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Lock Dates

Lock dates prevent users from editing or posting entries with dates on or before the lock date. They are the single most effective control against the date/sequence validation errors documented in the migration overview.

Navigation: Accounting → Settings → Fiscal Periods

The three lock fields​

FieldEffectWho can override
Lock Date (period_lock_date)Blocks all users from editing on/before this dateAccounting Manager group (account.group_account_manager)
Tax Lock Date (tax_lock_date)Blocks tax-affecting changes on/before this dateSame
Lock Date for Non-AdvisersBlocks non-advisor users onlyAnyone in advisor group
  • Within 5 days of month-end: set Lock Date to last day of the now-closed month
  • After BIR returns are filed: set Tax Lock Date to match
  • Never roll lock dates backwards unless reversing a known incorrect close

Why lock dates prevent the validation error​

Posted entries get a permanent name like MISC/2026/03/0033. If a user edits the entry's date to April (e.g., 2026-04-17) and saves, Odoo refuses with the validation error.

With March locked:

  • Non-advisors can't open the entry at all
  • Advisors can override but get an explicit warning
  • The error class becomes a deliberate manager action, not an accidental click

Implementing on Baywaters Corp.​

# Via Odoo shell
company = env['res.company'].browse(1)  # Baywaters Corp.
company.write({
    'period_lock_date': '2026-03-31',
    'tax_lock_date': '2026-02-29',  # earlier if returns are pending
})
env.cr.commit()

Or via UI on the company record (Settings → Companies → Baywaters Corp.).

Per-company setup for branches​

Each child company has independent lock dates. Once branch-specific journals exist (Phase 4), each branch's accounting lead is responsible for their own lock cadence.

A possible future improvement: a scheduled cron on the parent that propagates lock dates to all child companies on a fixed schedule. Not yet implemented.

Verifying lock dates are in effect​

SELECT id, name, period_lock_date, tax_lock_date, fiscalyear_lock_date
FROM res_company
ORDER BY id;