Unable to Delete NetSuite Accounting Period with No Transactions

Error Deleting NetSuite Accounting Period

Typically, you can delete an accounting period as long as there are no transactions or records associated with it. In this case, the accounting team needed to delete base periods to match what was in production. When attempting to delete the period, we received an error indicating that there were dependent records that prevented the deletion of the accounting period record.

NetSuite Sandbox Notice: Dependent Records Preventing Accounting Period Deletion

After clicking on the link provided in the error message to view the dependent records, preventing the accounting periods from being deleted, we found that no dependent records were listed.

NetSuite Dependent Records: No Records to Show

What is Preventing NetSuite Accounting Period Deletion?

We found multiple bills with amortization schedules on them. When setting up amortization, NetSuite requires you to set up accounting periods through the end of the amortization schedule. This prevents you from deleting the accounting period, as the two are connected. NetSuite also does not let you delete amortization schedules after they have been created.

Bills in NetSuite with In Progress Amortization Schedules

Solution: NetSuite Sandbox Account

In this case, because we were in a sandbox, we could delete the bills and all associated amortization journal entries. Once these were deleted, we could delete the accounting period as required.

Solution: NetSuite Production Environment

The production account solution for this same accounting period deletion error is a bit more of a complex workaround.

If this were a production environment, you could create the amortization entries through the end of the schedule, change the dates on the journal entries to the period before the one you want to delete, and then create reversing journal entries so there is a $0 impact.

At this point, you should be able to delete the accounting period, as the schedules should no longer be connected to it.

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