Rec File Import

Before you start make sure that your LA reports are your local authority, this is on the system > system set up page.

Rec files are sent from the authority to the school and contain a variety of information. There are 3 types of information contained in the file:-

• Salary data
• Transactions that need to be created locally (Expenditure and Income)
• Confirmation of invoices paid for centrally

Within Arbor Finance when the file is imported it will split the file into 3.

• Salary items
• Transactions to be created locally
• All items to be reconciled (LA Bank Statement)

Each of the above items can be viewed using the View button.

Accessing the Functionality 

To access the LA Reconciliation area go to the System menu and select LA Reconciliation files

If it is not on the menu check your LA setting (see above) or try refreshing the screen.

Set Up Before Importing Your First File 

Before importing a rec file you may need to set up external connections for your salary information along with setting pension rates in the budgeting module. The following article covers this process External connection set up.

You will also need to set up the options, shown on the screen shot below on the right hand side. It is very important to set these options before running year end if you have migrated into P12. 

Enter the details requested in the pop up screen as shown below 

Bank Account - choose the bank account that you will be importing the rec file to

Supplier - This should be your Local Authority

VAT code - Output + VAT code - Input - These should be set at a 0% code.

How to Import a Rec File

Start by clicking the Import file button and browse to the file to be imported

Note: the file should be a text file and you may need to change the extension of the file to .txt

The file will be validated and any errors, such as missing budget codes, will be listed in the summary report. You will need to fix these errors before being able to proceed.

Once all the errors are fixed the file will import and you will see the following screen

You have the option to exclude transactions from the import by ticking Exclude tick box on the row.

If you don't tick any rows then you will get the following message.

Tick Yes to continue or No to go back to the previous screen.

For each area you can view the data in that section:-

1. Payroll - this will show the Payroll number and Salary associated with that payroll number
2. Transaction - this will show all the transactions that will need to be created locally
3. LA Bank statement - this will show all items to be reconciled which will include items sent to the LA to be paid, Payroll and locally created transactions

You will now need to import each item in turn.

1. Import Payroll file will send this to the payroll monitoring area (if no payroll is imported then click this anyway to clear it)
2. Import Transactions - this will take you through a wizard to create transactions associated with the LA, you will need to fill in a table the first time you do this with the following information
   • Bank Account - the bank account used for central transactions - usually called Central Bank
   • Supplier - the supplier of the services - this will be the LA which you will have set up as a contact
   • VAT codes - input and output, these would usually be the zero rated codes for 0%, unless you are charged VAT on the services from the LA.
3. Import LA Bank statement - this will import a bank statement into the selected bank for reconciliation.

Note - if you want to use the autorec feature you will need to have turned on Auto Rec for the bank in the options system > system settings > Options > Transactions. If not then print the LA Bank statement and reconcile the transactions without autorec

You will need to click each of the Import file options and finish the processes before you can do your next import.