Can't delete Imbalance account

[Edward Doolittle]

Michael,

I delete my Imbalance and Orphan accounts all the time. They just get
re-created the next time they're needed. I take the presence of an
Imbalance or Orphan account as a sign that some transaction needs further
attention. I fix the transaction then delete the Imbalance or Orphan
account.

Edward

On 16 December 2015 at 14:41, Mike or Penny Novack <mpnovack at mtdata.com>
wrote:

> On 12/16/2015 1:16 PM, Joseph Hesse wrote:
>
>> I was editing a credit card account and I messed up a split transaction
>> so I got an imbalance. I deleted the entire transaction and entered a new
>> one for the date of the deleted transaction. It worked, the splits were
>> fine and there was no imbalance.
>>
>> I then noticed a top level account called "Imbalance-USD". It contains
>> transactions from the deleted transaction. Since it is no longer relevant I
>> tried to delete the "Imbalance-USD" account but it wouldn't delete.
>>
>> Is there anything I should do?
>>
>> Thank you, Joe
>>
>
> The purpose of the Imbalance (and Orphan) account(s) is so that gnucash
> can let you complete entering a transaction even if wrong. You then fix the
> transaction, and shouldn't end up with anything in either of those
> accounts. Do NOT try to delete these accounts.
>
> In case you were wondering WHY gnucash has an Imbalance account instead of
> simply stopping you from completing the transaction, consider the
> possibility that while you were entering a transaction you realized that
> you didn't HAVE an account you needed or otherwise had to make changes to
> the chart of accounts. An amount ends up in Imbalance only if you failed to
> correctly specify an account for that amount << and here I am showing you
> why that MIGHT be intentional rather than accident >>
>
> If something shows up in Imbalance after you deleted a transaction take
> another look << not as completely deleted as you think >>
>
> Michael
>
>
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-- 
Edward Doolittle
Associate Professor of Mathematics
First Nations University of Canada
1 First Nations Way, Regina SK S4S 7K2

« Toutes les fois que je donne une place vacante, je fais cent mécontents
et un ingrat. »
-- Louis XIV, dans Voltaire, Le Siècle de Louis XIV, Chap. XXVI