To add a journal entry

1. In MYOB Essentials, click your business name and choose General journals. A list of your general journal transactions appears.
2. Click Create Journal. The Journal entry page appears.
3. Enter a date in the Date field, or click the icon next to it to use the calendar.

4. Make sure that the reference number is correct. If not, enter a new reference number in the Reference number field.

   Changing the numbering

   If you change the reference number, you’ll change the automatic numbering. For example, if you change the number to JE000081, the next time you create a journal entry, MYOB Essentials will display the new reference number as JE000082.

5. If you want, enter Notes to describe the set of entries.
6. Select whether you want line item amounts to be Tax/GST inclusive, or Tax/GST exclusive.
7. Start entering a line item by selecting the appropriate Account Number from the list.
8. Add a short Description for the line item.

9. As appropriate, enter either a Debit amount or a Credit amount.

   Do not enter negative amounts (e.g. -345.00). For more information see Entering amounts in journal entries.

10. Select the appropriate Tax Rate/GST Rate from the list.
    The Tax/GST Amount is calculated and automatically displayed.

11. Add further line items, repeating the steps from step 7, above.

    Add or delete rows by clicking Add Row and Delete Row above the list.

12. Check the total Debits and Credits.
    If the amounts are not equal, there will be an amount in the Out of balance by field. If you see an amount in this field, make sure that for each credit, there’s an equal debit, and vice versa. The Outof Balance by amount must equal 0.00 before you can continue.
13. Click Save.

To find a journal entry

You can search for a particular journal entry by entering text in the Search box on the General journals page. To view this page, click your business name and choose General journals.

For more information about viewing journal entries, see Viewing journal entries.

You can also use the Journal report to list your journal entries. For more information, see To produce a Journal report.

Why am I getting the error "An error occurred in the database"?

This error can occur if you're using Internet Explorer as your web browser. To avoid this error, use MYOB Essentials on a different web browser like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.