Below is what the Default Worksheet screen looks like.
We can break the worksheet screen into three primary sections that will be discussed further:
Header
Tabbed content
Sidebar
Header
Navigation:
Breadcrumb navigation (click between group, entity and workpaper)
Trial balance information:
Code
Description
Type
Current Amount
Last Year Amount
Variance
Unreconciled Amount: As part of the worksheet preparation, the worksheet must be reconciled. The Unreconciled Amount is the amount entries must total to reconcile the worksheet.
Worksheet information:
Status
Tag (lets checklists know where to attach items. E.g. ASS, Xero Report Code)
Assigned (click the plus to assign users to the worksheet)
💡 Note
Swap variance between percentage change and amount change by clicking the number.
On the right side of the header, we can see the following action buttons:
View transactions: this will open the transactions page of your connected Xero file.
Navigation Arrows: Use the arrows to cycle through worksheets without having to return to the trial balance. Hover over an arrow to see the account you will be directed to.
Review/Un-review: When the worksheet has been adequately prepared, meaning: it is reconciled; checklist items are resolved; and all internal comments and client queries are resolved, this button will become available to the assigned Reviewers and Approvers to mark the worksheet as reviewed. (use the keyboard short-cut, alt + R or option + R for quick reviews)
Exclude/Include: As covered in Trial balance basics, use Exclude to remove the account from being required to complete the workpaper. (click the 3 dots)
Tab Icon: The 3 icons are internal comments, client queries and review conditions. When clicked these will open in the sidebar.
Tabbed content
Below the header, we can see a section containing a few different tabs. Let's look at each tab and what its purpose is.
Entries
As previously mentioned, worksheets must be reconciled to be completed. This is done via the Entries tab. Here, users create entries with a description, file attachments, and an amount that contributes to the Unreconciled Amount figure. Entries will be covered in more detail in Reconciling a worksheet.
Checklist
Certain accounts may have checklist items assigned to them either by default or through your firm's custom checklists.
Unlike procedures, checklists are more specified items that appear where they are relevant.
💡 Note
For a guide on setting up checklist templates in your firm check out Creating a new checklist template.
Like entries, checklists must be resolved before the worksheet can be reviewed. We'll cover checklists in more detail in Worksheet checklists.
Journals
Create and manage journals from within the workpaper to draft corrections before posting them to the connected ledger. Journals are covered in more detail in Creating journals on a worksheet
Files
Manage the files referenced to the account, and attached to entries. Use the file navigator to also browse files from other accounts, workpapers, and even entities within a group! Files, including adding & referencing files on a worksheet, are covered in more detail in Adding & referencing files on a worksheet.
History
See a log of the events that have taken place on a worksheet, outlining the action performed, who performed it, and when. We dive into history more in Worksheet history.
Sidebar
As preparers and reviewers work through the worksheet, they may wish to make comments, review notes, queries for clients, etc. This can be done through the sidebar’s widgets, seen on the right-hand side of the screen.
Internal comments
Create threads contextualised to the worksheet you're on, that facilitates discussions to lead to a resolution. We explore internal comments more in Adding a comment to a worksheet.
Client Queries
Create queries for clients contextualised to the worksheet you’re on while working on it. These queries can then be exported to a query list when you’re ready. See Creating a client query for a worksheet for more information on this.
Review Conditions
All review conditions need to be satisfied for a worksheet to be reviewed. This section highlights which ones are outstanding and which are currently satisfied.