Customer Details

This screen is used to create and edit customer account details.

Details of Customers need to be set up before sales order processing and/or sales Invoice transactions or opening balance documents are entered on the system. There are facilities to define a bill-to address (to which the sales invoice is usually sent) for a customer and, if required, attach multiple ship-to addresses (where goods or services are delivered to).

When all appropriate details have been entered click SUBMIT to store the information.

The address details on the customer details tab will be the address that will appear on sales invoices.

Once a customer has been set up Ship-to addresses may be added via the Action Menu adjacent to the customer on the customer listing.

Income - Customers - List - Click SHIP TO LOCATIONS from the Action Menu for the relevant item

The addresses may subsequently be selected when processing a sales order. The invoice address however will remain the one shown in the Customer Details Tab.

Active/Inactive Toggle

Toggle the switch to set the customer as inactive. Deactivate a customer if you do not want them to appear in customer drop-down lists. Even though a customer is inactive, any receipts for outstanding amounts due, can be dealt with in the usual way.

Customer Name

Enter the customer's business name as you would like it to appear in drop-down lists.

User Defined Code

This field may be used to hold a user-defined alpha-numeric code for the record. If you enter a '+' the system will automatically insert the record id for the current item. This record id is guaranteed to be unique in Liberty Accounts - but may not be a consecutive sequence.

This field is useful for entering codes that cross-reference codes in other systems and is also used for the invoice and bill uploads. Note that the codes are case-sensitive and must match exactly during uploads for an item to be loaded.

Country

Select the country of the customer. It is particularly important that this field is completed correctly for E.U. customers before you start raising invoices if you are VAT registered. Incorrect completion of this field has an impact on VAT reporting.

Additionally when a sales invoice or credit note transaction is entered if this country is the same as the country in the Entity trading address then the Country line in the address is suppressed when the document is prepared for printing.

Invoice Currency

Select the currency in which this customer is normally invoiced. Invoices, credit notes and customer statements will be printed in the customer currency.

FAO Indicator:

If this item is checked the contact name will be included in the customer address details on invoices and statements. e.g. "FAO: Mr John Doe"

Email addresses for Invoices and Statements

Two email addresses can be entered.

Share Documents As

For cases when invoices, credit notes and statements are emailed to this Customer, select the method by which the recipient retrieves the document, either as an attachment to the email or as a link to the document.

Commercial details for the customer are entered in the commercial details tab

Request Remittance to

This is the bank account details that will be displayed on a remittance advice shown on a sales invoice. Select the required bank account.

A default may be displayed if it has been set in Document Settings. This default may be overwritten.

To set a default, if it has not already been done, navigate to Document Settings under the Control menu.

Control - Document Settings - select Default Customer Receipts Account

VAT Number

If the entity is not VAT registered or the customer is UK based then you are not obliged to record customer VAT numbers. If the entity is VAT registered and is zero rating a supply to a customer in the E.U. it is critical that a VAT number is obtained and recorded or HM Customs and Excise may require payment of any VAT due on the invoice amount.

For European sales the VAT number entered and indicated as validated will be submitted to HMRC as part of the EC Sales List (ECSL/V101) if you use Liberty Accounts' online VAT filing. If you have not recorded a VAT number for a customer or indicate that it has been validated, sales to the customer will not be included in the EC Sales List.

If the Customer is VAT registered in an EU member state enter the EU Customers' VAT number with the applicable alphabetical code of the EU member state as this must appear on the sales invoice.

The validation algorithms for VAT numbers are not made available so we are not able to check for valid vat numbers. We do check that numbers entered match the formats appropriate to the country you have selected.

To indicate that a VAT number has been validated tick the VAT number validated box. The system will record the date and the user name and display these on the screen when it is next accessed.

If you enter an invalid vat number in a correct format, your EC Sales List submission will be rejected

Formatting Hint: Spaces or dashes will be removed as they cause VAT numbers to mismatch when using online filing.

You are strongly advised to seek appropriate professional advice if you are unsure of anything to do with VAT and trading with European Union Member States.

Trading Terms

Select default trading terms agreed with the customer. N.B. The default terms can be overridden when generating an invoice.

Bank Details - Sort Code/Account Number

Bank details may be stored for customers, suppliers and employees to facilitate generation of electronic payment files for submission via BACS or online banking services.

If provided the bank sort code should consist of exactly 6 numeric characters. Spaces or other separators are not permitted as they are not valid in BACS submissions.

If provided the bank account number should consist of exactly 8 numeric characters. For accounts with less than 8 characters the number should be left padded with zeros. For accounts with more than 8 characters the number should be left trimmed.

Bank Account Name

Bank details may be stored for customers, suppliers and employees to facilitate generation of electronic payment files for submission via BACS or online banking services.

If provided the bank account name may not be more than 18 characters to conform to the requirements for BACS submissions.

Self Billing Customer

Please seek appropriate professional advice if you are in any way unsure about the operation of "Self-Billing" schemes.

Some industries such as construction have special schemes available which allow for agreements with customers to "self-bill".

If a customer is flagged as self-billing the creation of an invoice will generate a document marked as a "Payment Application".

When a payment application is created it is treated by Liberty as an invoice so you should be sure that any items are defined as "Out of Scope" for VAT purposes.

When actual payment is received you should issue a credit note for the amount received and offset it against the payment application using Receive Payments so that any outstanding amount remains on the application for payment. Next you should create an appropriate VAT invoice for the amount received and use Receive Payments to record payment of the "Invoice".

Membership/Subscription Details

When ticked indicates that the customer is a member or subscriber; reports list members are available for administrative purposes.

Membership Start Date

Allows recording of a start date of membership / subscription.

Membership End Date

Allows recording of an end date of membership / subscription.

Membership Memo

Allows recording information relating to membership / subscription.