How To Check Edit Log In Tally Prime Official
The Invisible Ledger: How to Check the Edit Log in Tally Prime
In the realm of accounting, integrity and traceability are paramount. Every financial transaction, from a sales invoice to a journal voucher, forms a link in an unbreakable chain of evidence. However, human error or, in some cases, deliberate tampering can break this chain. Recognizing this, Tally Prime—one of the world’s most popular accounting software solutions—incorporates a powerful feature known as the Edit Log (or Audit Log). This feature acts as a digital forensic tool, allowing auditors, business owners, and accountants to track every single change made to the company’s data. This essay provides a comprehensive guide on how to activate, view, and interpret the Edit Log in Tally Prime, emphasizing its role in maintaining data reliability.
Part 4: Detailed Walkthrough – Checking an Altered Purchase Voucher
Let us assume a user changed the amount of a Purchase voucher from $500 to $5,000. Here is how you track that change:
- Gateway of Tally > Display More Reports > Audit & Compliance > Edit Log > Voucher Alteration Log.
- Select the Voucher Type: Choose "Purchase" from the list.
- Select the Date Range: Choose the period during which the change was suspected (e.g., Last month).
- Press Enter.
Tally Prime will display a crisp list of all altered Purchase vouchers. Select the specific voucher number. The screen will split into two columns: how to check edit log in tally prime
- Left Column: The original data (Before alteration).
- Right Column: The new data (After alteration).
You will see the "Amount" field change from 500 to 5000, along with the User ID and Timestamp of that specific alteration. You can also print this screen or export it to Excel for audit evidence.
Step-by-Step to Enable Edit Log:
- Open your Company in Tally Prime.
- Go to Gateway of Tally > F11: Features > F4: Audit Features.
- In the "Audit Features" screen, you will see two critical options:
- Enable edit log: Set this to Yes.
- Maintain edit log for: Choose either "All transactions" or "Specific period" (if you only want to track changes for a particular financial year).
- Optional but Recommended: Set Allow alteration of audit log to No. If set to Yes, authorized users could potentially delete the edit log itself, defeating its purpose.
- Press Ctrl+A to accept the settings.
⚠️ Important Note: The Edit Log is only recorded from the moment you enable it. Past transactions before the enabling date will not have an edit trail. The Invisible Ledger: How to Check the Edit
Issue 4: Insufficient Rights
Your user ID may have "View Audit Log" turned off.
- Solution: Ask your Tally Administrator to go to Security Control > User Rights. Select your username, navigate to Display Rights, and ensure Show Audit is set to Yes.
Problem 2: "Allow Alteration of Audit Log" is ON
- Risk: A malicious user could have deleted the edit log itself.
- Solution: As an auditor, if you see this set to "Yes" and the edit log is missing for a critical period, you must flag it as a control weakness. Standard best practice is to keep this set to No and password-protect the Audit Features.
Filtering by Nature of Change
Need to find only deleted vouchers? In the voucher alteration list: Gateway of Tally > Display More Reports >
- Press
F12(Configure). - Look for Show Only Deleted Vouchers and set it to Yes.
- Press
Ctrl + Enterto refresh. The list will now show only vouchers that have been deleted or cancelled.
Step 3: Using the Alteration Log Browser
Once you open the Alteration Log, you will see a browser with powerful filtering options.
View Edit Log for Ledger or Master Records
- Gateway of Tally → Display More Reports → Masters (or press D → M).
- Choose the master type (Ledger/Stock/Group).
- Select the specific ledger or master record.
- Press Alt+H or Ctrl+H (Audit History) to view the master’s alteration history.
- The log lists creations, modifications, and deletions with user and timestamp.