Before you begin, ensure you have permission to view and edit bills, expenses, or payments and Xero sync requests in your OFX account. You will also need access to the Xero Sync Errors tab in OFX and the ability to update bills or expenses in both OFX and Xero.

Next Steps:

To resolve the Xero sync error "The document date cannot be before the end of year lock date," follow these steps:

1. Identify the Error:

   • Go to the Xero Sync Errors tab in your OFX account.

   • Locate the transaction with the error message:
     "The document date cannot be before the end of year lock date, currently set at [date]."

   • 

2. Option 1: Change the Invoice Sync Date in OFX
   a. Open the affected Bill or Expense in OFX.
   b. Find the Xero date issued field.
   c. Use the date picker to select a new bill date that is after the locked financial period in Xero.
   d. Save your changes.

3. For Expenses:

   1. 

   2. For Expenses, click Submit to retry the sync.

   3. For Bills:

      

   4. Click Retry sync on the transaction in the Xero sync errors dashboard.

4. Option 2: Unlock the Financial Period in Xero
   a. Log into your Xero account.
   b. Go to Organisation Settings.
   c. Click Accounting Settings > Financial Settings.
   d. Select Lock Dates.
   

   

   f. Return to OFX and the Xero sync errors dashboard.
   g. For Expenses, click Submit to retry the sync.
   h. For Payments, click Retry sync on the transaction in the Xero sync errors dashboard.

5. Confirmation:

   1. Once the sync is successful, the error will disappear from the Xero Sync Errors tab.

   2. Follow-up Actions:

      • If the error persists after following both options, check that the new date is valid and not within another locked period.

      • If you continue to experience issues, contact the OFX Client Service team at business@ofx.com.

Why is this important:

Fixing this error ensures your financial records in OFX and Xero remain accurate and up to date. Locked periods in Xero are designed to protect your financial data after year-end close, but sometimes invoices or expenses arrive late. Updating the date or unlocking the period allows you to maintain compliance and avoid missing or duplicated entries.

Related FAQ Articles:

• What do the Xero sync errors mean?

• List of common Xero error codes and how to fix them

• How to connect with Xero