Journal Entries Guide

Master manual and automated journal entries in BigLedger.

Overview

Journal entries are the foundation of accounting in BigLedger, recording all financial transactions in the general ledger.

Types of Journal Entries

Manual Journals

• Adjusting entries
• Accruals and deferrals
• Corrections
• Opening balances

Automated Journals

• Sales invoices
• Purchase bills
• Payroll posting
• Depreciation

Recurring Journals

• Monthly accruals
• Rent expenses
• Insurance
• Subscriptions

Creating Journal Entries

Step 1: Access Journal Module

Navigate to Finance → Ledger and Journal

Step 2: Create New Journal

1. Click New Journal Entry
2. Select Journal Type:
   • General Journal
   • Payment Journal
   • Receipt Journal
   • Purchase Journal
   • Sales Journal

Step 3: Enter Header Information

• Journal Number: Auto-generated or manual
• Date: Transaction date
• Reference: External document reference
• Description: Journal description
• Currency: Transaction currency

Step 4: Add Journal Lines

For each line:

Account | Description | Debit | Credit | Tax | Project
--------|-------------|-------|--------|-----|--------
1111    | Cash receipt| 1000  |        |     | 
4000    | Sales revenue|      | 1000   | SST | Project A

Step 5: Validate and Post

1. Verify debits = credits
2. Check tax calculations
3. Review account codes
4. Post journal entry

Common Journal Entries

Sales Transaction

Dr. Accounts Receivable  1,060
  Cr. Sales Revenue         1,000
  Cr. SST Payable             60

Purchase Transaction

Dr. Expense Account       500
Dr. Input Tax              30
  Cr. Accounts Payable      530

Bank Receipt

Dr. Bank Account        1,000
  Cr. Accounts Receivable  1,000

Depreciation

Dr. Depreciation Expense  100
  Cr. Accumulated Depreciation 100

Recurring Journals

Setup

1. Create template journal
2. Set recurrence pattern
3. Define start/end dates
4. Enable auto-posting

Management

• Review pending journals
• Approve before posting
• Modify templates
• Track history

Journal Templates

Create templates for:

• Monthly accruals
• Payroll posting
• Depreciation
• Inter-company transfers

Validation Rules

BigLedger validates:

• Balanced entries
• Valid account codes
• Open accounting period
• User permissions
• Tax calculations

Best Practices

Documentation

• Use clear descriptions
• Attach supporting documents
• Include approval notes
• Maintain audit trail

Controls

• Segregation of duties
• Approval workflows
• Period closing procedures
• Regular reconciliation

Review Process

1. Daily journal review
2. Weekly posting verification
3. Monthly reconciliation
4. Period-end procedures

Integration with Modules

Sales Module

• Auto-creates customer invoices
• Posts revenue recognition
• Updates AR balance

Purchase Module

• Records vendor bills
• Manages expense allocation
• Updates AP balance

Inventory

• Posts COGS entries
• Records stock adjustments
• Updates inventory value

Reports

Journal Reports

• Journal Entry Listing
• Journal by Account
• Journal Audit Trail
• Posted vs Unposted

Analysis Reports

• Account Activity
• Transaction Detail
• GL Movement
• Variance Analysis

Troubleshooting

Out of Balance

• Check rounding differences
• Verify tax calculations
• Review currency conversion

Cannot Post

• Check period status
• Verify permissions
• Review validation errors

Missing Entries

• Check posting date
• Review filter criteria
• Verify module integration

Need help? Visit our Support Center or contact support@bigledger.com