The quick answer
Go to Transactions > Financial > Make Journal Entries. Enter a balanced journal, set Reversal Date, and leave Defer Entry clear if you want NetSuite to create the reversal transaction now. Save, then open the linked reversal and compare its date, displayed posting period, approval status, and opposite debit and credit lines with the original.
The example records a $1,200 August expense accrual and a September 1 reversal. The screenshots use sample data and fictional person and operating-company names. Both records show Pending Approval in this example; approval and posting depend on the account’s setup.
Before you start
Have the accrual amount, expense and liability accounts, original date, and reversal date ready. Confirm your role can enter journals and access the relevant accounts, subsidiary, classifications, and period. The original period must be open or otherwise permitted. Check that the intended reversal date is valid and that the resulting posting period can receive the entry when it is created and approved. In a OneWorld account, select the correct subsidiary before currency; a regular journal belongs to one subsidiary. Your form may require departments, classes, locations, custom segments, tax details, or an accounting book.
If your account uses the standard Approved checkbox, only an authorized approver should use it under your policy. If SuiteFlow or another approval route controls journals, the checkbox may not be available. Save alone does not establish that a journal posted.
This walkthrough uses Defer Entry clear. Checking it creates a memorized transaction scheduled for the reversal date, so the reversing journal may not yet exist to inspect.
01. Enter the original accrual
Open Transactions > Financial > Make Journal Entries. Set Date to August 31 and Posting Period to the permitted August period. Choose the appropriate Subsidiary and Currency if your form requires them. The example memo is “August repair accrual.”
On Lines, select Repairs Expense, enter a $1,200 debit, and click Add. Select Accrued Expenses, enter a $1,200 credit, and click Add again. Confirm both committed lines appear. These account names and amounts are illustrative; add any required line classifications for your account. Total debits and total credits should each equal $1,200. The Out of Balance By debit and credit indicators should be blank or zero, depending on the form.
02. Set Reversal Date and save
Enter September 1 in Reversal Date. Leave Defer Entry clear to create the dated reversal transaction when you save the original. If the standard Approved checkbox is available and your role may approve, use it under your approval policy. Otherwise follow the configured approval route. Click Save; saving can create both records without posting either one.
The saved original in the recording is JE8403. Its Reversal # link leads to JE8404, and it shows Pending Approval. Your custom form may present the reversal number differently. The link means the reversal transaction exists. It does not mean the journals have posted.
03. Verify the linked reversal
Open JE8404 through the original’s reversal link. In this example, the original is dated August 31 in the August period, and the reversal is dated September 1 in the September period. Compare the reversal’s displayed posting period with the intended period. If they differ, check the period status, approval timing, and your account’s handling of transactions dated outside an open period. In the reversal, Repairs Expense has a $1,200 credit and Accrued Expenses has a $1,200 debit. Those are the opposite sides of the original accrual.
The reversal links back to JE8403. This example ends with Pending Approval on both records, so approval and posting still need to be checked under the account’s rules. The records remain linked; review both after a permitted change to the original. Do not treat the reversal as an unrelated manual journal.
For this example, verify JE8403 and JE8404, the August 31 and September 1 transaction dates, the displayed August and September posting periods, and the opposite $1,200 lines on the same two accounts. Confirm each record’s final approval and posting state under your account’s rules before treating the reversal as posted.
Common questions
What does Defer Entry do?
With Defer Entry clear, saving the original creates the reversal transaction immediately with the Reversal Date as its transaction date. With Defer Entry checked, NetSuite creates a memorized transaction scheduled for that date. Check the schedule first, then verify the actual reversal when it exists.
Why is there no scheduled reversal to find?
Check Defer Entry on the original. If it was clear, look for an already-created reversal through the original’s reversal link or number. A scheduled memorized transaction belongs to the deferred route.
Does a linked reversal mean both journals posted?
No. The link shows that a separate reversal transaction exists. Approval and posting are separate states. In this example, both journals are still Pending Approval.
How can I tell whether the reversal is correct?
Compare the original and reversal account by account. Each original debit should become a credit on the reversal, and each original credit should become a debit for the same amount. Line order can differ. Check the reversal date, displayed posting period, subsidiary, currency, and balanced totals too.
Why does the posting period differ from the reversal date?
Period status, approval timing, accounting preferences, and permissions can affect the displayed posting period. Check Date and Posting Period on the saved reversal and again after approval. If the intended period is unavailable, follow your account’s period and correction rules.
Can I change the reversal journal on its own?
The reversal is linked to the original and cannot be edited as an independent journal. If the entries are wrong, use your account’s approved correction process rather than assuming you can change the reversal alone.