{"schema":"exacc.help.page/1","url":"https://exacc.au/help/create-general-journal/","title":"Enter a general journal","description":"Enter a general journal in Exacc: debit and credit lines with accounts and GST, private portion, memo. Save it as a draft or post it once it balances.","category":"Accounting","summary":"Open **Books › + General Journal**, set the **Date**, add a line for each account with a **Debit** or **Credit** amount and its **Tax** code, and click **Save & Post** once debits equal credits. **Save as Draft** keeps an unbalanced journal for later.","lastVerified":"2026-10-09","apps":["app"],"processIds":["general_journal"],"start":{"label":"Enter a general journal","url":"https://app.exacc.au/{dbId}/books/general-journal"},"menuPath":["Books","Accounting","+ General Journal"],"steps":[{"step":1,"title":"Open General Journal","body":["Open **Books › + General Journal**. A new journal is dated today."],"url":"https://app.exacc.au/{dbId}/books/general-journal","image":"https://exacc.au/help/create-general-journal/step-1.png"},{"step":2,"title":"Fill in the header","body":[],"fields":[{"name":"Date","help":"must be after your Accounts Lock date.","required":true},{"name":"Contact","help":"optional; the customer or supplier the journal relates to."},{"name":"Transaction Memo","help":"what the journal is for."},{"name":"Private Portion","help":"a percentage of every line that is private (not a business expense)."},{"name":"Vary / Manual Tax","help":"lets you type the GST amount on a line instead of having it calculated."}]},{"step":3,"title":"Add the lines","body":["Each line has an **Account** and either a **Debit** or a **Credit** (not both). Choosing an account fills in its default **Tax** code; on an empty line it also fills in the amount that balances the journal.","Amounts include GST: Exacc works out the GST part from the tax code. Tick **Tax Var** on a line to type its **Tax Amount** yourself. **Priv %** (0–99) marks part of a line as private. **Memo**, **Review** and **Site** are optional.","The footer shows what is still **Out** (DR or CR) until the journal balances."]},{"step":4,"title":"Save","body":["**Save & Post** needs debits to equal credits (\"Debit and Credit must be equal to save and post\"). **Save as Draft** saves it as it is, balanced or not. Exacc then offers **Create another** or **Continue editing**."]}],"sections":[{"heading":"After saving","body":["**Files** attaches documents to the journal, **Duplicate** copies it, and **Delete** removes it after you confirm. There is no reverse button: to undo a posted journal, enter one with the debits and credits swapped, or delete it."]},{"heading":"Importing the lines from a spreadsheet","body":["**Import** on the journal reads a CSV file with the columns Account, Debit, Credit and Tax. Avoid commas inside values."]}],"related":["https://exacc.au/help/add-bank-transaction/","https://exacc.au/help/chart-of-accounts/","https://exacc.au/help/gst-tax-codes/","https://exacc.au/help/lock-accounting-period/"],"linkNote":"Links containing {dbId} open that screen in the business file whose id is dbId. A person can also open this help page with ?db=<dbId> to get the same links as buttons."}