diff --git a/libgnucash/engine/Account.cpp b/libgnucash/engine/Account.cpp
index ed795cc502..41f1705e5d 100644
--- a/libgnucash/engine/Account.cpp
+++ b/libgnucash/engine/Account.cpp
@@ -5078,6 +5078,14 @@ gnc_account_tree_staged_transaction_traversal (const Account *acc,
     return 0;
 }
 
+time64
+gnc_account_get_earliest_date (const Account* account)
+{
+    g_return_val_if_fail (GNC_IS_ACCOUNT(account), INT64_MAX);
+    const auto& splits = xaccAccountGetSplits (account);
+    return splits.empty() ? INT64_MAX : xaccTransGetDate (xaccSplitGetParent (splits.front()));
+}
+
 /********************************************************************\
 \********************************************************************/
 
diff --git a/libgnucash/engine/Account.h b/libgnucash/engine/Account.h
index 3adbd4d1b7..f748588735 100644
--- a/libgnucash/engine/Account.h
+++ b/libgnucash/engine/Account.h
@@ -1580,6 +1580,15 @@ typedef enum
     int xaccAccountTreeForEachTransaction(Account *acc,
                                           TransactionCallback proc, void *data);
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the date of the earliest split in the account, or INT64_MAX.
+     *
+     * @param account   The account to retrieve data about.
+     *
+     * @return posted_date of first split in the account, or INT64_MAX
+     */
+    time64 gnc_account_get_earliest_date (const Account* account);
+
     /* Look up an Account in the map non-Baysian
      */
     Account* gnc_account_imap_find_account (Account* acc, const char* category,