Understanding Key Dates in SAP Accounting Documents: Document Date, Posting Date, Entry Date & Translation Date
When working with SAP Financial Accounting (SAP FICO), one of the most common questions learners have is — “Why does every document in SAP have multiple dates?”
Document Date
Each accounting document in SAP includes several important dates such as Document Date, Posting Date, Entry Date, and Translation Date. Understanding these dates is essential for anyone learning SAP FICO, as they directly affect how transactions are recorded and reported in the financial books.
If you’re pursuing SAP FICO training in Pune or learning SAP S/4HANA Finance, this topic is a must-know for accurate financial postings. Let’s explore each date in detail.
The Document Date represents the actual date of the transaction as per the physical or source document — for example, a vendor invoice or a bank statement.
Entered by: User manually during data entry
Possible values: Past, current, or future date
Purpose: To reflect the date printed on the original supporting document
🟢 Example: If you receive an invoice dated 28th September but enter it in SAP on 5th October, the document date remains 28th September.
Posting Date
The Posting Date determines the financial period in which the transaction will impact your company’s books.
How it’s entered: Manually entered by the user while creating the document.
Flexibility: Must fall within an open posting period.
Purpose: Defines when the transaction will be reflected in the general ledger and which accounting period will be affected.
Example: If you post the same invoice on 5th October with a posting date of 30th September, the expense will appear in the September accounting period.
Entry Date
The Entry Date is automatically captured by the SAP system when a document is entered.
How it’s entered: System-generated (cannot be changed manually).
Purpose: It records the actual date and time when the document was created in the system, helping track when the transaction was entered for audit purposes.
Example: You may enter the invoice on 5th October — this will be the entry date, regardless of what document or posting date you use.
Document Date is entered manually, Represents date on the source document.
Posting Date is entered manually, determines accounting period
Entry Date is determined by system (not entered manually), tracks when the document was created
Conclusion
Knowing the purpose of each date helps ensure correct financial postings, period closing, and audit accuracy. For SAP consultants, accountants, and finance professionals, mastering this concept is essential for: ✅ Accurate financial reporting ✅ Avoiding posting period errors ✅ Proper foreign currency conversion ✅ Better audit trail visibility
Learn SAP FICO Practically
At Pune Software Technologies, we offer SAP FICO S/4HANA training in Pune that focuses on real-world business processes. Our training covers topics like document posting, cost accounting, financial reporting, and configuration — all taught by industry experts with hands-on practice.
📍 Join our SAP FICO course in Pune or online to build a strong foundation in SAP Finance and become job-ready!
