Entering historical data

Ian Haycox ian.haycox at gmail.com
Thu May 14 08:27:48 EDT 2009


Thanks Michael,

Worked a treat.

FYI and other users:-

When I first created the account structure it was done via the wizard during
the first launch of GNU Cash. At that time I entered opening balances for
the checking and savings accounts for the 1/1/2009. Transactions were
entered for 2009 and reconciled.

For prior years (I've only done December 2008 as a test) I modified the
existing Opening Balance transactions in Equity:Opening Balances to change
the date and 'increase' amount to reflect the bank statement for the
1/12/2008 for both the checking and saving account.

After entering all the transactions for December, everything was
re-reconciled OK and the balance for the 1/1/2009 was correct.

Just have to find the time for the previous 23 months.

Ian.

2009/5/14 Mike or Penny Novack <stepbystepfarm at mtdata.com>

> Ian Haycox wrote:
>
>  Hi,
>>
>> I've just started using GC and entered opening balances from 1st Jan 2009
>> and all my transactions. Everything reconcilled OK and I'm very impressed
>> with GC. Thanks to all those who have contributed.
>>
>> I'd now like to be able to enter data for 2008, 2007,... Is there anything
>> special I need to be aware of, e.g. opening balances of Equity accounts,
>> i.e. do I need to adjust anything, to, for example, the 1st Jan 2008
>> before
>> entering transactions.
>>
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>>
>>
> Nothing REALLY special depending on how you do this. There is nothing "real
> time" about GnuCash so when you (now) enter transactions for 2007 and 2008
> it doesn't know that you didn't enter those transactions back then. However
> to prevent having to adjust or redo 2009 what I suggest is that you start a
> second set of books you might call "Pre 2009". You might begin as if you
> began using GnuCash in 2007, start with THAT set of opening balances. Then
> enter all your transactions through the end of 2008.
>
> You then take a balance sheet as of the end of 2008 and check that it
> agrees with the balance sheet as of the beginning of 2009. This is rather
> similar to the way it was in the old days with accounting done pen and ink
> on paper and it was customary to open a new set of books at the start of
> each accounting period and close them at the end. If your balance sheets do
> not agree, then either your 2007 opening balances were wrong or you missed
> some intervening transactions.
>
> If you absolutely want just one set of books then how hard might depend
> upon exactly how you started your 2009 books. I have no idea what to tell
> you if you used the "opening balance" method when creating accounts but if
> you used the traditional method, creating the accounts with zero balances
> and then starting the books with two split transactions against equity that
> entered the starting balances of all other accounts then it's relatively
> simple. In effect you delete these two transactions replacing them with the
> corresponding transactions to start at 2007 (actually, you just change the
> date and amounts) and then enter all intervening transactions. STRONG ADVICE
> -- if you do this first make a backup copy of your 2009 books! In fact you
> probably put this copy in a different directory and that becomes your books
> going back to 2007. You will still want to make that confirmation check that
> the balance sheets at the end of 2008 and the start of 2009 agree.
>
> Michael
>
> Michael
>
> --
> There is no possibility of social justice on a dead planet except the
> equality of the grave.
>
>


-- 
Ian


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