Manual Journal Entries

Most of your bookkeeping happens in the checkbook register, which builds the accounting entry for you. A manual journal entry is the free-form tool for everything else: opening-balance adjustments, depreciation, payroll accruals, moving amounts between funds, or anything your accountant hands you as "please book this."

Availability: Foundation plan and up. Left menu: Journal Entries → New Journal Entry.

The form

Unlike the register, nothing is filled in for you — you choose every line:

• Header: Date, Payee (searches your contacts, or type any name), optional Reference # and Description.
• Lines: each line has an Account, an optional Fund, a Debit or a Credit amount, and a memo. Add Line for as many as you need.
• Balance: the totals row at the bottom must balance before you can post — debits equal credits, and each fund you touch must balance on its own. A "Not Balanced" badge tracks it live.
• Supporting Document: a source document (invoice, statement, worksheet — PDF, JPG, or PNG) is required before posting. Future-you at audit time will be grateful.

Click Post Entry. Posted journal entries appear in the Journal Entries list and, when they touch a bank account, in that account's register.

Rules that apply here

• Posted entries can't be edited — same as the register. Use the same fixes: Edit Details for date/description, Correct Entry for coding, Void, or Create Reversing Entry. See Fixing Mistakes in the Register.
• If the entry is an outgoing payment type and your plan uses two-person approval, it posts as pending and takes effect when approved.
• Manual journal entries count toward your plan's monthly transaction allowance; a banner warns you as you approach it.

When NOT to use a journal entry

• Checks, deposits, card purchases — use the register; it's faster and fills in the bank side for you.
• Donations — enter them as Donations so the donor, campaign, and receipt come along.
• Invoices and their payments — the invoicing module posts its own entries.
• Releases from restriction — automatic when you use Spend Against on grants and restricted campaigns; you shouldn't book 4900/4910 lines by hand.