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Error: Engagement can't be deleted because it's associated with historical data

You can delete engagements if there isn't any history or data of any type, or references to the project in the database. This helps maintain data integrity.

You may get the error,

Task cannot be completed because it is associated with historical data.

This occurs when you try to delete an engagement with historical data or a project template associated with historical data.

Historical data includes:

Receipts and adjustments

Service charges

Invoices

Time and expense transactions

Projects

Scheduled items

References to the engagement in filters, reports, and report options

You'll need to find and delete all data associated with the engagement so you can delete the engagement.

Recommended method

Client Engagements

Select Setup
then Clients
for a list of client engagements on the Engagement
tab. You can change the Status
of an engagement to Inactive
if you want to delete an engagement but aren't able to.

Engagement templates

We don't recommend deleting engagement templates because of the large amount of data associated with a template.

Instead of deleting the template, you can follow these steps:

Select Setup
, Templates
, and then Engagements
.

Change the Status
to Inactive
.

note

This prevents the engagement from being added to future clients but doesn't affect any historical data. It also won't remove the engagement from your client.

How to find and delete data

You'll need to identify the historical data associated with the item you want to delete. Use View Details
to find and delete data like clients or staff. Engagements and engagement templates don't have a list, so you can follow the methods in this article to find that information to delete.

Historical data

Delete all receipts and adjustments.

Select Actions
, then Receipt & Adjustment Entry
.

If the Approve and Post
process is turned on, go to the Review
tab and clear the Unapproved only
and Unposted only
checkboxes. You can then unpost and unapprove all control sheets for the engagement.

Go to the Overview
tab.

Filter for the engagement.

Mark the Control Date
checkbox for all transactions.

Right-click a transaction and select Delete Entry
.

Delete all invoices

Select Actions
, then Billing
.

If the Approve and Post
process is turned on, go to the Review
tab and clear the Unapproved only
and Unposted only
checkboxes.

Filter for the engagement.

Right-click and select Select All
.

Right-click and select Delete Selected
.

Continue to the next steps if services charges prevent you from deleting an invoice.

Delete all service charges.

Use the list of affected clients from the previous steps to delete service charges.

Print a Service Charge Journal
filtered for the client.

Select Actions
, then Assess Service Charges
. Enter a Through
date equal to the newest date on the journal.

Find the service charge and mark the checkbox.

Right-click and select Unpost Selected
.

Unpost each date in reverse order.

Delete all time and expense transactions

Select Actions
then Time Entry
.

Go to the Overview
tab.

Filter for the engagement.

Select all transactions.

Right-click and select Delete Entry
.

Delete all schedule items (if licensed for Staff Management)

Select Actions
, then Manage Staff
.

Go to the Schedule Items
tab

Select Custom Date Range
and enter 1/1/1980
in the 1st date and 12/31/2029
in the 2nd date.

Clear the Open only
and Unassigned only
checkboxes.

Filter for the engagement.

Right-click each schedule item and select Delete
.

Delete filters

Review each type of filter and individual filter to find the ones you want to delete or change.

Custom filter types include:

Activity

Client

Engagement

Staff

Invoice

A/R Entry

Billing Decision Collection

Receipt Adjustment

Project

Project Template

Task

Interaction

Schedule Item

CPE Course

Select File
, then Print Reports
to find filters you want to delete. To delete a filter:

Right-click the filter field.

Select Add [filter type] Filter
.

If there are filters listed, search through them for the data you want to delete in the filter settings.

Highlight a filter and select Delete
to remove it.

Delete the engagement

Select Setup
, then Clients
.

Find the client with an engagement you want to delete.

Select Edit
.

Select the
Engagement
tab.

Select the engagement you want to delete.

Select Delete
from the engagement list.

Delete the engagement template

Select Setup
, Templates
, and then Engagements
.

Select a template.

Select Delete
.

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Error: Engagement can't be deleted because it's associated with historical data

Recommended method

How to find and delete data

Historical data

Delete the engagement

Delete the engagement template

This article applies to: