Post a Manual Journal Entry
Journals & ledger > New journal posts a balanced set of debit and credit lines with a date, memo and optional reference; it cannot be edited afterwards, only reversed.
For School administrators, Accountants. Updated 2026-10-09.
Overview
Open Accounting > Journals & Ledger and select New journal. Fill Date, Reference (optional) and What is it for? (memo, at least 3 characters). Add at least two lines, each with an Account, and either a Debit or a Credit amount (typing in one clears the other).
The footer compares Debits and Credits: it reads Balanced when they match and debits are above zero, otherwise "Out by X", and Post journal stays disabled until balanced. Supplier control account 2000 Accounts payable is not offered in the list, because it is posted only by supplier bills and payments. Inactive accounts are refused ("... is switched off.").
Each journal gets a running Entry number (#) and the source Manual. A line cannot hold both a debit and a credit. You cannot post into a closed fiscal year ("<year> is closed, so nothing can be posted on <date>."). Posted journals are never edited or deleted: to correct one, reverse it and post a new one. Posting is audit-logged.
Posting requires the “add account” permission (Administrator, Accountant); Directors can only read. Fees, payroll, procurement, petty cash and asset depreciation create their own journals automatically, labelled with their source.
Before you start
- The “add account” permission
- Active accounts in the Chart of Accounts
- An open fiscal year covering the journal date
Steps
- Open Accounting > Journals & Ledger and stay on Journal entries
- Select New journal
- Enter the date, optional reference and a memo
- Choose accounts and enter debit or credit amounts until the footer says Balanced
- Select Post journal
Common problems
Post journal is greyed out
Debits must equal credits and be above zero, and the memo needs at least 3 characters. Check the footer for "Out by".
I cannot find Accounts payable in the account list
It is a control account posted by supplier bills and payments only. Use Procurement to change supplier balances.
The year is closed, so nothing can be posted
An administrator can reopen the fiscal year under Fiscal years, or the entry should be dated in an open year.