Weird behaviour with trading accounts?

Mark msalists at gmx.net
Tue Aug 21 17:17:31 EDT 2012


Hello all,

I am trying to figure out the trading accounts for using multiple 
currencies.
I also read Peter Selinger's tutorials that has been quoted in the past:
http://www.mscs.dal.ca/~selinger/accounting/gnucash.html and
http://www.mscs.dal.ca/~selinger/accounting/tutorial.html

I am using a simple example with one transaction only, but do not get 
the expected result.

1. I create a new gnucash file using USD as default currency.
2. I add a "EUR checking" account under "Current Assets"
3. I create a USD/EUR exchange price in the price editor (currency USD, 
security EUR, rate 1,247 using the "Get Quotes" button.
4. I create a new transaction in "EUR checking":
     EUR checking     -100
     Imbalance-EUR    +100
5. I change the transaction account from Imbalance-EUR to Expenses:Diner.
     This pops up the exchange rate account with the exchange rate from 
step 3 as default. I accept this rate and click OK
6. GnuCash now splits my transaction from step 4 into this:
     Expenses:Dining                        +100,00 USD
     Imbalance-EUR                          +19,81 (no currency shown - 
I guess EUR)
     Trading:CURRENCY:EUR                 +80,19 (no currency shown - I 
guess EUR)
     Assets:Current Assets:EUR checking    -100,00 (no currency shown - 
I guess EUR)
     Trading:CURRENCY:USD                -100,00 USD

I admit I still have not fully grasped the entire trading account theory 
up to the last detail, but a few things about this example still seem 
very odd to me:
     - shouldn't the Expenses:Dining entry be +124,70 instead of +100,00?
     - Why is there still an entry in Imbalance-EUR? How can I get rid 
of that???

What I would have expected to get in 6. is something like this:
     Expenses:Dining                        +124,70 USD
     Trading:CURRENCY:EUR                 ???,?? ???
     Assets:Current Assets:EUR checking    -100,00 (no currency shown - 
I guess EUR)
     Trading:CURRENCY:USD                 ???,?? ???

This is happening with both 2.4.10 and 2.4.11.

Is CnuCash doing the right thing???

Thanks,

Mark


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