How Does Edit Log Work in TallyPrime?

The Edit Log feature in TallyPrime provides a robust audit trail, meticulously recording every alteration and deletion made to your financial data, ensuring transparency and data integrity. It captures logs for both transactions and masters, allowing users to trace changes, understand who made them, and when.

Understanding TallyPrime's Edit Log Mechanism

TallyPrime's Edit Log functions by creating a historical record of every modification. When a transaction or master is altered or deleted, TallyPrime doesn't simply overwrite the old data. Instead, it creates a new version of the entry while preserving the previous state, along with details of the change. This mechanism ensures that a complete history of all changes is maintained, providing an invaluable audit trail.

Key Aspects of Edit Log Functionality:

Comprehensive Logging: Logs are captured for virtually every change made to both transactions (e.g., sales vouchers, payment entries, journal entries) and masters (e.g., ledgers, stock items, groups, cost categories).
Version Control: Each modification creates a new version of the data, allowing you to compare the current state with any previous version.
User Accountability: The log records which user made the change, along with the date and time, enhancing accountability within the organization.
Undeletable History: Once a change is logged, the historical record cannot be altered or deleted, preserving the integrity of the audit trail.

What Information Does the Edit Log Display?

When you view the Edit Log for a specific transaction or master, TallyPrime presents detailed information about its history. This typically includes:

Date and Time: When the alteration or deletion occurred.
User Name: The TallyPrime user who performed the action.
Action Type: Whether the entry was Altered or Deleted.
Version Comparison: For alterations, it shows a side-by-side comparison of the original (previous) values and the altered (current) values, highlighting the specific fields that were changed.
Detailed History: A chronological list of all changes made to that particular entry since its creation.

Accessing and Viewing the Edit Log

TallyPrime makes it easy to identify and view altered or deleted entries through its reporting features.

1. Identifying Altered or Deleted Transactions

You can easily pinpoint transactions that have been altered or deleted by applying specific filters in key reports like the Day Book or Ledger Vouchers.

Navigate to Day Book:
- From the Gateway of TallyPrime, go to Display More Reports > Account Books > Day Book.
Apply Filter (Basis of Values):
- In the Day Book or Ledger Vouchers report, press Ctrl+B (Basis of Values).
- Select the option Show Altered & Deleted Entries Only.
- You might also be able to filter by "Altered" or "Deleted" status directly, depending on the TallyPrime version and configuration.
- This will display a list of all transactions that have undergone changes or deletions.

2. Drilling Down to View the Edit Log

Once you've identified an altered or deleted transaction in the filtered report:

Select the Transaction: Highlight the specific transaction you wish to examine.
Drill Down: Press Enter to open the voucher.
View Edit Log: While viewing the voucher, press Alt+K (Related Reports) or Ctrl+L (depending on the context and version, often labeled "Edit Log" or "Version") to access the Edit Log for that specific transaction.
Compare Versions: The Edit Log screen will allow you to navigate through different versions of the transaction, showing the changes made by various users over time. You can select two versions to compare them side-by-side, making it easy to see exactly what was changed.

Example Scenario:
Imagine a sales invoice was mistakenly entered with the wrong quantity. A user corrected it. To audit this:

Go to Day Book.
Use Ctrl+B and select Show Altered & Deleted Entries Only.
Locate the sales invoice.
Press Enter to open it.
Press Ctrl+L (Edit Log) to see the history. You'll see two versions: the original with the incorrect quantity and the altered one with the correct quantity, along with who made the change and when.

Benefits of Using TallyPrime's Edit Log

Implementing and utilizing the Edit Log feature offers significant advantages for businesses:

Enhanced Audit Trail: Provides a comprehensive and verifiable record of all data modifications, crucial for internal and external audits.
Improved Data Integrity: Helps ensure the accuracy and reliability of financial data by allowing quick identification and review of changes.
Increased Accountability: Clearly attributes changes to specific users, fostering a sense of responsibility among staff.
Fraud Prevention: Acts as a deterrent against unauthorized or malicious data manipulation.
Error Detection and Correction: Simplifies the process of identifying and understanding errors by showing the history of changes.
Compliance: Aids in meeting various regulatory compliance requirements that mandate an audit trail for financial transactions.

For more detailed guidance, refer to the TallyHelp documentation on Edit Log in TallyPrime.

Edit Log Feature Overview

Feature Aspect	Description
Scope of Logging	Tracks changes in both transactions (vouchers, journal entries) and masters (ledgers, stock items, groups).
Information Captured	Date, time, user ID, type of action (alter/delete), previous and current values for altered fields.
Access Method	Identify altered/deleted entries via `Day Book` or `Ledger Vouchers` using `Basis of Values` filters, then drill down to the specific entry and view `Edit Log` (typically `Ctrl+L` or `Alt+K`).
Key Benefit	Provides a non-repudiable audit trail, enhances data integrity, improves accountability, and aids in compliance.
Control	The Edit Log feature can be enabled or disabled for a company, giving businesses control over its application based on their auditing needs and local regulations.

By leveraging the Edit Log feature, businesses can maintain a high level of transparency and control over their financial data in TallyPrime.