Setting up rules in A2X is essential for effectively categorizing your transactions. This article provides self-onboarding users with easy-to-understand instructions on how to create and verify rules in A2X for accurate transaction categorization.
Create your rules in A2X
Automapping Rules:
Automapping rules allow you to specify how transactions should be categorized based on specific criteria. When you start setting up your A2X account, the accounts and taxes mapping section is where you will define most of your rules. By default, the automapping feature is enabled, and you can see a list of rules on the mapping page.
Defining Transaction Categories:
Start by selecting the chart of accounts and tax rate you want to apply for each transaction type. For example, if the transaction type is a sale, you can set a rule to categorize it as "Shopify Sales" in your accounting system. Similarly, if the transaction type is a refund, create a rule to categorize it as "Shopify Refunds". Customize rules based on income, expenses, liabilities, assets, taxes, and other relevant categories.
The transaction types from the ecommerce channels are listed on the left side of this page.
For advanced Amazon rules, reference this article HERE
Using Auto Setup (Optional)
A2X's Auto Setup Feature:
A2X provides an auto setup option where it suggests a default chart of accounts and automatically maps the accounts. To use this feature, click on the "Use Auto Setup" button and save your mapping. However, if you prefer to have full control over your account and tax preferences, you can manually select your preferred accounts and tax rates for each rule.
Make adjustments to your rules as needed until you've completed setting your rules.
Verifying Rule Setup
Mapping Validation:
Double-check the mapping of transaction types to the appropriate accounts and tax rates. Review your rules and ensure they align with your desired categorization.
Test Transactions: Test sample transactions to verify that the accounts and tax rates are correctly categorized according to your defined rules. This step helps validate the accuracy of your rule setup.
Rules by income, expense, liability, asset, tax and other categories
In A2X, you can easily categorize your transactions using automapping rules based on various categories such as income, expense, liability, asset, tax, and more. Let's explore how these rules work:
For instance, if a transaction type is a sale, you can set a rule to categorize it as "Shopify Sales" in your accounting system.
Similarly, if a transaction type is a refund, you can create a rule to categorize it as "Shopify Refunds" in your accounting system.
Automapping Rules for Categories:
Below are examples of automapping rules available for different categories
Income Category:
Expense Category:
Automapping rules for future transactions
When you set up automapping rules in A2X, they are automatically applied to future transactions that match the defined criteria. Here's how it works:
Automapping rules categorize transactions based on the criteria you've set. For example, let's consider advertising transactions, including shipped-to country and product types. Automapping rules will categorize these transactions accordingly without manual intervention.
Example when auto-mapping rules are applied:
When automapping rules are applied, transactions are automatically categorized based on the defined criteria. Here's an example of how automapping rules apply to advertising transactions, including shipped-to country and product types.
Example when auto-mapping rules are customized to apply only the account, tax rate, or tracking:
In certain cases, you may want to customize automapping rules to apply only to specific aspects of your transactions. Here are two examples:
Un-map the account or tax field in the auto-mapping rules transaction if you do not need to Automapping the Etsy Sales account for all future Sales transactions but excluding the tax rate mapping when new transactions appear. This allows you to categorize sales accurately while leaving the tax rate field open for customization.
Automapping the Shopify Sales and Tax rate for all Shopify sales, regardless of the country, marketplace, or product group. By leaving the tracking category blank in the automapping rules, it will remain empty for all new transactions, giving you the flexibility to add tracking information as needed.
Note: Remember, modifying your invoice settings will remove the automapping feature from your page. To continue automapping your transactions, make sure to re-enable the feature when you're ready by going to Settings > Automation and enable the automapping rules feature.
Pro Tip: Verify Transaction Details and Adjust Rules
To ensure the accuracy of transaction categorization, follow this valuable tip:
Viewing Transaction Details:
To review the details of each transaction within a category, you have the option to exclude automapped transactions from the list. For example select your "income" transactionn, then enter "automapping" in the transaction details filter. By clicking on the "exclude" icon, you can access a comprehensive view of all transactions available for mapping at a detailed level.
In this detailed view, you have the flexibility to modify the initial rules and apply your preferred income account for specific transactions as needed. This empowers you to fine-tune the categorization and ensure that transactions are correctly assigned to the desired accounts.
By following these easy steps, self-onboarding users can effectively create and verify rules in A2X for accurate transaction categorization. Regularly reviewing and adjusting your rules will ensure the integrity of your financial data and streamline your accounting processes within A2X.
Do you need help with your A2X set up?
Are you struggling with setting up your Accounts and Taxes page and you would like some help from an accountant or bookkeeper? We have a directory full of expert accounting/bookkeeping partners around the world who are ready to assist with your e-commerce accounting and A2X.
Please click HERE to find an expert
If you have further questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out to us at contact@a2xaccounting.com. We would be glad to help you.
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