Summary

The Journal Entries window allows you to manually create journal entries. There is a balancing feature on the window that automatically generates journal entry line items so that the journal entry will balance by fund. The balancing feature will use the due to and due from GL accounts set up on the System Setup window (SS> Utilities> System Setup> Transfer Accounts tab> Due To Account and Due From Account fields).

Step by Step

1     Create a Journal Entries batch.

2     View the journal entries in the batch.

• After the Settings step is complete, open the Journal Entry Selection window (GL> Journal Entries> Journal Entries) to view the journal entries in the batch. This window will be empty if you have created a new batch.
• Select a journal entry and click DELETE to delete a journal entry in the batch.
• Select a journal entry and click EDIT to edit a journal entry in the batch.
• Click ADD to create a new journal entry. This will open the Journal Entries window.

3     Create a manual journal entry.

• The Journal Entries window is used to create a journal entry and view the journal entry line items on a journal entry.
• The Type drop-down menu is used to enter the journal entry type.
  • This field will automatically populate with the Period Type selected on the Settings step.
• The Balanced by Fund field displays if the journal entry in the window is balanced by fund.
  • This field will display a Yes if the debits equal the credits in each fund. For example, the journal entry below is balanced by fund.

• The Balanced by fund field will display a No if the debit and credit amounts in each fund do not balance. For example, the journal entry below does not balance by fund. If you want to balance this entry by fund, add a credit to a GL account in fund 1 and a debit to a GL account in fund 2 for $10.00.

• The Author field displays the username of the user who created the open journal entry.
  • This field will remain disabled and blank on new journal entries until the journal entry is saved. At that point the field will display the username of the user who saved the new journal entry.
• The Description field is used to enter a description of the journal entry. You can also enter a description on each journal entry line item.
• Click CREATE LINE in the data grid header to create a new journal entry line item. This will open the Journal Entry Line Item section to the right.

4     Create a journal entry line item.

• The Tab Order button   at the top of the Journal Entry Line Details pane is used to adjust the tab order of the line item fields.
• The Account Alias field is used to select a GL account based on an alias assigned to it.
  • For example, if you assigned the alias EXP1 to a GL account, you could enter EXP1 in the Account Alias field and the GL account number would populate in the Account field.
• The Account field is used to select the GL account attached to the journal entry line item. Click the field search button   to select a GL account from a list.
• The Account Description field will populate with the description attached to the selected GL account.
• The Debit Amount and Credit Amount fields are used to enter the debit and credit amount of the journal entry line item.
• The Description field is used to enter the description of the journal entry line item.
  • The description of the journal entry line item will display on all reports that display a journal entry description (for example, the Trial Balance Report in GL> Reports> Trial Balance> Description column).
• The Reference field is used to enter a system reference on the journal entry line item. The journal entry line item reference will display on the Journal Entry Report (GL> Reports> Journal Entry) and the Chart of Accounts Maintenance window (GL> Maintenance> Chart of Accounts> History column> System Reference column).
  • The system reference on a journal entry generally populates with the module where the journal entry is created or other information about the transaction that generated the journal entry. For example, if a journal entry line item is created by an AP module Invoices batch, the system reference will be the vendor number attached to the invoice line item.
• The Transaction Date field is used to enter the transaction date of the PM module transaction created by the journal entry line item. This field is only required if there is a PM module task and type code attached to the journal entry line item.
• The Task and Type fields are used to enter Project Management module information on the journal entry line item. These fields will only be enabled if the Use Project Management toggle is checked on System Setup window (SS> Utilities> System Setup> System tab).
  • The Task field label is user defined so it may not read Task. The field labels of the PM module miscellaneous fields are defined in the Miscellaneous Field Labels window (SS> Utilities> Miscellaneous Field Labels).
  • If you click the Task field search button   and the task you would like to select does not display in the window, the task is either locked or PM security has been set up to limit access on that task code.
    • Security is set up on PM module tasks using the PM Security feature (SS> Security> PM Security).
    • PM module tasks are generally locked when they are complete or transactions should not be posted to them. PM module tasks are locked using the Task Maintenance window (PM> Maintenance> Task> General tab> Locked toggle). You can view tasks that are locked by selecting Locked or All in the Status drop-down menu on the Task Selection window (opened from the Task Code field label on the Journal Entry Item window), but you will receive an error message if you attach a locked type code to a JE line item and then try to save the new record.
  • If you add a PM module task and type to a journal entry line item, you must also enter a date in the Transaction Date field. This is the transaction date of the Project Management module transaction created by this journal entry line item.
• The Project field will not be enabled and will populate with the PM module project attached to the PM module task code on the journal entry line item. Projects are attached to PM module task coded using the Task Maintenance window (PM> Maintenance> Task> General tab> Project field).
  • The Project field label is user defined just like the Task field, so it may not read Project.
• The LEMS field will not be enabled and will populate with the LEMS code attached to the type code selected in the Type field. A LEMS code is attached to a type code using the Type Maintenance window (PM> Maintenance> Type> LEMS field).
• The Object Type drop-down menu is used to specify what type of object is attached to the entry.
  • The Object field label will change to reflect the selected Object Type.
  • Select Vendor and click the field search button to open the Vendor selection window.
    • Vendors are created and maintained on the Vendor Maintenance window (AP> Maintenance> Vendor).
  • Select Employee and click the field search button to open the Employee selection window.
    • The Rate field will populate with the hourly pay rate set up on the Employee Maintenance window (PR> Maintenance> Employee> Financial tab> Hourly Rate field).
  • Select Equipment and click the field search button to open the Equipment selection window.
    • The Rate field will populate with the rate set up on the Equipment Maintenance window (SS> Maintenance> Equipment> Rate field).
• Enter the number of hours that the attached employee or equipment will be used in the Units field.
• The Rate field will populate with the hourly rate attached to the Employee or Equipment selected above.
• The Bank Account field is used specify a bank account for journal entries that affect bank balances.
  • Bank Accounts are set up and maintained on the Bank Account Maintenance window (SS> Maintenance> Bank Account).
• Click the Save button when complete to return to the Journal Entries window or click NEW ITEM to add the current line item to the journal entry and clear the line item fields in order to add another line item to the journal entry.
• Use the UP ROW and DOWN ROW buttons to cycle between journal entry rows in the data grid. You can also use the ALT+U and ALT+D hotkeys.

