Standard Audit File Reader

In this article

Banana Accounting proficiently imports various Standard Audit File (SAF-T) formats, alongside accounting data exported from other software. Integrating your accounting data into Banana Accounting offers numerous benefits:

  • Consolidation: All accounting data is compiled into a single, savable file for your convenience.
  • Structured Clarity: Data is meticulously organized according to the double-entry accounting method, facilitating straightforward checks for formal accuracy.
  • Comprehensive Reporting: Access a full suite of typical accounting reports including account cards, journals, Balance Sheets, Profit & Loss statements, liquidity, and other key ratios.
  • Enhanced Searchability: Utilize the advanced filtering function for efficient data retrieval.
  • Annotation and Extraction: Easily mark rows and extract pertinent information.
  • Excel Integration: Seamlessly copy and paste data into Excel. The 'copy rows' command includes headers, simplifying further data manipulation in Excel.
  • Data Connection: Link your data directly with Excel for streamlined processing.
  • Automation: Leverage the powerful scripting API to automate routine checks and create reports.

Optimal Scenarios for Importing Data into Banana Accounting:

  • Auditing: When current systems impede the efficient access to necessary information.
  • Information Retrieval: If locating specific data within your existing accounting solution is challenging.
  • System Transition: When transitioning to a new accounting system but requiring access to data from the old system.

 

How to view the content of a SAF-T file

Follows this simple steps.

  • First use
  • View the audit file
    • Menu->Tools->Create file from external data.
    • Select the audit file you want to import.
      • You should have an audit file created with a country specific accounting software.
      • Select the correct extension (*.xml or *.*) to show the file on disk.

Banana will create a in memory new accounting file and import all the data. Depending on the size of the audit file, after some time, you will see all the data in the Transactions and Accounting table.
Once the data is converted you can save the file and access the data later at any time without the need to convert.

In order to import all the data you need the Advanced Plan. With the free plan or professional plan only 70 transactions will be imported.

See how the SAF-T Reader work

If you don't have any audit file and you want to see how the SAF-T Reader  work, we make available some test file you can experiment with.

Country specific SAF-T file

Each country has their own specification that is usually a derivation of the OECD SAF-T 2.0 standard.

Currently Banana Accounting has import extensions for this SAF-T format:

Other file import

There are also extensions that import data from other country specific file types.

In order to import the content of this kind of file you should proceed as explained before under import in existing files.

Structure of the accounting data in Banana

In Banana is a flexible accounting software based on the double entry accounting method. The SAF-T reader recreate a complete accounting file. In Banana Accounting the data is contained in tables that are like Excel sheets.

  • Accounts table.
    It contains the account plan, including:
    • The general ledger accounts
    • The customers and suppliers accounts with address.
    • The groups and grouping structure that form the Balance sheet and Profit & Loss statements.
    • The opening balance and current balance calculated based on the transactions.
  • Transactions table
    It contains all the journal movements including the VAT information.

View and analyze the accounting data

Once the SAF-T data is loaded in Banana, you can view the content and use the accounting specific commands. Here are some suggestion on the use the converted accounting data. Kindly let us know if you have any feedback or suggestion on getting the max out of your accounting data.

View the content

  • Scroll the Transactions and Accounts tables.
  • The Data->Find command let you search for any text.
  • The Data->Extract command to filter and sort content.

See graphic trend

  • Select the Charts window.
  • Select the account or group you are interested in seeing the graphical performance of.

nl imported auditfile graphic trend

Copy and paste to Excel

  • Select the cell of the table you want to copy and paste in Excel.
  • Select the rows and use the command Edit->Copy rows and when pasting in Excel you will also have the column header, for simple filtering.

Print or export

  • Preview and print the content of the table or any reports.
  • Export to pdf, html or any other format.

Accounting reports

The conversion process recreates a complete accounting file.  So, you can use all the double entry reporting functionalities, like:

  • The Actions->Account card give you the reconstructed card with all the transactions of any account or group.
  • Within the Accounts table you have the recalculate balance of each accounts and groups that form the Balance Sheet, Profit & Loss Statement.
  • With Reports->Advanced Balance Sheet with groups, you can print and customize the balance sheet and profit and loss statement. You can also have reporting by periods.
  • With Reports->Accounting report you get the data in table format, for period or other parameters.

Adding comments or other information

Once you have the SAF-T data in the accounting file you can add other information.

  • Make the column Notes visible.
  • Use Cost centers columns to group transactions.
  • Add any other column you need.
  • Add a linked table for further categorisation.
  • Mark the lines with colors to quickly retrieve some transactions.

Javascript extraction and reporting

The integrated Javascript interpreter let you create script:

Organizing files of more years

If you have to do analysis on more than one account  years it make sense to save the data in the Banana Accounting and connect the file of the previous year. Later you quickly open the files and create reports with data of multiple years.

  • Convert the SAF-T to Banana Accounting and save the file.
  • Set the file of the previous year.
    File->File Properties->Options.
     

Importing SAF-T In an Existing Banana Accounting File

You can also import the SAF-T in an existing accounting file.

  • Open your accounting file.
  • Menu->Action->Import
  • Import file
  • Install and select the import extension for the specific country.

 

Feedback and contacts

The SAF-T Reader is a new product. We welcome any feedback on how to improve it or to provide extensions that could make auditing and analytics more easy.

Kindly contact our costumer service specifying "audit file" and the country extension you are using.  Also briefly indicate your question or suggestion.

 

 

 

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