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# How to Enter a Starting Balance for Physical Accounts

When setting up a new physical account in COUNT (like a bank or credit card), it’s important to record its starting balance. This ensures your books reflect the true value of your assets from day one.

COUNT allows starting balances to be entered manually as income transactions tied to equity—giving you a clean, auditable record.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/4/c/b/1/4cb158bef87e0400/screenshot-2025-06-17-at-61521_fqod2b.png =382xauto)

### Steps to Enter a Starting Balance

1. **Go to the Transactions Page**
* From the sidebar, click **Accounting → Transactions**.

2. Create a New Income Transaction [more detailed walkthrough here](https://support.getcount.com/en/article/creating-a-transaction-manually-ajtz9l/)
* Click the **+ New** button and select **Incoming**.

3. **Label It "Starting Balance"**
* In the **Description** field, type: `Starting balance`.

4. **Enter the Balance Details**

Fill in the following:
* **Date** – the date your account had that balance.
* **Account** – choose the physical account you're setting up (e.g. checking, savings).
* **Amount** – the opening balance for that account.

5. **Choose an Equity Category**
* In the **Category** field, select an appropriate **equity account**, such as `Owner's Equity`

6. **Click Save** 
* Your starting balance will now appear in the Transactions list.

 
| Pro-tip: We only support reconciliation for physical accounts (e.g. checking, savings, cash). Starting balances are not required for non-reconcilable or virtual accounts like clearing or suspense accounts.


### Why It Matters
Setting a starting balance helps COUNT match your real-world account activity from the very beginning, making your financial records accurate and reconciliation smoother.