How To Fix AO161 - The old approval year &1 is after the new approval year &2

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: AO - Appropriation requests - Master data / Customizing

• Message number: 161

• Message text: The old approval year &1 is after the new approval year &2

What causes this issue?

You want to copy the assignment of variants from approval year &V1& to
approval year &V2&. The new approval year &V2&, however, is before the
old approval year &V1&.

System Response

The system carries out this function.

How to fix this error?

Check your entry, since it is normally not useful to make future
planning in a past year.

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message AO161 - The old approval year &1 is after the new approval year &2 ?

  The SAP error message AO161 indicates a discrepancy in the approval years during a process related to Asset Accounting (FI-AA) or similar modules. Specifically, it suggests that the old approval year (denoted as &1) is later than the new approval year (denoted as &2), which is logically inconsistent.
  Cause:
  This error typically arises in scenarios where:
  
  You are trying to post or approve transactions that involve asset values or depreciation for a year that has already been closed or is not valid.
  There may be a configuration issue or data entry error where the years are incorrectly specified.
  The system is attempting to process a transaction that references an old approval year that is not in the correct chronological order compared to the new approval year.
  
  Solution:
  To resolve the AO161 error, consider the following steps:
  
  
  Check the Approval Years:
  
  Verify the approval years being used in the transaction. Ensure that the old approval year is indeed earlier than the new approval year.
  
  
  
  Correct the Transaction:
  
  If you are manually entering the years, correct the input to ensure that the old approval year is less than the new approval year.
  
  
  
  Review Configuration:
  
  Check the configuration settings in the Asset Accounting module to ensure that the fiscal year settings and approval year settings are correctly defined.
  
  
  
  Consult with Finance Team:
  
  If you are unsure about the correct years to use, consult with your finance or accounting team to confirm the appropriate approval years for the transactions you are trying to process.
  
  
  
  Transaction History:
  
  Review the transaction history for the asset in question to ensure that there are no inconsistencies or errors in previous postings that could be causing this issue.
  
  
  
  SAP Notes and Documentation:
  
  Check SAP Notes or the official SAP documentation for any known issues or additional guidance related to this error message.
  
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  Transaction Codes: Familiarize yourself with relevant transaction codes in SAP Asset Accounting, such as AS01 (Create Asset), AS02 (Change Asset), and AS03 (Display Asset).
  Fiscal Year Variant: Understand how fiscal year variants are set up in your SAP system, as this can impact how approval years are processed.
  User Authorization: Ensure that you have the necessary authorizations to make changes to asset transactions, as restrictions may lead to errors.
  
  By following these steps, you should be able to identify the root cause of the AO161 error and implement the necessary corrections to resolve it.