Setting up your books

Start your records from Finance with Add money. Confirm who owns them and their currency, then record your first entry. You can add starting balances later from Accountant tools.

Start your records

Opening Finance alone does not create records. On the empty Money page:

1. Select Add money.
2. Choose the Owner of these records. If you own or co-own a farm organization, check whether the records belong to it or to you.
3. Enter the Currency for these records, such as USD. Tick Confirm this is the currency for these records.
4. Select Create records and continue.

The records now exist, but no income or cost has been saved. Choose Enter details to add one. See Recording money in and out.

You can change the currency while the records are empty. Saving financial activity freezes that choice. To check it later, open Finance, select Accountant tools, open Setup and other tools, then select Currency. Only an owner can change an empty record set's currency.

Add your starting balances

Starting balances tell Creatures what you had and owed on the day you began tracking. Only an owner can save them. You can leave unknown amounts blank. You save starting balances once, so gather what you know before you select Save starting balances.

1. Open Finance, select Accountant tools, then Starting balances.
2. In Finish starting balances, set Start tracking from. This is your cutover date, when these records take over from your old system.
3. Under Money and things you already own, enter your Checking balance, Savings balance, Money owed to you, Equipment and improvements and Land, as needed.

4. Under Bills and money you already owe, enter Bills you owe, Customer deposits and Loans you owe. Customer deposits are money received for animals or work you have not delivered yet.
5. Fill in Past profit or loss only if you have that prior-years figure. A loss can be negative.
6. Attach Starting balance paperwork if useful, then select Save starting balances.

After saving, this page says the starting balances are already recorded. Review the original entry before making a correction. Use reports and your bookkeeper's help to make any needed adjustment.

Animal starting values have their own flow. See Animal cost basis and starting values.

Keep a farm's records separate

For another set, open Accountant tools, then Setup and other tools > New record set. Choose the Record owner, enter a Record name, confirm the currency and set Start tracking from. Select Start new business records when ready.

Choose Use these records for new activity only if this set should receive new activity for that owner. Existing activity stays in its original records.

With more than one set, use Records and View records on Money or Accountant tools to switch. Check the name before adding entries or inviting someone. Sharing access to one set does not share them all.

Related information

• Recording money in and out
• Animal cost basis and starting values
• The accountant view and reports

Updated on: 28/10/2026