Journal Entries

Why Double-Entry Accounting?

Every financial transaction affects at least two accounts. When you deposit fundraiser revenue:

• Your checking account increases (debit)
• Your fundraising income increases (credit)

This double-entry system ensures your books always balance and creates an audit trail. BeeKeeper handles the complexity so you can focus on recording what happened.

Understanding Debits and Credits

The Golden Rule: Every transaction must have equal debits and credits.

Recording a Transaction

Simple Transaction (Two Accounts)

Most transactions involve just two accounts:

1. Go to Journal Entries
2. Click New Entry
3. Fill in the header:
   • Date: When the transaction occurred
   • Payee: Who you paid or received from
   • Reference: Check number, receipt number, etc.
   • Description: Brief explanation
4. Add line items:
   • First line: Select account, enter amount as debit or credit
   • Second line: Select offsetting account, enter balancing amount
5. Click Save

Example: Writing a check for supplies

• Line 1: Office Supplies (Expense) - Debit $50
• Line 2: Checking Account (Asset) - Credit $50

Example: Depositing membership dues

• Line 1: Checking Account (Asset) - Debit $500
• Line 2: Membership Income - Credit $500

Complex Transaction (Multiple Accounts)

Sometimes one transaction affects multiple accounts:

Example: Deposit with multiple income sources

• Line 1: Checking Account - Debit $1,500
• Line 2: Membership Dues Income - Credit $500
• Line 3: Donation Income - Credit $300
• Line 4: Fundraiser Income - Credit $700

The total debits ($1,500) must equal total credits ($1,500).

Recording from an Account Page

You can create a transaction directly from any account’s detail page. This is handy when you’re reviewing an account and want to add a new entry without navigating away:

1. Go to Accounts and select the account
2. Click New Transaction
3. BeeKeeper pre-fills one side of the journal entry with that account
4. Fill in the remaining details (offsetting account, amount, payee, etc.)
5. Click Save

This saves time because you skip the step of choosing the first account – it’s already filled in for you.

Adding Attachments

Attach receipts or documentation:

1. When creating or editing an entry, click Add Attachment
2. Select the file from your computer
3. Supported formats: PDF, JPG, PNG
4. The attachment is stored with the transaction

Viewing Journal Entries

The Journal Entry List

The main view shows all transactions:

• Date: Transaction date
• Payee: Who was involved
• Reference: Check/receipt numbers
• Accounts: Which accounts were affected
• Amount: Transaction total

Filtering and Searching

Narrow down the list:

• Date Range: Select start and end dates
• Account: Show only entries affecting a specific account
• Search: Find by payee or description

Account Ledger View

Each account has a Ledger tab that shows every journal entry affecting that account, along with a running balance. This is your go-to view for understanding what happened in a specific account over time.

To access the ledger:

1. Go to Accounts and select the account
2. Click the Ledger tab

The ledger supports filtering to help you find exactly what you need:

• Payee: Filter by who was paid or received
• Description: Search within entry descriptions
• Amount range: Show only entries within a minimum and/or maximum amount
• Date range: Narrow to a specific time period
• Attachments: Filter to entries that have (or don’t have) attachments
• Linked accounts: Show only entries that also involve a specific offsetting account

The running balance updates as you scroll, so you can see your account balance at any point in time.

Entry Detail View

Click any entry to see:

• Full transaction details
• All line items with accounts and amounts
• Attached documents
• Creation and modification history

Editing a Transaction

1. Click the entry to open it
2. Click Edit
3. Make your changes
4. Click Save

Note: Editing preserves the audit trail - the original entry is recorded in history.

Voiding and Unvoiding Entries

Instead of deleting a journal entry, you can void it. Voiding preserves the full audit trail – the entry stays in your records but is marked as inactive and no longer affects account balances.

How to Void an Entry

1. Go to the journal entry detail page
2. Click Void
3. Confirm the action

Voided entries remain visible in the ledger and journal entry list but are clearly marked as voided. They do not affect account balances or financial reports.

How to Unvoid an Entry

If you voided an entry by mistake, you can restore it:

1. Go to the voided journal entry detail page
2. Click Unvoid
3. The entry is restored and its amounts once again affect account balances

This is much safer than deleting because you always have a complete history of what happened, even for entries that were later reversed.

Importing Transactions

Transaction imports are done from individual account pages:

1. Go to Accounts > select the account
2. Click Import
3. Choose a file: QFX, OFX, CSV, or XLSX
4. For CSV/XLSX, map columns to BeeKeeper fields
5. Review and accept imported transactions on the Bank tab

See Data Import & Export for file format details and Bank Connections for the review pipeline.

Exporting Journal Entries

Export your transactions:

1. Go to Journal Entries
2. Apply any filters (date range, account)
3. Click Export
4. Choose format: CSV or XLSX
5. File downloads with all visible entries

Tips for Clean Records

Be Consistent

• Use the same payee name each time (e.g., always “Staples” not sometimes “Staples Office Supply”)
• Follow a reference number convention
• Write clear, searchable descriptions

Record Timely

• Enter transactions weekly at minimum
• Don’t let receipts pile up
• Fresh memory means accurate records

Attach Everything

• Scan and attach all receipts
• Include invoices, contracts, approvals
• Your future self (or successor) will thank you

Use Categories Wisely

• Assign transactions to specific accounts
• Avoid overusing “Miscellaneous”
• Think about how it will appear on reports

Understanding Bank Imports

When you connect your bank:

• Transactions import automatically
• They start as “uncategorized”
• Use rules to auto-categorize common transactions
• Review and categorize the rest manually

The journal entry is created automatically; you just need to assign accounts.

Limitations

• Entries must balance (debits = credits)
• Entries cannot be deleted, but they can be voided and unvoided (see Voiding and Unvoiding Entries above)
• Maximum 100 line items per entry
• Attachments limited to 10MB each

Common Questions

What if I made a mistake on an old entry? Edit the entry - the original is preserved in history. For prior-period corrections, create an adjusting entry dated in the current period with explanation.

Can I create a recurring entry? Not currently. You’ll need to create each entry manually or import from CSV.

How do I record a voided check? Use the Void feature: open the journal entry for the check and click Void. This marks the entry as inactive while preserving the full audit trail. If you need to record a check that was voided before it was ever entered in BeeKeeper, create a journal entry with the check details, note “VOID” in the description, and then void the entry so it doesn’t affect your balances.

What’s the difference between a journal entry and a bank transaction? A bank transaction is what your bank shows. A journal entry is how you record and categorize it in BeeKeeper. Connected banks create journal entries automatically.

Can I create a transaction directly from an account page? Yes. Go to the account detail page and click New Transaction. BeeKeeper pre-fills one side of the entry with that account, saving you a step.

What does the Ledger tab show? The Ledger tab on each account page shows every journal entry affecting that account with a running balance. You can filter by payee, description, amount range, date range, attachments, and linked accounts.