As a long term amateur user of Gnucash, I use some automation to simplify things. I have rental properties, so need to split bills. My method is to duplicate a transaction (eg monthly energy bill), then massage the amounts: If I have 3 equal splits, first amount is divided by 3, next the remainder is halved, giving 3 equal amounts. Usually this leaves an unwanted line that I delete. Perform that action before importing the csv or ofx updates so these splits are not imported again. For routine periodical payments (such as insurance monthly payments), I just duplicate for the next month (or sometimes duplicate a number at the same time). The ´future´ transactions are below todays line, so easy to ignore. My method of working is to download my csv or odf files monthly & import them, then fix any errors, etc. I then reconcile against the statement. I use Periodical payments for things like county taxes (quarterly), & for my investment rental tracking system.
I like Gnucash in that I can go back at any time to look at issues such as investment property costs (Important when one needs to remember Capital costs to include in property sale taxation.) My books go back 20 years+. (Many, many hidden accounts & categories now) My yearly Tax report is by using saved Report setups. Usually only need to massage the Year start & end dates. (Actually one thing that would be a great future development would be to have the Taxation variables in a form such as a table that can be edited. eg in Australia, our Tax year starts 1 July, ending following June 30th. All the countries tax breakdown could be edited & shared with other users then.) So, Thanks, & Merry Christmas (if you practise it), to all the Gnucash developers & Gnucash users. I am in sunny Australia...More burnt than White Christmases here! regards, Doug On Mon, 8 Dec 2025 15:37:30 -0800 (PST) Patrick James via gnucash-user <[email protected]> wrote: > This message is a comment regarding Greenberg's request: "What I'd really > like is a transaction template, but the closest we get are scheduled > transactions." > > My personal strategy is to use a spreadsheet with a multi-split CSV template. > With sufficient complexity, one could duplicate the entire scheduled > transaction editor. I also realize that my template strategy is using another > tool outside of and in addition to GnuCash. > > I have a few monthly transactions that are essentially the same, some with > some variance, but others are exactly the same with a different date. Those > are all ready, so all I have to do is make a few updates, and export to a CSV > file. > > After saving the CSV, it's a few clicks to import into GnuCash. > > Using the multi-split CSV import, just about any journal entry is possible. > > My spreadsheet looks very similar to the multi-split example in the GnuCash > documentation. > > See Example 6.1 here: > > https://gnucash.org/docs/v5/C/gnucash-manual/trans-import.html > > > > > > On 12/08/2025 8:05 AM PST Ed Greenberg <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > On the subject of splits. Most of my split transactions start out as > > downloaded transactions into the checking account. Mine, in particular, > > are mortgage payments and payroll check deposits. > > > > I generally accept the transaction into the checking account with a > > corresponding account of "mortgage payment net" or "salary net". > > > > I then come back to the transaction and edit the offsetting items properly > > (think loan, interest, principal). > > > > So, in the case of the mortgage payment, the largest amount is indeed the > > actual checking account deduction, but in the case of payroll, the largest > > amount is one of the offsetting amounts, specifically the gross pay. > > > > If I try to edit the transaction later, GC requires that I use one > > particular account. I'm not sure how it decides where I should edit the > > transaction. > > > > If I try to do it in the "salary net" account, as soon as "salary net" > > disappears from the split, the transaction seems to save and vanish, so I > > edit it in the checking account side, deleting salary net, replacing it > > with "gross pay" and a set of deductions. Am I doing this right?" > > > > What I'd really like is a transaction template, but the closest we get are > > scheduled transactions. > > > > Ed > > > _______________________________________________ > 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.
