Alex Ruben
How To Activate and Record Purchase Orders Effectively in Tally Prime
This probably sounds familiar: you’re trying to manage your purchases smoothly in Tally Prime, but it feels like a rabbit hole. Maybe the purchase order option isn’t showing up, or it won’t activate properly. Or perhaps you’ve created a purchase order but something isn’t registering or you’re unsure if it’s set up right. No worries, this kinda stuff happens, especially since Tally can be a little picky about settings or features that need to be turned on first.
In essence, this guide is about avoiding those frustrating dead ends by showing how to activate, set up, and record purchase orders step-by-step — so your stock management, procurement, and accounting stay aligned. After all, getting purchase orders right means less chaos and more organized inventory tracking, right?
Just a heads up: Make sure you’re running Tally Prime on Windows (10 or 11). Sometimes, features can be hidden or inactive if they aren’t enabled in your settings—so double-check that if things seem off. Also, keep in mind that some screens and options might differ if you’re on the educational version or using an older build.
How to Fix Purchase Order Activation and Recording in Tally Prime
Locating and Accessing the Purchase Order Option
First things first, open Tally Prime and get to the Gateway of Tally. If you’re stuck in the Day Book or other views, just hit Esc a couple of times until you’re back there.
In the main menu, go to Vouchers. If you don’t see the purchase order option right away, it’s probably inactive or disabled. Sometimes, those options are tucked away or greyed out, which means you need to activate the feature first.
Activating the Purchase Order Voucher Type
This is where it tends to go a little off-script. To turn on purchase orders, you need to tweak some settings so Tally recognizes this voucher type. Head over to Gateway of Tally, then:
- Go to Features — usually under F12: Configure.
- Look for Voucher Types or similar section. If you don’t see purchase orders here, try opening Accounts Info, then Voucher Types.
- In some setups, you’ll find an option like Enable Purchase Order. Make sure this is set to Yes. Because of course, Tally has to make it harder than necessary.
Sometimes, on certain versions, you might have to go into Button: F12 (Configure) within the Vouchers menu and toggle that purchase order feature on. This helps in activating the option so it’s visible and usable in the transaction screens.
Remember, after changing settings, save (usually by pressing Ctrl + A) and restart Tally if needed — some quirks only clear after a reboot.
Creating and Recording a Purchase Order
Now that the feature is active, you can create a purchase order. Head back to the Gateway of Tally, then:
- Navigate to Vouchers.
- Press F9 or find the Purchase Order option (sometimes it’s under Orders or Purchase in the voucher type list).
- Select the date. Heads up: In the educational version, date entry is kinda limited — only specific dates like 1st, 2nd, or 31st work — so pick accordingly.
- Type the vendor’s name. If it’s a new supplier, just type it in; otherwise, Tally’s auto-suggest should help if it’s been entered before.
- Press Enter repeatedly until you reach item entry fields.
Entering Item Details in the Purchase Order
As you start adding items:
- Type in the item name, like “Corolla Windscreen” or whatever you’re ordering.
- Enter the quantity, e.g., 25.
- Type the rate per unit, say, 400.
- Press Enter — Tally will automatically multiply quantity x rate for the total. On some setups, this can glitch or not auto-calculate right away, so double-check totals.
- Repeat for additional items. If you want, you can add as many as needed.
Finalizing and Saving the Purchase Order
Once all items are entered:
- Write a description or narration if helpful (like “Order for new Windscreens”).
- Press Ctrl + A to save. Sometimes, Tally asks for confirmation or shows some warnings — just go ahead and confirm.
And that’s about it! You now have an official purchase order recorded in Tally Prime. If it looks right, you can print or share it, depending on your needs.
Extra Tips & Troubleshooting
If the purchase order stubbornly refuses to activate or display:
- Double-check your Tally version. Some older or educational versions might disable certain features or require manual enablement.
- Head into F12: Configure and check if the option for purchase orders is switched on in all relevant menus.
- If the feature was already active but still not showing, try restarting Tally or even rebooting your PC. Sometimes, the software just doesn’t refresh properly until you do.
Another thing: make sure your data file isn’t corrupted or restricted, especially if you’re working on a network or shared environment.
In some cases, activating features is just a matter of toggling a setting in the right place—and not getting lost in unnecessary menus.
Wrap-up
Getting purchase orders activated and recorded doesn’t have to be an endless puzzle. Once everything is set up, it’s pretty straightforward — just a matter of enabling, creating, and saving. The trick is mainly in knowing where to look and what to toggle. Because, yeah, Tally can be a bit sneaky about these things.
Hopefully, this helps salvage some time and avoids that “why isn’t this working?” frustration.
Summary
- Check if purchase order feature is enabled in F12 or feature settings.
- Activate it via Features > Voucher Types.
- Create purchase orders under Vouchers.
- Save and review to ensure everything looks right.
Final note
Stand by for other updates—for now, if you get this line working, it’s a big step forward. Sometimes, making sense of Tally’s quirks is a matter of patience and just a little digging around. Fingers crossed this helps — worked on several setups for me, so hopefully it’s the same for you.