[GNC] GNU Cash Manual

[David Cousens]

David,

You may find it useful to set the account register in what is called auto split mode. From the menu View-> then check
the Auto-Split Ledger radio button. You can also set this as the default mode from the menu item Edit_>Preferences-
>Register Defaults  and again check the Auto Split Register radio button.  This sets the register so that when you click
on (select) a transaction, It displays all of the entries to other accounts for the transaction as well as the account
of the account register which is open and displayed.

You are at the entry point in the General Journal  In the General Journal you will have to select all the accounts (at
least 2) affected by the transaction. The <TAB> key will normally take you to the next field requiring data to be
entered once you have entered data in the current field. If this does not make sense read the Basics section of the
GuCash tutorial and Concepts guide (https://www.gnucash.org/docs/v5/C/gnucash-guide/index.html) for a very basic
introduction to double entry accounting. In the account field there is a downward pointing arrow at the right of the
column which if you click on it will give you a dropdown list of your accounts to select from.


The entry you are trying to make to account for Paid in Capital is one that would normally affect two accounts, your
bank account balance is increased (a debit entry) and an Equity account Equity:Paid In Capital's balance is also
increased (a credit entry).  In the General journal the Tab key will take you to a column where you enter the account
affected  and then you have to choose from the Funds In/Funds Out columns and enter the amount of the trasnaction.  you
then tab to the next line to enter the second entry (often referred to as a split) of the transaction. Hitting the
<ENTER> key completes and records the transaction. GnuCash has a feature that if a transaction is not balanced ( sum of
debit entries = sum of credit entries), it will be assigned to an account called Imbalance which allows it to be
identified for correction.

The GnuCash Manual has an section on Creating Transactions in the section Understanding DoubleEntry Accounting
(https://code.gnucash.org/website/docs/v1.6/C/x2549.html).

You will find most people with an accounting background will use the standard accounting column headings Debit and
Credit rather than the non-accounting headings which I find incomprehensible, despite the best efforts of our developers
to make them meaningful. Those without an accounting background usually find the accounting usage of debit and credit
equally incomprehensible. Again the Edit->Preferences->Accounts from the menu, then check the Use Formal Accounting
Labels will select the formal Debit/Credit labels as the default for all account registers at the cost of their meaning
being context dependent as explained in the Basics section of the guide( and any basic double entry accounting text) if
you choose to use them.

It is normal in GnuCash to enter data from the displayed register for a specific account. If you open the Accounts tab
and select a specific account e.g. your bank account the register for that account opens in a new tab. A transaction
entered in a specific register is assumed to affect that account and the first entry of a transaction is to that account
and you have to specifically select the second account affected in the next line of the transaction entry.

Hope this makes it a bit clearer 


On Sun, 2024-11-17 at 09:15 -0800, David L wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I am just starting to use GNU Cash, and of couse, I have a few questions.
> 
>    1. Does the Manual exist in a pdf format?  Please send me a link, or a
>    pdf.
>    2. I would like to be able to make entries for "Paid in Capital."  How
>    do I get started making an entry?  I have reached the point in the
>    screenshot below, and am not able to go further.
> 
> [image: image.png]
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> David Lincenberg
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