diff --git a/app/controllers/logs_controller.rb b/app/controllers/logs_controller.rb
index 5576028a6..eab447835 100644
--- a/app/controllers/logs_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/logs_controller.rb
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ private
       "owning_organisation_id" => owning_organisation_id,
       "assigned_to_id" => current_user.id,
       "managing_organisation_id" => current_user.organisation.id,
+      "has_selected_organisation" => false,
     }
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/validations/sales/setup_validations.rb b/app/models/validations/sales/setup_validations.rb
index 75e79f15a..44166895c 100644
--- a/app/models/validations/sales/setup_validations.rb
+++ b/app/models/validations/sales/setup_validations.rb
@@ -106,10 +106,18 @@ private
   end
 
   def merged_owning_organisation_inactive?(record)
+    # if the user has not explicitly picked an organisation ignore this validation
+    # this is because the saledate question appears before a user can select their organisation in the 2025 form
+    return false unless record.has_selected_organisation
+
     record.owning_organisation&.merge_date.present? && record.owning_organisation.merge_date <= record.saledate
   end
 
   def absorbing_owning_organisation_inactive?(record)
+    # if the user has not explicitly picked an organisation ignore this validation
+    # this is because the saledate question appears before a user can select their organisation in the 2025 form
+    return false unless record.has_selected_organisation
+
     record.owning_organisation&.absorbed_organisations.present? && record.owning_organisation.available_from.present? && record.owning_organisation.available_from.to_date > record.saledate.to_date
   end
 end