Journals: manual journal entries and fiscal periods
Last updated 2026-10-14
Write a journal entry (debits must equal credits), post it draft → posted, and keep posting out of closed fiscal periods.
A journal entry is a hand-written accounting record for things invoices and bills do not cover — adjustments, amortization, opening balances. It has two sides: debit lines and credit lines, and the two totals must be exactly equal (double-entry bookkeeping). Each line hangs on an account from the chart of accounts.
Post an entry in 4 steps#
- First maintain the chart of accounts (Accounting → Accounts) — every journal line posts against one account.
- Create a draft entry (Accounting → Journal): add at least two lines, each with an account and a debit or credit amount.
- Check that total debits equal total credits (the system tolerates a rounding gap up to 0.005).
- Post it: draft → posted. Posting fails if the entry date falls in a closed fiscal period.
Fiscal periods#
- A fiscal period is a date range (usually a month) with status open or closed.
- Posting into a closed period is blocked — close a period only when its books are final.
- Each posted entry carries a number (entry_no) and its date, so the books stay in chronological order.
A posted entry is final — posting the same entry twice is rejected. If an entry is wrong, check the actual pages for how to correct it; do not assume you can edit a posted entry.
Post small and often: a journal entry with fewer lines is easier to review than one giant entry.