First,

Top/Bottom isn't really a consideration, except that GnuCash auto-sorts Debits & Credits with Debits first. (or 'on top')

The split in question being properly a Debit or Credit as desired is all that really matters.

If you are paying someone out of your checking account, and while viewing the Checking Account Register, that split is showing first, with the amount in the left column, your transaction is backwards. Your opposite description of receiving funds implies to me that indeed, your transactions are backwards. (perhaps all of them are! - if that is true, do not panic, this is relatively easy to fix...)

The left column is Debit, and is an indication of money flowing into or being added to an asset, in this case, your checking account.

When money flows out of said account, the amount should appear in the right column. (Credit)

The same is true of Expense type accounts.

The reverse is true for Income, Liability & Equity accounts. (Debits are outflows—decrease, Credits are inflows—increase)

*Note, this terminology is backwards from that of your bank or financial institution. That is because from their perspective, your account is a Liability for them, thus increasing it is a Credit, but in your books, it is a Debit. (because to you, it is an asset)

-----

Autofill works off the last matching transaction. (as far as I can tell)

There are various ways to avoid it:

1. Duplicate an older transaction and then edit the result.

2. Cancel the auto-complete

3. As commented elsewhere, enter a Note first (turn on View > Double-line mode) then enter a Description which will thus not auto-fill. (though I'll suspect if your Note just happens to match a previous transaction, this might not work. I haven't tested this case personally.)

4. Allow the auto-fill, then tab through to the split that is 'backwards' and entering the proper amount for this transaction as a negative in that column, which will automatically move it to the other column as a positive, or just delete the amount in the wrong column, tab to the correct one, and enter the proper amount there.

5. Use a 'more unique' Description for debit situations and another for credit situations.

Once you've successfully recorded a transaction with the proper debit/credit order you like, that pattern will continue, until of course, you need it reversed again. There's no way for GnuCash to guess which one you want.

Regards,
Adrien

On 2/7/26 11:59 AM, Phyllis Bruce wrote:
I know we've been through this before about ALL transactions (now, just
most recent) showing in the auto fill list.  That was bad enough.  Now I am
constantly having to watch which account is presented on top!  For
instance, if I post a new transaction to someone I recently PAID, my
checking account is on top, indicating a withdrawal.  That is where it
should be when I'm in my checking account.
However, if that same entity sent ME money  (income item in my checking
account), the checking account is on the bottom!

This is such a time waster!  Am I totally in left field?

_______________________________________________
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.

Reply via email to