> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://control-dev.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Build and review a Balance Sheet

> Organize Asset, Liability, and Equity accounts and review cumulative balances as of a selected date.

export const ControlAppLink = ({path, breadcrumb, children}) => {
  const link = <a href={`https://app.control.dev${path}`} target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-label={breadcrumb ? `Open ${breadcrumb} in Control` : undefined}>
      {children}
    </a>;
  return breadcrumb ? <Tooltip tip={breadcrumb}>{link}</Tooltip> : link;
};

Use the Balance Sheet to review the group's financial position as of a selected date. Unlike the P\&L, the default **Period-end balance** view displays cumulative balances through the end of each selected month or as-of date.

## Balance Sheet account types

The Balance Sheet uses three group-account types:

| Account type | What it represents                       | Illustrative accounts                                                 |
| ------------ | ---------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Asset        | Resources controlled by the business     | Cash, receivables, inventory, fixed assets, and prepaid expenses      |
| Liability    | Obligations of the business              | Trade payables, accruals, tax liabilities, leases, and debt           |
| Equity       | Owners' interest and accumulated results | Share capital, reserves, retained earnings, and current-period profit |

The examples are illustrative. Your group chart of accounts and reporting policy determine the exact accounts and sections used in your layout.

Income Statement accounts do not belong directly in a Balance Sheet layout. The period result is represented through the configured equity treatment rather than by placing every income and expense account on the Balance Sheet.

## How cumulative balances work

For a selected month or as-of date, Control includes balance-sheet activity from the available transaction history through that date.

> Example: A receivable has a €10,000 opening balance, a €4,000 invoice in March, and a €3,000 payment in March. The March Balance Sheet shows €11,000. It does not show only the €1,000 net movement posted during March.

| Selection in **Period-end balance** | Balance Sheet treatment                                             |
| ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| One month                           | Closing balance as of that month-end                                |
| Several monthly columns             | Closing balance at each month-end                                   |
| Quarter, half-year, year, or YTD    | Balance as of the end of the selected range                         |
| Comparison                          | Balance as of the comparison date                                   |
| Drilldown                           | Transactions from available history through the selected as-of date |

<Warning>
  In **Period-end balance**, do not add monthly Balance Sheet columns together. Each column is a complete point-in-time
  balance.
</Warning>

## Review balances or period changes

Choose the Balance Sheet view mode based on the question you need to answer:

* **Period-end balance** is the default. It shows the cumulative closing balance at each month-end or at the end of an aggregated period.
* **Period change** shows the movement between closing balances. A monthly value is the current month-end balance minus the previous month-end balance. Quarter, half-year, and year columns combine the changes within that period.

Use **Period-end balance** to review financial position and test whether the statement balances. Use **Period change** to explain what moved during a month or longer period.

## Before you begin

* Map material local balance-sheet accounts to Asset, Liability, or Equity group accounts.
* Confirm that opening balances and historical transactions are available.
* Decide the sections, ordering, subtotals, and sign presentation your reporting policy requires.
* For a group view, complete the relevant currency, elimination, and equity configuration.

## Design the Balance Sheet layout

Open the <ControlAppLink path="/financial-statements/balance-sheet/editor" breadcrumb="Balance Sheet → Editor"><strong>Balance Sheet editor</strong></ControlAppLink>.

Organize the Asset, Liability, and Equity accounts into the structure your team reviews. You can add:

* groups and nested groups for current and non-current sections;
* group accounts with Asset, Liability, or Equity types;
* formulas for total assets, total liabilities and equity, working capital, or other derived rows;
* labels and ordering that match your reporting workflow.

Check formula operations against the sign presentation of their inputs. A label such as **Total liabilities and equity** does not automatically determine whether its inputs should be added or subtracted.

## Review Balance Sheet actuals

Open <ControlAppLink path="/financial-statements/balance-sheet/actuals" breadcrumb="Balance Sheet → Actuals"><strong>Balance Sheet actuals</strong></ControlAppLink> and select the as-of period, entity, dimension, and currency scope.

1. Choose **Period-end balance** or **Period change** for the question you are reviewing.
2. Confirm that each column represents the intended month-end, as-of date, or movement period.
3. Compare total assets with total liabilities and equity in **Period-end balance**.
4. Compare two dates or use **Period change** to identify material movements.
5. Use an entity comparison when you need to locate the source of a consolidated balance.
6. [Open a drilldown](/product-docs/reporting/drill-down) and verify that its transaction range matches the selected view mode.

## Troubleshooting

### A monthly value looks too large

Confirm that **Period-end balance** is selected and that you are reading the value as a closing balance rather than as monthly activity. Switch to **Period change** when you need the movement during the selected period.

### A balance is missing or incomplete

Check the local-to-group account mapping, account type, opening balances, data freshness, and the selected entity and dimension scope. A balance can be incomplete when older source history is unavailable.

### The Balance Sheet does not balance

Review unmapped or mistyped accounts, opening balances, current-period profit treatment, eliminations, currency translation, and formula inputs. Reconcile the underlying accounts before changing the layout solely to force the displayed totals to match.

If converting to group currency from multiple functional currencies, ensure that both Currency CTA and Elimination CTA are mapped to the Balance Sheet.

## Next steps

* [Build and review a P\&L](/product-docs/reporting/pnl)
* [Build and review a Cash Flow statement](/product-docs/reporting/cash-flow)
* [Configure currency translation adjustment calculation](/product-docs/configuration/cta-calculation)