gnucash-user Digest, Vol 169, Issue 34

[Adrien Monteleone]

Stroller,

I haven’t used the wizard for quite some time, so I can’t help with the possibility of adding those entries at that point.

However, it is quite trivial to accomplish opening entries after an account is created. You can even edit those entries later if needed.

Simply enter a new transaction in your chosen account and give it the description of Opening Balance (your choice). If this is an asset account, debit the account for the starting amount, and credit Equity:Opening Balances. If this is a liability account, then credit the liability and debit Equity:Opening Balances.

Done.

Oh, be sure to date the transaction appropriately as the date you opened the book the first time if that is the actual date of that balance. Otherwise, if you don’t have prior transactions for that account and just want to start from the amount you have at the moment, today’s date is fine.

Regards,

Adrien
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 7
> Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2017 06:46:35 +0100
> From: Stroller <stroller at stellar.eclipse.co.uk>
> To: gnucash-user at gnucash.org
> Subject: Customising the accounts hierarchy when beginning
> Message-ID:
> 	<D42580D9-9284-49C2-84AA-38FBFEFE034A at stellar.eclipse.co.uk>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> 
> Hello, 
> 
> I'm new to Gnucash - I've only been messing with it a couple of days, but it seems very good.
> 
> My question is how I set up a new set of accounts with starting balance. 
> 
> If I start a fresh set of accounts from "File" > "New File" I get the New Account Hierarchy Setup Screen. I skip through the new book options and arrive at the "New accounts to create" screen (is it ok to send screenshots to this list?).
> 
> At the "New accounts to create" screen we can include "A Simple Checkbook", "Common Accounts" and so on.
> 
> When I choose "Common Accounts" and move forward it allows me to enter an opening balance for the amount of cash in my wallet, checking account and savings account.
> 
> Having fiddled with Gnucash for a couple of days, it seems best for me to have the actual accounts I have - name them "Santander Current Account", "Cooperative Current Account" and so on.
> 
> Because I have more accounts than provided by the "Common Accounts" template I can't just enter the balances and change the names afterwards, and I can't see how to enter create more accounts at the stage at which I can enter an opening balance.
> 
> I have an existing set of accounts in which I've managed to create an accounts hierarchy which suits me, but it doesn't have opening balances. I see there are export options from this, but I don't see how to use them so I can then import my 6 or 7 bank accounts AND set up the opening balances like I can from the New File wizard.
> 
> Thanks in advance for any pointers,
> 
> Stroller.