5     Balance the journal entry. This is an optional step.

• Enter as many journal entry line items as you would like. There is no validation on the window that keeps you from creating an unbalanced journal entry, but you can use the BALANCE drop-down to help you create a balanced entry.
• The Balance drop-down has four functions:
  • Add control account balancing entries
  • Create a single line item to balance the journal entry
  • Balance the journal entry by fund
  • Balance the journal entry via interfund transfer
• Click the Balance drop-down and select Add Control Account Entries to create balancing entries for control accounts based on the revenue/expense entries already entered.
  • For example, if $100 of revenue has been entered when this option is selected, the system will add an entry for the Revenue Control Subsidiary and Revenue Control accounts related to the same fund as the revenue account used to record the $100.
  • This option will only be displayed if the agency is set up to use control accounting GL Setup.
• Click the Balance drop-down and select Add Single Balancing Line to create a single line item that balances the journal entry. This will create a single line item for the debit or credit amount that will balance the journal entry.
  • For example, if there are two journal entry line items that have a net debit balance $35.00, selecting Add Single Balancing Line will create a single credit line item for $35.00. No GL account will be attached to the line item; you will have to open the journal entry line item and manually assign a GL account to it.
• Click the Balance drop-down and select Balance Journal Entry by Fund if you would like to use the Due To and Due From GL accounts to balance the journal entry by fund.
  • Assume you have the following journal entry:

• If you select Balance Journal Entry by Fund, the following journal entry will be created.

• When a Due To and Due From GL account are attached to the System Setup window, the fund is not attached. This is because the fund is pulled from the GL accounts that are using the Due To and Due From accounts. Make sure the Due To and the Due From GL Accounts are set up in each fund you would like to use them in. If the Due From or Due To accounts do not exist in a specific fund, you will receive a validation error when you try to balance the journal entry.
• The Due From account will be used for journal entry line items that create a debit. In the example above, the Due From account in fund 2 is used to balance the journal entry because a debit line item is required to balance the credit in fund 2.
• The Due To account will be used for journal entry line items that create a credit. In the example above, the Due To account in fund 1 is used to balance the journal entry because a credit line item is required to balance the debit in fund 1.
• The Due To and Due From GL accounts are defined in the System Setup window (SS> Utilities> System Setup> Transfer Accounts tab> Due To Account and Due From Account fields).

• Click the Balance drop-down and select Interfund Transfer Balance if you would like to automatically create balancing entries for cash-related line items in addition to balancing the journal entry by fund. This process will be useful to organizations that utilize pooled cash accounting.
  • In order to use Interfund Transfer Balance functionality, the required From Accounts and To Accounts must be set up for the GL module on the Transfers tab of the System Setup window.
    • If the journal entry you are attempting to balance uses an account in a fund that does not have GL transfer accounts set up on the System Setup window, an error message will display and no balancing entry will be created.
  • Each cash-related line item on the journal entry will result in an entry in the pooled cash fund specified in the From Account column of the Transfers tab. These entries will be clearly marked as balancing entries.
  • This process will balance the journal entry by fund in the same way outlined in the section above.
• Click the Save button when the journal entry is complete.

6     Commit the journal entry.