General ledger

[Michael Hendry]

> On 15 Dec 2015, at 15:07, Randy Williamson <ac7nj at arrl.net> wrote:
> 
> Michael,
> Thank you for your answer I expected the General ledger to show a combined total not 0 if this is supposed to be 0 then I'm doing it correctly.
> 
> Correct me if I didn't get this right
> 
That's correct, Randy.

If you don’t understand the reason why, you’d be well advised to get some background in double-entry bookkeeping. By automating the process of data entry and adding up the columns, computers make life a lot easier for the bookkeeper, but they may multiply problems and make them hard to track down.

When you reply, it’s best to “Reply to All” (i.e. including gnucash-user at gnucash.org <mailto:gnucash-user at gnucash.org>). This means that once a query has been solved, the solution is available to others. It also means that other members of the list don’t waste time on it.

Michael
> Randy ac7nj
> 
> On Dec 15, 2015 2:33 AM, "Michael Hendry" <hendry.michael at gmail.com <mailto:hendry.michael at gmail.com>> wrote:
> 
> > On 13 Dec 2015, at 23:12, Randy Williamson <ac7nj at arrl.net <mailto:ac7nj at arrl.net>> wrote:
> >
> > How do I make the ledger show a balance I'm a total newby
> >
> > Than you in advance
> >
> > Randy ac7nj
> 
> Welcome to GnuCash, Randy.
> 
> I think you might need to do a little reading about double-entry bookkeeping, the whole essence of which is that every transaction involves money being moved from one account to another, and that these figures are equal and opposite.
> 
> This means that if you have a non-zero balance in your general ledger you’ve made a mistake somewhere.
> 
> For example, if you pay your utility bill by direct debit each month, you’ll find that the General Ledger has an entry in the "Tot Funds In" column for "Expenses:Heat, Light and Power" account of £X and a "Tot Funds Out” entry for the same amount against "Assets:Current Assets:Bank Account”.
> 
> When you look at the two accounts involved you’ll find that the balance in "Expenses:Heat, Light and Power"  has increased and that in "Assets:Current Assets:Bank Account” has decreased.
> 
> 
> A lot of the queries raised on this forum can be resolved by answering the question “How would I have done this in the old days of paper and pencil?”, or by breaking complex transactions down into their component parts.
> 
> Feel free to tell me if you find my answer patronising!
> 
> Michael
>