[GNC] Split transaction problem

[Patrick James]

This message is a comment regarding Greenberg's request: "What I'd really like is a transaction template, but the closest we get are scheduled transactions."

My personal strategy is to use a spreadsheet with a multi-split CSV template. With sufficient complexity, one could duplicate the entire scheduled transaction editor. I also realize that my template strategy is using another tool outside of and in addition to GnuCash.

I have a few monthly transactions that are essentially the same, some with some variance, but others are exactly the same with a different date. Those are all ready, so all I have to do is make a few updates, and export to a CSV file.

After saving the CSV, it's a few clicks to import into GnuCash.

Using the multi-split CSV import, just about any journal entry is possible.

My spreadsheet looks very similar to the multi-split example in the GnuCash documentation.

See Example 6.1 here:

https://gnucash.org/docs/v5/C/gnucash-manual/trans-import.html




> On 12/08/2025 8:05 AM PST Ed Greenberg <edg at greenberg.org> wrote:
> 
>  
> On the subject of splits.  Most of my split transactions start out as
> downloaded transactions into the checking account.  Mine, in particular,
> are mortgage payments and payroll check deposits.
> 
> I generally accept the transaction into the checking account with a
> corresponding account of "mortgage payment net" or "salary net".
> 
> I then come back to the transaction and edit the offsetting items properly
> (think loan, interest, principal).
> 
> So, in the case of the mortgage payment, the largest amount is indeed the
> actual checking account deduction, but in the case of payroll, the largest
> amount is one of the offsetting amounts, specifically the gross pay.
> 
> If I try to edit the transaction later, GC requires that I use one
> particular account.  I'm not sure how it decides where I should edit the
> transaction.
> 
> If I try to do it in the "salary net" account, as soon as "salary net"
> disappears from the split, the transaction seems to save and vanish, so I
> edit it in the checking account side, deleting salary net, replacing it
> with "gross pay" and a set of deductions.  Am I doing this right?"
> 
> What I'd really like is a transaction template, but the closest we get are
> scheduled transactions.
> 
> Ed
>