Trial Balance Does Not Match Nominal Link

Overview

If your Trial Balance (TB) does not match the total shown in Nominal Link, there is likely a historic imbalance in the control account.

This is commonly caused by:

• Old historic transactions

• Previous system fixes

• Rebuilds reactivating historic entries

• Corrupt non-zero correction balances

This guide explains how to identify the issue and what to do next.

Why This Matters

If Nominal Link and the Trial Balance do not reconcile:

• You cannot trust control account totals

• Year end reconciliation becomes difficult

• Service or vehicle tills may show incorrect balances

• Non-zero corrections may appear unexpectedly

You should never “work around” imbalances by ignoring them.

Common Symptoms

• Nominal Link shows a balance that does not match TB

• Old entries from many years ago still appear

• Non-zero corrections show values without visible transactions

• Rebuild processes cause old balances to reappear

• Historic entries dated years back distort totals

How to Check the Difference

Step 1: Open Nominal Link

Go to:

Accounts → Nominal Ledger → Nominal Link

Enter the control account code (for example 1.20.60.00).
Do not enter a date range.
Click Retrieve.

Step 2: Export the Transactions

Export the Nominal Link screen to Excel.

Step 3: Calculate the Total

Use Excel to sum all transactions.

Compare this total to the Trial Balance figure for the same account.

If they do not match, historic entries are likely causing the imbalance.

Common Cause: Historic Transactions

If you see transactions dated many years ago (for example 2015) that:

• Cannot be matched to a contra entry

• Do not reconcile

• Have no valid supporting transaction

These entries are corrupt historic records.

They should not remain on the Nominal Link screen.

You should not ignore them.

Why Rebuilds Can Re-Trigger Old Issues

A nominal rebuild recalculates ledger links.

If historic corrupt entries exist, a rebuild can:

• Re-surface previously hidden balances

• Cause non-zero corrections to reappear

• Distort control account balances again

The rebuild is not the root cause.
The historic corrupt entries are.

What Should Happen

Historic corrupt entries should be removed safely by support.

This process:

• Removes the invalid historic entries

• Does not affect current Trial Balance

• Does not create new imbalances

• Ensures Nominal Link matches TB

Once removed, the control account will reconcile properly.

Important

You should never:

• Ignore historic balances indefinitely

• Leave known mismatches in place

• “Work around” differences at year end

If Nominal Link does not reconcile to TB, it must be corrected.

What To Send Support

If reporting an issue, provide:

• Nominal code affected

• Screenshot of Trial Balance

• Screenshot of Nominal Link

• Confirmation of the earliest historic date showing

This allows support to isolate and remove the corrupt entries safely.

Key Takeaways

• Nominal Link must reconcile to Trial Balance

• Historic entries should not be ignored

• Rebuilds can re-trigger old corrupt balances

• Control account integrity is critical for year end