Journal entries let you make manual postings to the books — corrections, adjustments, year-end accruals, or anything that doesn't fit a standard transaction. Every entry uses double-entry accounting: total debits must equal total credits before the entry can be posted.
Creating an entry
Open Journal Entries and click "New Journal Entry." Each entry has a header (date, reference, description, optional notes) and two or more line items. Each line has an optional chart-of-account selection, an optional description, and either a debit or a credit amount.
The reference field auto-fills with a sequential number (JE-0001, JE-0002, etc.) if you leave it blank. References are unique across your organization.
You can save the entry as a draft and come back to it, or post it immediately. Drafts have no balance requirement; posted entries must balance.
Balance enforcement
Before you can post an entry, total debits across all lines must equal total credits. The system shows the running totals at the bottom of the entry and won't let you post if there's a difference (down to the penny — the tolerance is $0.01).
If you try to post an unbalanced entry, you'll see "Journal entry is not balanced. Debits must equal credits." Fix the lines and try again.
Draft vs. Posted
Draft — editable any time, deletable, no balance requirement. Doesn't affect any reports.
Posted — locked. Cannot be edited or deleted directly. Affects your reports immediately.
Editing a posted entry
Posted entries are immutable to keep your audit trail clean. To change one, click "Unpost" — the entry returns to Draft status and you can edit it. Re-post when you're done.
Every state change (create, update, post, unpost, delete) is logged in the audit system with the user, timestamp, IP address, and the old and new values. The audit log is your record of what changed and when.
Deleting an entry
Only drafts can be deleted. To remove a posted entry, unpost it first, then delete. The audit log keeps a record of the deletion regardless.
Index page and filters
The Journal Entries index lists every entry with reference, date, description, status, debit total, credit total, and line count. KPIs at the top show Posted This Month, Posted YTD, Drafts Pending, and YTD Debits Posted.
Filter by status (Drafts / Posted), search by reference or description, and sort by any column.
What journal entries do not do
There is no auto-reverse feature. To reverse a posted entry, create a new entry with the debits and credits swapped — this preserves the audit trail rather than altering the original.
There is no recurring schedule. If you make the same adjusting entry every month, you'll need to create each month's entry manually. (Or, if your accountant can use a template, save a draft and copy it.)
Line columns are fixed: account, description, debit, credit. You cannot add custom columns (e.g., payee or class) to a journal entry line.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reverse a posted entry?
Create a new entry with the same lines but swap debits and credits. This preserves the original entry in the audit trail. Don't try to "fix" the original by unposting — unposting is for correcting genuine mistakes, not for reversing intentional postings.
Can I import journal entries from a spreadsheet?
Not currently. Each entry is created manually through the editor.
Will posting affect reports immediately?
Yes. Posted entries flow into Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, Trial Balance, and the rest immediately. Drafts don't.
What's the difference between Unpost and Delete?
Unpost takes a posted entry back to Draft so you can edit it. Delete removes it entirely (only allowed on drafts). Both actions are logged in the audit trail.
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