[GNC] GnuCash and stock splits

[Sherlock]

We use the date of the stock split for the new transaction and track the 
acquisition date separately.  If we use the scrub tool and it pairs a 
sale with the wrong lot, we reset it.

Regards,

Sherlock

On 6/7/26 9:37 AM, Clint Chaplin wrote:
> So, when selling the stock at the old basis and repurchasing at the new
> basis, what date is used for the transactions?  And if it is the date of
> the stock split, don't you lose the info for the scrub tool to pair
> subsequent sales to the proper lot using FIFO?∑å
> 
> On Fri, Jun 5, 2026 at 2:47 PM Sherlock <sh025622 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Hi Clint,
>>
>> I don't think you've missed much.  The approach used by the stock split
>> tool allows GnuCash to track the average cost basis.  My understanding
>> is GnuCash's lot management support was added late.
>>
>> To track cost basis by lot, the approach we use for stock splits is to
>> enter a transaction selling each lot's shares at their current cost
>> basis and purchasing the new shares of each lot at their new cost basis.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Sherlock
>>
>>
>> On 6/5/26 12:45 PM, Clint Chaplin wrote:
>>> I'm setting up GnuCash for my use for personal finance, and it was going
>> OK
>>> until I came to entering in some IBM stock I inherited in 1995, and which
>>> has been DRIPping ever since.
>>>
>>> IBM split 2 for 1 in 1997 and 1999, and then IBM spun out Kyndryl (KD) in
>>> 2021.  My current financial programs (MECA's Managing Your Money vintage
>>> late 1980s and Quicken For Windows version 3 vintage early 1990s) managed
>>> to have tools for stock splits that went in and adjusted the basis and
>>> amount of stock for lots that predate the stock split date, and Quicken
>>> even somehow kept track of pre and post split stock pricing.
>>>
>>> GnuCash, not so much.  It seems as though the stock split tool creates a
>>> transaction that just dumps in zero-priced stock to increase (or
>> decrease!)
>>> the number of shares post-split, but doesn't go in and modify the basis
>> and
>>> number of shares for lots that predate the split, which was my
>> expectation.
>>>
>>> Now, I guess I can go in and manually modify the stock purchase and
>>> dividend reinvestment transactions so the post-split basis is "correct",
>>> but I was sorta hoping it was automated.  For the 2 for one stock splits
>> I
>>> don't have that many DRIP transactions when they occurred, but by the
>> time
>>> the KD spinout happens in 2021 it's gonna be a lot of transactions (over
>>> 100?)
>>>
>>> Am I missing something?  Should I submit a feature request?  Or should I
>>> just consider it as something high-effort low-benefit that won't get
>> done?
>>>
>>
>>
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> 
>