Journal entries

Goal

Create balanced manual journals and reverse them when needed.

Preconditions

• accounting.view to list; posting needs accounting.post (draft approval may need accounting.manage).
• At least two lines; debits must equal credits in base currency.
• Date must fall in an allowable period (see periods).

Steps — draft then post

1. Open Accounting → Journals → New journal.
2. Enter date, optional reference/description, and balancing lines.
3. Save as draft stores the entry without posting (POST /journals/draft).
4. Open Edit draft, adjust lines, then Update draft or Post.
5. Posted drafts appear in the list as Posted; filter by status Draft to find unfinished work.
6. Delete unused drafts with Delete (draft-only).

Steps — post a journal immediately

1. Open Accounting → Journals.
2. Create a journal with balancing debit/credit lines (accounts, amounts, optional line memos).
3. If journal approval is required in Accounting settings, only users with accounting.manage can post; otherwise Post journal creates and posts immediately.
4. Fill reference/description/type when manual-journal policies require them.

Steps — reverse

1. Open a posted journal.
2. Reverse — creates a mirror reversal entry; original becomes reversed.
3. You cannot reverse a reversal or reverse twice; reversal date needs an open period.

Hard stops

Unbalanced; no lines; period closed / missing; lock date; journal approval required; dimensions required by policy.

Related

• Periods
• Period close