How do I export a trial balance from Sage Accounting?
In Sage Accounting, go to Reports and select Trial balance. Set the As of date to your financial year end, choose the analysis period, and decide whether to summarise the profit and loss values of earlier years. Check the totals, then download the report as CSV for importing, or as PDF to keep. Run the previous year end as well.
Key facts
| Where | Reports > Trial balance |
|---|---|
| As of date | Balances up to the selected date, including all transactions from the start of the accounts |
| Analysis period | This Year, This Financial Year, This Month or Custom |
| Balances shown | This period only, or Show opening & closing balances |
| Earlier years' profit and loss | Summarise profit and loss values combines them into one line |
| Download | CSV or PDF; zero-balance accounts hidden by default |
As at 28 October 2026.
Export the trial balance
- Open the report. Go to Reports and select Trial balance.
- Set the date. Set the As of date to the last day of the financial year.
- Choose the options. Pick the analysis period (for example This Financial Year or Custom), choose Show opening & closing balances if you want the brought-forward balances, and decide on Summarise profit and loss values.
- Check the totals. Confirm that debits equal credits; select an underlined total to see the Nominal Activity behind it.
- Download. Download the report as CSV for importing, or as PDF for your records.
- Repeat for last year. Run the report again as of last year's year end for the comparatives.
Check before you upload
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| The report date is the last day of the financial year | The accounts are made up to the accounting reference date, or a date up to 7 days either side of it |
| Year-end journals are posted | Depreciation, accruals, prepayments, stock and the tax charge belong in the trial balance you export |
| Debits equal credits | If the totals differ, something is wrong in the books; the accounts cannot balance |
| Last year's closing balances are the opening balances | The comparatives must agree with last year's accounts |
| The director's loan account is right | An amount a director owes the company is disclosed in the notes and may lead to s455 tax |
| VAT and PAYE accounts agree to the returns | They are creditors for taxation and social security, which the balance sheet formats show separately |
| Suspense and clearing accounts are empty | A balance there is an unexplained item that has to be cleared before the accounts are prepared |
Because the As of date includes every transaction from the start of your accounts, look at the profit and loss accounts before you export: with Summarise profit and loss values, Sage combines the profit and loss balances of earlier years into one line, so each profit and loss account should show the current year.
Work out any s455 tax on a director's loan with the s455 calculator, and the filing date with the filing deadline calculator.
Sage Accounting specifics
- This period only or opening and closing balances. This period only shows the movement in the analysis period; Show opening & closing balances adds the balances brought forward, which lets you check the opening balances against last year's accounts.
- Zero balances. Accounts with a zero balance are hidden by default, which keeps the export short.
- Drill down. An underlined total opens the Nominal Activity report, useful when a balance looks wrong.
- Accountants on Sage for Accountants. Sage's practice product has its own route: the Reporting tab, then Trial Balance, with a Period date and options to Show Opening and Closing Balances and Hide Accounts with Zero Balance.
Using the export with StatutoryAccounts.io
StatutoryAccounts.io is built to read a trial balance export as Excel, CSV or PDF, suggest the Companies Act line item for each nominal account with AI and let you confirm the mapping. The CSV download keeps the nominal codes and balances in columns. Keep last year's trial balance as well, unless the comparatives come from the accounts filed at Companies House.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the trial balance in Sage Accounting?
Under Reports: select Trial balance, then set the As of date and the analysis period.
What does Summarise profit and loss values do?
It combines the profit and loss balances of earlier years into one line. Without it, each profit and loss account is shown separately.
Can I export the Sage Accounting trial balance to Excel?
Sage's help describes downloading it as CSV or PDF; a CSV file opens in Excel and imports into accounts software.
Why are some accounts missing?
Accounts with a zero balance are hidden by default in the Sage Accounting trial balance.
Sources
- Sage (UK): Run the trial balance (Sage Accounting)
- Sage (UK): Run the trial balance (Sage for Accountants)
- The Small Companies and Groups (Accounts and Directors' Report) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/409), Schedule 1
- Companies Act 2006, section 390
- Companies Act 2006, section 413
- Corporation Tax Act 2010, section 455
Prepare your statutory accounts
Create an account and set up your company from the Companies House register; your first set of accounts is free. The trial balance import and the CT600 are in preparation.
Join the waitlistGeneral information about UK company law and tax, not legal or tax advice. The directors remain responsible for the accounts and returns they approve and file.