A transaction is simply the movement of money from one account to another. A transaction between two bank/cash/credit account types is considered a transfer, because both accounts carry a balance. A transaction between a bank account and an expense account is considered an expense or payment, and a transaction between a bank and an income account is considered an income or deposit.

To create a new transaction, click the New Transaction toolbar item, the plus button underneath the transactions list, or select File Menu > New Transaction. Any of these options will bring up the new transaction window. You can also edit a new transaction in-line in any account's transaction list. A blank line is automatically added to the end of every transaction list, initially shown in italics to signify that it is not an actual transaction. Simply select the blank line (showing Payee... and Account...) and modify the desired fields to create the transaction. Based on your settings in the preferences window, Accounted will either ask to save when you press return, or automatically save when you press return or select another row.

The transaction lists provide a great, convenient way of editing transactions, however there are some things that must be done in the transaction editing window.

If you'd like to create or edit a split transaction, you will need to edit the transaction in the editing window. Each line in the window denotes a separate transaction all associated with the main transaction. More information regarding split transactions is available in the Transaction section of the help files.

Continue to Tutorial: Accounts Receivable/Accounts Payable