SAP S_ALR_87012284 — Financial Statements / Balance Sheet and P&L
A trial balance is a flat list of accounts. A financial statement is that list arranged into the structure a reader expects: fixed assets, current assets, creditors, revenue, cost of sales. This report produces the second from the first.
The arrangement comes from a financial statement version (FSV) — a hierarchy someone has configured saying which accounts roll into which line. Change the FSV and the same postings produce a completely different-looking statement.
It is a reporting transaction only. It never posts anything, so it is safe to run.
When you would actually use S_ALR_87012284
- Producing a balance sheet and P&L at month or year end.
- Comparing the current period against the prior year.
- Checking whether a new account has been assigned into the FSV correctly.
- Investigating a figure quoted in the statutory accounts.
What the screen looks like
Selection
The fields, in plain English
T011-VERSNThe hierarchy mapping accounts into statement lines. Organisations often maintain several — one for group reporting, one for local statutory filing.
Watch out: Using the wrong FSV is the most common reason a figure "looks wrong". The postings are identical; only the grouping changed.
The period range to report. 1 to 7 gives the year to date through period 7; 7 to 7 gives that period alone.
Watch out: For a P&L, year to date and single period are very different numbers. Be explicit about which you are quoting.
The prior-year figures to place alongside. Keep the period ranges aligned or the comparison is meaningless.
The report includes a section listing accounts with a balance that the FSV does not map anywhere. This section should be empty.
Watch out: A new account that nobody added to the FSV lands here, and its balance is missing from the statement. Always check this section before circulating anything.
Step by step
- 1Enter the chart of accounts, company code and the correct financial statement version.
- 2Set the reporting year and period range.
- 3Set the comparison year and matching period range.
- 4Execute.
- 5Check the "accounts not assigned" section first — it should be empty.
- 6Expand the hierarchy to the level you need and drill into any line to see the accounts behind it.
Errors you will hit, and what they mean
Accounts appear under "not assigned"
Why: Those accounts have a balance but no position in the financial statement version.
Fix: They must be assigned in the FSV (transaction OB58). Until then their balances are simply absent from the statement.
Balance sheet does not balance
Why: Usually unassigned accounts, or a P&L result not carried to the balance sheet line for the period result.
Fix: Clear the unassigned section first — that resolves it the majority of the time.
Figures differ from FAGLB03 for the same account
Why: Different ledger, or the FSV maps the account into an unexpected line.
Fix: Drill into the statement line to see which accounts it contains, and confirm the ledger on both reports.
Common questions
What is a financial statement version?
A configured hierarchy assigning every G/L account to a line of the balance sheet or P&L. It is what turns a list of accounts into a readable statement, and it is maintained in OB58.
Why is a new account missing from the balance sheet?
Because nobody assigned it in the FSV. It will be sitting in the "accounts not assigned" section with its balance.
Is this the same as a trial balance?
No. A trial balance is a flat list of accounts and balances. This arranges those balances into a structured statement.
Transactions that go with S_ALR_87012284
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