Involuntarily created additional account

[Derek Atkins]

Quoting Leslie Katz <lesliek at ozemail.com.au>:

> After writing just a few minutes ago that I'd successfully migrated to
> the new version, I see now that I wrote too soon.
>
> I just got an email informing me of an automatic charge which would be
> raised on my credit card account later in the month. I opened my credit
> card account register and entered the date, the payee and the amount,
> tabbing along as I went.
>
> Under the former dispensation, when I tried to tab to the balance
> column, a box always popped up. I clicked on one of the options in that
> box (manually adjust something?) and the balance then changed appropriately.
>
> This time, I got no box popping up, but I found when I closed the credit
> card register that I'd involuntarily created a new account called, I
> think, AUD-Imbalance. I assume that has something to do with
> double-entry bookkeeping.
>
> I have no need for double-entry bookkeeping. All I want to do is to
> create an electronic record of my bank account/credit card transactions
> which I can afterwards compare with the bank's records. Is that no
> longer possible under the new version?

That is correct.

The warning box in 1.8 was to train you make sure every transaction
is balanced.  Honestly, it's a bug that it let you leave the transaction
in an unbalanced state.   GnuCash 2.0 forces the issue by scrubbing your
transaction and creating a split to the Imbalance account.  This is
a feature.

If you don't want this account, then balance your transactions.  When
you pay for something with the credit card, specify the expence account
that corresponds to the payment.  That's what the "Transfer" column is for.
Basically, 2.0 FORCES you to enter it always, whereas 1.8 sometimes let
you get away with not putting something in there.

If all you want is a checkbok balancer, there are more appropriate tools.
If, however, you really want to keep track of your income and expences
in a way that you could show your accountant, then yes, gnucash is the
tool for you.

> Leslie

-derek

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available