With the caveat (again!) that my transition from Quicken took place 20 years ago, I beg to differ.
If I had an uncategorized transaction in Quicken (and I had quite a few, since I didn't feel it necessary to categorize everything), there was no attempt by Quicken to assign that transaction to any kind of category in any way. It was just blank. My exported QIF file showed no categories at all. That's materially different from GnuCash, which automatically assigns the second leg to an actual (if auto-generated) account. A null entry is not the same as an entry to Imbalance. David T. On Nov 24, 2025, 11:09 PM, at 11:09 PM, Kalpesh Patel <[email protected]> wrote: >Hmmm... not so sure about that! > >Quicken readily permitted creation of transactions that allowed >transfer between any type of account (including n-way splits) if >account for it existed. To use such transfer after an account was >setup, you needed to specify the "destination" account enclosed in >opening and closing square bracket when it came to referring it as a >category (see 4.jpg). In Quicken 2017, I just created a transaction >between Bank-A's (see 1.jpg) checking account to Bank-B's (see 2.jpg) >checking account when both were created or even more complex ones (see >5.jpg). Quicken definitely had clear concept of all fundamental account >types (see 3.jpg). > >More compelling, Quicken -- geared to layman -- was developed by the >same publishers as the QuickBooks -- geared to businesses -- so IMHO it >was definitely double entry system, albeit improvising greatly to fill >in for lack of formal accounting knowledge. > >-----Original Message----- >From: Michael or Penny Novack <[email protected]> >Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2025 12:31 PM >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [GNC] Coming from Quicken > >On 11/23/2025 2:52 AM, sunfish62--- via gnucash-user wrote: >> I think you and Paul are mischaracterizing Quicken. >> >> While it has been 20 years since I left Quicken behind for GnuCash, >when I used Quicken, it was possible to create a transaction without >categorizing it at all. In effect, a single entry. >> >> That violates the basic concept of "double entry" in Double Entry >accounting. >> >It is MORE than just that. Quicken" categories" are limited in terms of >what sort of accounts they can represent.. In double entry bookkeeping >the other account (there are always at least two accounts) is not >necessarily of type equity (types income and expense are temporary >accounts of fundamental type equity). For example, if you take $1000 >from your savings account and deposit that in your checking account >that is a transfer between two accounts both of type asset. > >Do note, however, that Intuit's QuickBooks IS proper double entry >bookkeeping, minimal issues (and learning curve) going from QuickBooks >to gnucash. > >Michael D Novack > > > > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >_______________________________________________ >gnucash-user mailing list >[email protected] >To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: >https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user >----- >Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. >You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All. _______________________________________________ gnucash-user mailing list [email protected] To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user ----- Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
