Use Accounting → Journal Entries when there is no invoice or bill for the event, or when you need to adjust accounts directly. You pick a book first — Sales, Purchase, Receipt, Disbursement, or General. That choice cannot change later. It controls who you must name, which accounts you can pick, and which reports the entry sits in. See Documents vs journal entries before you key a sale or payment that already has a document.
Seedflow asks “What kind of journal entry is this?” Each card has Learn more with sample lines. The split menu next to New Journal jumps straight to a book if your role allows it.
How to open it
| Step | Click |
|---|---|
| 1 | Accounting → Journal Entries |
| 2 | New Journal |
Custom roles need the matching accounting journal permission for that book — see Invite your team.
Seedflow assigns the number JE-YYYYMMDD-NNNN from the transaction date. That is not a Settings prefix (invoices use INV-, bills PI-, and so on). Reference number is optional and is yours — a bank slip, opening-balance pack, or import key.
What else lives on this list
| You will also see | Why |
|---|---|
| Sales journals from finalized invoices | Accrual + auto-post. Inventory lines can add a COGS General journal |
| Purchase journals from finalized bills | Accrual + auto-post |
| Disbursement journals from posted supplier payments | Auto-post on. Voiding that payment also posts a reversing General journal |
| Entries you type or import | Draft, posted, or voided — same numbering |
Backdating, required description/notes, and closed fiscal periods are Settings → Accounting → General. They apply to auto-post and to journals you type. See Accounting settings and chart of accounts.
Pick the book that matches the event, not the account you happen to touch. If the lines need an account type that book does not offer, use General Journal instead of forcing a sales or receipt line.
Which book, and who you must name
| Book | Use it for | Required on the header |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Journal | A sale that will not have a Seedflow invoice (or a Cash sale you still need on the books) | Customer |
| Purchase Journal | A purchase that will not have a Seedflow bill | Supplier |
| Receipt Journal | Money in: customer receipts (required today, because customer payments do not auto-journal), owner capital, interest, other deposits | Customer and payment method |
| Disbursement Journal | Money out that is not a supplier payment on a bill — payroll, rent without a bill, owner drawings | Supplier and payment method |
| General Journal | Opening balances, depreciation, accruals, prepayments, reclassifications, year-end. Also where invoice COGS and supplier-payment reversals land when auto-post creates them | Party is optional (customer or supplier). No payment method |
Accounts you can pick on the lines
| Book | Account types in the dropdown |
|---|---|
| Sales Journal | Asset and Income |
| Purchase Journal | Asset, Liability, and Expense |
| Receipt Journal | Asset and Income |
| Disbursement Journal | Asset, Expense, and Liability |
| General Journal | All types, including Capital |
Typical lines (from Learn more)
| Book | Example | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | Credit sale ₱10,000 + 12% VAT | Accounts Receivable ₱11,200 | Sales ₱10,000 and Output VAT ₱1,200 |
| Sales | Cash sale (no VAT) | Cash / Bank ₱5,000 | Sales ₱5,000 |
| Purchase | Credit inventory ₱10,000 + 12% VAT | Inventory ₱10,000 and Input VAT ₱1,200 | Accounts Payable ₱11,200 |
| Purchase | Utilities on credit | Utilities Expense ₱5,000 | Accounts Payable ₱5,000 |
| Receipt | Customer pays an invoice | Cash / Bank ₱11,200 | Accounts Receivable ₱11,200 |
| Receipt | Bank interest (no invoice) | Cash / Bank ₱2,000 | Interest Income ₱2,000 |
| Disbursement | Pay a supplier bill | Accounts Payable ₱11,200 | Cash / Bank ₱11,200 |
| Disbursement | Pay an expense with no bill | Office Supplies Expense ₱5,000 | Cash / Bank ₱5,000 |
| General | Accrue utilities at month-end | Utilities Expense ₱3,000 | Accrued Expenses ₱3,000 |
| General | Reclass office supplies to advertising | Advertising Expense ₱2,000 | Office Supplies Expense ₱2,000 |
Payment method (Receipt and Disbursement) is Cash, Check, Bank Transfer, Credit Card, or Other. Do not also pay a supplier for the same cash if auto-post already journaled the disbursement.
Date is required. Location is optional (plan cap: Beta 5, Free 1). Description and notes are optional unless Require Journal Notes is on — then you need one of them. Expand those fields on the form when you need them.
You need at least two lines. Each line needs an account from that book’s dropdown. Debits must equal credits (within ₱0.01). Class is per line, not on the header — see Locations and classes. Line description is optional.
Header fields
| Field | Required? |
|---|---|
| Date | Yes |
| Reference number | No — yours, not the JE- number |
| Location | No |
| Customer | Sales and Receipt |
| Supplier | Purchase and Disbursement |
| Party (customer or supplier) | General only, and optional |
| Payment method | Receipt and Disbursement |
| Description / notes | Only if Require Journal Notes is on |
Attachments can go on a new entry — uploading one creates a draft first so the file has somewhere to live. Comments appear as a second tab after the entry exists. You cannot switch books on an existing entry; void or delete the draft and start again if you picked the wrong one.
On a new entry the primary button is Save and post. The split menu is Save as draft. On a draft, Post posts it and Save as draft keeps it editable. Posting is what hits the general ledger.
Journal status
| Status | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Draft | Edit lines, attach files, comment. Post or Delete. Does not affect the trial balance |
| Posted | In the ledger. Open it to review. Void if it was wrong. Do not re-key the same amounts as a second journal |
| Voided | Terminal. The mark stays on the list. No opposite lines are created |
A closed fiscal period, a blocked backdate, or missing notes (when required) will refuse the post — including auto-post from documents.
Import on the journal list opens a wizard. Rows with the same Reference No become one journal (continuation rows can leave Reference No blank). Imported journals are created as Posted, not draft — fix the file before you run it.
Excel columns
| Column | Required? |
|---|---|
| Book Type | Yes — Sales Journal, Purchase Journal, Receipt Journal, Disbursement Journal, or General Journal |
| Transaction Date | Yes |
| Reference No | Yes on the first row of each entry |
| Account Name | Yes — then map to a chart account |
| Debit / Credit | Yes — one side per line, totals must balance |
| Customer Name / Supplier Name | Yes when that book requires a party |
| Customer Code / Supplier Code | No — used to match existing parties |
| Payment Method | Yes for Receipt and Disbursement (Cash, Check, Bank Transfer, Credit Card, Other) |
| Description, Notes, Account Memo | No |
Unmapped accounts block the import. Unmatched customers or suppliers can be mapped by hand, or auto-created if you turn that on for the row.
Void from the row menu on a posted entry. Drafts you delete instead — posted and voided entries cannot be deleted. If you still need the amounts off the trial balance, post a new opposite journal (usually General Journal).
Voiding a supplier payment is different: that reverses allocations and can post a reversing general journal for you. Voiding a customer payment only reverses allocations — there is no cash journal to undo. Details are in Documents vs journal entries.
Other guides in Books