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You are here: General Ledger > General Journal Entry
General Journal Entry
Function
Enter, change, or print general journal entries.
Things You Should Know
- The GMS system provides a general journal to be used primarily for special issues - corrections and adjustments, recording payroll, recording interest, recording ACH debits, etc.
- Entries to the general journal may be used to affect virtually any account in the system. However, there are some basic rules that you should be aware of:
- No attempt should be made to adjust pool distributions to programs using the general journal. The fringe benefit (50500) pool, indirect cost pool (59700), and any other designated pools are automatically distributed to programs based upon a formula established at the time your system was installed. Journal entries to move pool distributions will disturb the cost allocation process and create errors in the system.
- Do not attempt to adjust the vouchers payable account using the general journal. The accounts payable processing procedures rely on voucher and cash disbursement entries only. Adjustments to vouchers payable using journal entries will cause subsidiary accounts payable reports to be out of balance with the general ledger vouchers payable account.
- Should you be using a journal entry to record a ACH debit payment and you check the ACH Debit box, the credit side of the entry must be coded to an asset account since a true ACH debit comes out of a cash account.
- You may choose to use one or more general journal entries each month.
- You may print and display the entry as often as you wish. Once the entry is entered, proofed, and printed in the final form you should:
- File the final printed journal entry report.
- Post to the GL.
Document Attachments
During General Journal data entry you have the ability to attach an external document to the general journal or general journal batch control. Some examples are a pdf image of a statement, correspondence in a Word document or an Excel spreadsheet. To accomplish this, once the general journal is open, click on the Documents button on the tool bar across the top of your screen. A New Document form will appear with the Source combo box defaulted to GJ. The Batch# and Doc# fields will also automatically be populated. At this point you can open Windows Explorer or My Computer and locate the document you wish to attach. Then simply drag and drop the document by placing the cursor over the document name, left click and drag it to the New Document form in GMS. Once the cursor is anywhere on the New Document form, simply let go of the cursor button and the complete file name and path will appear in the File Name field. Then save the document attachment. Another option is to click on the >> symbol to the right of the File Name field and locate the document to be attached. Once the document is selected, click on save.
Should you wish to add additional documents to the general journal, once the grid appears with the currently attached document(s) click on the New button on the bottom of the form and repeat the attachment process.
Auto attach documents – If you have several documents to be attached in a batch stored in a specific folder, you can select Auto Attach from the New Document form. Then in the File Name box, identify a document within the folder where the attachments are stored. The system will then automatically attach all documents in that folder that start with the corresponding entry number in the batch. For example, if you have entry numbers 356 and 357 in a batch the system will automatically attach documents that are named 356 xxx and 357 xxx to the appropriate entry in the batch. Note: in order for this procedure to work properly the documents to be attached must be named with the corresponding entry number to which they are to be attached followed by a space then followed by a description of your choice. For example, a document to be attached to entry number 356 in a batch could be named 356 Approval Memo.
Should you wish to “un-attach” a document from the general journal, highlight the existing file name and click on the Delete button on the bottom. Note: this step does not delete the document, it merely “un-attaches” it from the general journal.
Operating Instructions
To enter or change journal entry data, select General Ledger, then General Journal.
GJ Batch Control
The grid displays all GJ batches and the corresponding hash totals. Columns can be sorted ascending or descending by clicking on the column heading. The GJ batch can also be posted or unposted in the grid.
Batch#: The system will automatically number the general journal batch with the next available batch number. This field cannot be edited.
Description: You can enter a description for the batch that will print on the batch control, batch register and Batch Analysis.
Posting Period: You will need to enter or select from the combo box the posting period in which you wish to include this batch for month end processing purposes.
Posted: This field represents the status of the batch for month end processing purposes. If False is stated here, it is stating this batch has not been posted to the G/L in the posting period selected. If True is stated here, it is stating this batch has been posted to the G/L in the posting period selected.
Print Options
Include signature lines: This option will print Prepared by, Entered by, and Verified by signature lines at the bottom of the Batch Control page.
Date: Your report will print in date order.
