Entering historical data

[Derek Atkins]

Note that you'll need to re-reconcile and make sure your ending
balance is still correct.  Keep in mind that reconciliation is
always from the beginning of time, so if you already reconciled
your 2009 transactions then when you enter for 2008 you'll
wind up destroying the reconciliation balance (because you need to
change the opening balance).  But when you re-reconcile you'll
need to use the last balance but include all the newly-entered
transactions.

-derek

Ian Haycox <ian.haycox at gmail.com> writes:

> 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.
>>
>>

-- 
       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