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Getting Started
Quick Start Installation Migration Sales Cycle Purchase Cycle
Transactions
Sales Invoices Credit Notes Purchase Invoices Debit Notes Payments Receipts Journal Entries Contra Entries Bank Reconciliation
Inventory
Sales Orders Purchase Orders Delivery Notes (GDN) Receipt Notes (GRN) Inventory Adjustments Inventory Transfers Manufacturing Stock Opname
Reports
All Reports
Fixed Assets
Fixed & Intangible Assets
Master Data
Parties Items & Categories Chart of Accounts Other Master Data
Settings
Business Settings Staff Permissions Voucher Numbers Period Locks Audit Trail Email Settings Customer Portal Opening Balances
Developer
REST API Verify Download
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Docs Getting Started Getting Started

Quick Start

Get Basis up and running in minutes. This guide walks you through the essential setup steps from install to your first transaction.

1. Install & Open Basis

Choose the edition that fits your setup:

  • Desktop — Download the installer from basis-apps.net/download and run it. No server required; the database lives on your local machine.
  • Server — Deploy on Windows Server or a Linux VPS. Follow the Installation guide for step-by-step instructions.
  • Cloud — Sign up at basis-apps.net and your workspace is ready immediately.

2. Configure Business Settings

On first launch, go to Administration → Business Settings and fill in your company details:

Field Description
Business Name Your legal company name, printed on all documents
Tax ID Your business tax registration number
Base Currency Default transaction currency
Fiscal Year Start First month of your accounting year
Logo PNG or JPG, shown on invoices and reports

3. Set Up Master Data

Before recording transactions, configure the key reference data under Administration:

  1. Chart of Accounts — Review the default accounts and add any specific to your business. See Chart of Accounts.
  2. Tax Categories — Define applicable tax rates and codes.
  3. Units of Measure — e.g. pcs, kg, box, liter.
  4. Parties — Add your customers and suppliers. See Parties.
  5. Items — Set up your products and services with pricing and default accounts. See Items.

4. Enter Opening Balances

If you are migrating from another system, enter your carry-forward balances under Administration → Opening Balance:

  • GL Opening Balances — Balances for all balance-sheet accounts as of the cutover date.
  • AR Opening Invoices — Unpaid customer invoices from before the cutover.
  • AP Opening Bills — Unpaid vendor bills from before the cutover.
  • Inventory — Opening stock quantities and values per item per location.

See Opening Balances for the full procedure.

5. Record Your First Transaction

Once master data is in place:

  1. Go to Transactions → Sales Invoices and click New.
  2. Select the customer, add line items, and set the due date.
  3. Click Save to record the transaction immediately.
  4. Print or email the invoice directly from the record.

Setup Checklist

# Task Where
1 Install & open Basis Installation
2 Fill in Business Settings Administration → Business Settings
3 Configure Chart of Accounts Chart of Accounts
4 Add tax categories & units Administration → Tax Categories / Units of Measure
5 Add parties (customers & suppliers) Parties
6 Add items (products & services) Items
7 Enter opening balances Opening Balances
8 Record first sales invoice Sales Invoices

Tip: For a clean start with no historical data, skip step 7 and begin recording transactions from today.