Can be deselected.
Employees – not supported. Employees must be added manually in Catacloud.
Accounting – see below.
What does "Conflict" mean?
If a category shows, for example, "Conflict 4", it means that some records from the SAF-T file already exist in Catacloud, but with different information. Click the arrow to the right of the category to see the details.
For each conflict, choose one of three actions in the ACTION column:
Map to – link the SAF-T record to an existing record in Catacloud and keep the information already stored there (name, address, etc.).
Overwrite – link the SAF-T record to the existing record in Catacloud and update its information with what is in the SAF-T file. Nothing is deleted: the customer or supplier stays the same, with the same number and history.
Create new – create a new record in Catacloud based on the SAF-T file, in addition to the one that already exists.
Records without conflicts (green tick) are mapped automatically and need no action.
Which action should you choose?
Leave the default selection as it is. For records that already exist, this is Overwrite, which links the SAF-T record to the customer or supplier you already have.
Avoid Create new for customers and suppliers – it creates duplicates in the register.
Important: If you change the selection, the postings may end up directly on 1500 or 2400 without a subledger entry. Check the subledgers after the import (step 5).
Importing several years?
Import the files in chronological order, oldest year first. When you import the next year, the customers and suppliers already exist, so most of them will show as conflicts – this is expected. Leave the selection on Overwrite, and check the subledgers before you import the next year.
Accounting options – two choices under "Accounting":
Voucher and transactions – imports the accounting entries for the year the SAF-T file covers. Use this if you want historical vouchers to be visible in Catacloud.
Add opening balance – imports only the opening balance for the SAF-T file's year. Use this to start with the correct opening balance without importing all historical transactions.
You can tick both, or just one of them, depending on your needs.
Error message: "You must choose a help account that the difference will be posted to"
This error appears when there is a difference between debit and credit in the SAF-T file. Catacloud needs an account to park the difference on so that the import balances. Choose a suitable account in the Choose account field (typically a clearing account, for example 8999). Contact us in the chat if you are unsure which account suits your case.
4. Import customers, suppliers and products
Customers, suppliers and products can be imported from an Excel file. Go to Administration → Data transfer and click Import next to the relevant type. Download the template provided, fill it in and upload it.
The customer file is an Excel file with the following fields. Only Name is required – all other fields are optional:
Name (required)
Organisation number, Customer number
Address, Postcode, City, County, Country code
Phone, Mobile, Fax, Email, Invoice email, Website
Due days (default: 14), Discount percentage
Invoice currency, Invoice language, Invoice delivery method (Email, post, print, peppol, efaktura, avtalegiro, digipost)
Type (private / company), VAT registered (1/0), Active (1/0)
The supplier file has a similar format. Click "description of import" next to each type to download the template with all columns and accepted values.
5. Verify that the figures are correct
After the import, check that the following match the old system:
Trial balance – check that all accounts have the correct balance.
Customer subledger – check that open items are assigned to the correct customer.
Supplier subledger – check that open items are assigned to the correct supplier.
If everything matches, you can import the next financial year the same way.
Note: Once you start booking, the import is locked and cannot be deleted without causing errors. Verify thoroughly before you record anything.
6. Set the next invoice number
If you switch systems in the middle of a year, it is important to set the correct next invoice number in Catacloud so that the number series has no gaps.
Go to Administration → Invoicing and update the next invoice number field.
7. Connect your bank
Once you have verified that the trial balance is correct, you are ready to connect your bank and fetch transactions.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to the old accounts? You keep them in the old system for as long as you have access there. Export everything you need before you cancel the subscription.
When is a good time to switch? Switching around a new financial year or a new VAT period creates the least duplicate work, but you can switch at any time of the year.
Why is it called "Overwrite" when I only want to link to an existing supplier? "Overwrite" only applies to the contact information. The supplier (or customer) is not deleted or replaced – it keeps its number and history, and the postings from the SAF-T file are linked to it. The only thing that changes is the name, address and similar details, which are updated from the file.
Can I have subledgers on several accounts, for example both 1500 and 1551? Not at the moment. Catacloud has one customer subledger account (1500) and one supplier subledger account (2400). Other accounts, such as 1551, can be used as ordinary balance sheet accounts, but without open items per customer or supplier. If you use subledgers on several accounts in your old system, contact us in the chat before you import, and we'll find a solution together.
When should you contact us?
Contact us in the chat before you start the transfer, especially if you are unsure how to export SAF-T from your old system. Tell us which system you are switching from, and we'll help you from there.