Journals

The journal document is used to make changes in a customers balances which cannot be effected via a standard document such as an Invoice or Credit Note. The journal system prefers you to balance your postings to zero but will allow one sided (unbalanced) postings to the accounts. For this reason great care must be taken in its use as it will cause the Debtors sub-ledger to be out of balance with the Debtors Control Account in the General Ledger.

A journal entry can be made against a reference transaction (ie the parent transaction of a transaction set, see transactions above). Journals can also be made that are not allocated (ie. the journal becomes a reference in itself and starts its own transaction set).

The most common journal is one that is in reference to another transaction. For instance a journal may be used to zero the balance of a transaction set where a customer has refused to pay the balance of an account due to a dispute. This kind of journal can also be used to transfer the effect of a payment from one transaction to another. Journals posted against a reference transaction always take on the age of the transaction (ie. they effect the same balances as the reference transaction).

When there are no transactions suitable to be used for the effect desired by the journal then the journal is entered as a reference. These kinds of journals are used for such events as establishing opening balances. On these journals it is necessary to enter the customer being effected and the age (period) in which the balances should be effected.