Quick Start

If you already understand prepaid accounting, follow these steps to get up and running quickly.
1

Set Up

Complete the Company, COA, and optional Dimension setup tabs

2

Data Entry

Enter prepaid items in the Prepaid Expenses tab

3

Refresh and Calculate

Go to Data → Refresh All

4

Review

Review outputs in Journal Entry and Reconciliation

Getting Started

Complete these steps once before entering prepaid data. These settings power dropdowns, relationships, and reporting throughout the file.

Before entering any data, complete the setup tabs to ensure downstream automation and reporting functions correctly.

  • Company Tab: Enter your Company ID and Company Name. There is no limit to the number of companies that can be entered.
  • Chart of Accounts (COA): Include only prepaid and expense accounts relevant to prepaid amortization.
  • Dimension Tab (optional): Use this for departments, cost centers, or business units. If segmentation is not needed, we recommend entering a default value:
    ID: 0000
    Name: Default

All values entered in these tabs are used to populate dropdowns and power relationships and slicers.

On the Prepaid Expenses tab, enter one row for each prepaid item

  • Vendor: Supplier or payee
  • Description: Description of the service or prepaid
  • Amount: Total prepaid amount
  • Addition Date: Date the prepaid was booked to the balance sheet
  • Amortization Start / End Dates: Period over which the expense will be recognized
  • Prepaid Account: Asset account (e.g., 1300)
  • Amortization Expense Account: Monthly expense account (e.g., 6010)
  • Company / Dimension: Selected from dropdowns

Only valid entries with populated dropdown values will be picked up by the automation engine.

Once prepaid entries are complete:

  1. Go to the Data tab in Excel
  2. Click Refresh All

The app will:

  • Run Power Query logic to calculate monthly amortization
  • Generate balanced double-entry journal entries
  • Feed pivot tables and reporting tabs

Note: You only need to refresh when changes are made to the Prepaid Expenses tab.

Reports & Outputs

After refresh, the tool automatically generates clean, audit-ready outputs.

The following tabs provide dynamic reports and supporting schedules:

  • Journal Entry: Monthly debits and credits for each amortization line
  • Reconciliation: Ending prepaid balances by company, account, and dimension
  • Auditor Report: Full amortization schedule by vendor with line-level support
  • GL Detail: Expandable ledger detail with dates, accounts, and amounts

Use slicers or pivot filters to drill down by company, account, month, vendor, or dimension.

How the Amortization Engine Works

This section explains the underlying logic for audit support and validation. No configuration is required.

The engine applies straight-line amortization across the selected period. The total prepaid amount is evenly distributed across months, with any rounding adjustment applied in the final month.

Key logic elements:

  • If the prepaid addition date occurs after the amortization start date, the system automatically adjusts and catches up amortization missed in the first month
  • The system assumes monthly amortization (not daily proration)
  • Rounding logic ensures the total amortized amount matches the original prepaid exactly

No formulas. No risk of overwrite. Clean automation with audit traceability.

Best Practices

  • Use a default dimension if not tracking detailed segments
    Recommended: 0000 – Default

  • Limit your COA list to relevant prepaid and expense accounts
    This keeps dropdowns clean and reduces misclassification risk

  • Refresh after any updates
    Any time you add or edit entries, use Data → Refresh All

Support & Troubleshooting

If something isn’t working as expected, review the items below before reaching out.
  • Check your dates:
    The amortization end date must be after both the addition date and amortization start date.
    Invalid date ranges (e.g., start after end) will break the query.

  • Refresh Power Query:
    Go to Data → Refresh All

  • Journal not populating:
    Check for blank or invalid values in the input table.

Still need help? Email support@automatedaf.ai and include a screenshot of the issue.