[GNC] What is the purpose of hidden accounts?

[Jim DeLaHunt]

On 2021-08-21 22:13, Tim Hume via gnucash-user wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> In GnuCash one can create a hidden account. What legitimate purposes are there for hidden accounts?
>
> Regards,
>
> Tim.

Hi, Tim!

In GnuCash one can also create an account that is not hidden, use it for 
several years and many many transactions, and then decide you will no 
longer use it.

For instance, I have accounts which correspond to credit cards I 
cancelled long ago, and to expense categories which I no longer track. I 
don't want to delete all the transactions in the no-longer-used account, 
or live with the account cluttering up my Accounts tab.

Instead, one can change the account from not hidden to hidden. It is no 
longer in the way.

Another way I handle this situation is to rename the account to prefix 
its name by "ZZZ". That makes the account sort to the end of the list 
within its parent account, which keeps it mostly out of the way.

Also, bear in mind that "legitimate" is a function of the bookkeeper and 
the accounting rules they must follow. There are purposes which might be 
legitimate for the personal books of an individual, which might not be 
legitimate for the audited books of a corporation.

Does that answer your question?

       —Jim DeLaHunt