Lock a period
Lock a month, a VAT period or a year so nothing dated in it can be added or changed, and unlock it to correct a mistake.
Lock a period when it is finished: after you have filed the VAT return for it, after your accountant has signed it off, or at the end of a financial year. A locked period cannot change by accident.
Lock a month or a VAT period
- Open Settings from the sidebar footer. You are on General.
- Find Lock past dates.
- Under Lock everything up to and including, choose the last day of the period. To lock March 2026, choose 31 March 2026. To lock a VAT period that ends in February, choose the last day of February.
- Confirm.
Everything dated on or before that day is now locked. Anchor refuses to add or edit invoices, bills, payments, bank categorisations and journal entries in it, and tells you the date is locked.
The lock covers every day up to the date you choose, not only that month. Locking March 2026 also keeps January and February 2026 and every earlier period locked.
Lock a whole financial year
Close the year under Fiscal years in the same Settings page. Closing posts the year-end journal and locks dates through the year end. See Fiscal years.
Unlock to correct a mistake
Only the owner can change the lock date. Move it back to a day before the entry you need to fix, make the correction, then lock the period again.
If the period's VAT return has already been filed, a change in it can make your books differ from what you submitted. Check with your accountant first.