Document #: Your report will print according to the document numbers assigned at data entry time.
Once printed to your screen, you may then select the following:
- By selecting the first icon, you may create a file to be exported
- By selecting the printer icon, you may print this batch to your printer
- Click on the left of right arrows to go forward or back a page or to go to the beginning or end of your document
- Click on the binocular icon to search your batch for a particular word or number
Save: Click this button to save the General Journal Batch.
GJ Data Entry
New: Click this button to enter a new general journal.
Batch #: This is automatically assigned and cannot be edited.
ACH Debit: Check this box if the General Journal document to be entered represents an ACH debit payment to a vendor. Once you check this box, vendor code and vendor name fields will appear. You may then select or enter the vendor code or name to which the ACH debit payment was issued. If Supplement #327 Complete PO's is used, a PO associated with the ACH payment can be selected from the drop down box. Full or partial payments can be applied and the PO can be marked as completed.
The vendor and payment information will be stored and subsequently printed on the GJ Batch, Payment History and will be added to the 1099 table if applicable when prepared.
GJ#: Each general journal entry number is automatically assigned by the system. This field cannot be edited.
Date: Enter the journal entry date or select a date from the combo box. After entering the first GJ in a batch, the document date will repeat the previous GJ’s document date.
Note: Enter a short reference description. This will appear on month end reports.
Element: Enter the program element number to be charged or click on the combo box to choose an element from the list.
If charges are to an asset or liability account, 997000 will automatically appear in this field.
If this distribution is to adjust an expense that has been charged, you must enter a program element number.
For revenues, however, you have the option to skip the element number (tap enter or click on the Project field) and to specify the project number. If it is an adjustment to a revenue code, you would use the element or only the project number used in the original entry.
Project: Enter the project code to be charged or click on the combo box to choose a project code from the list.
Note: Whenever an element is entered in the preceding field, the corresponding project number will automatically appear and you will pass over this field. You will use the project number only for revenues which are to be charged at the project level.
GL Code: Enter the appropriate general ledger code or click on the combo box to choose a code from the list.
Debit: Enter the amount or tap enter to move to the credit field.
Credit: Enter the amount or tap enter if the amount is zero.
Click on next row: To enter additional lines, simply click on the next row.
Distribution Grid: The grid shows the following information: element number, project code, g/l code, debit amount, and credit amount. If an error is made after entering a g/l code, program element, project code, or dollar amount, it must be removed from the grid and re-entered. To remove information from the grid, double click on the line of distribution to remove.
Save: Click this button to save the general journal entry just entered. Prior to saving the entry the transaction will be checked for the following:
- The entry must be in balance. Debits must equal credits.
- Element 997000 may not be used with revenue (40000's) codes or expenditure codes higher than 50000. The only exceptions are 50500 and 59700, which will be used for year-end closing.
- Any entries to 50000 must be coded to 997000, and year end closing entries to 50500 and 59700 must be coded to 97000.
- All expenditure codes (except 50000, 50500 and 59700) must be coded to an element.
- Any asset, liability or fund balance transaction codes (10000's, 20000's, 30000's) must be coded to element 997000.
Entries passing the above tests will be saved and the screen will clear, allowing you to enter general journal entries or Exit.
Edit: Click this button to edit a previously entered general journal entry.
Delete: Click this button to delete an unposted general journal entry. If the general journal you wish to delete is included in a posted general journal entry batch, the system will not allow you to delete the general journal entry and will notify you that the batch has been posted, you cannot delete.
Find: Click this button to locate an entry.
Previous: Click this button to view the previous general journal entry.
Next: Click this button to view the next general journal entry.
Print: Click this button to print the general journal entry just entered or to print a previously entered general journal entry.
Reverse GJ
Select this tab to specify a GJ document number that you would like to have a reversing entry created for. Enter the new document date and posting period. Multiple reversing entries can be included in the same batch.
Original GJ Document #: Select the original document(s) that you wish to reverse.
New Document Date: Enter the date for your new document.
New Posting Period: Select the posting period for your new GJ.
Prepare: Click on this button to create your new General Journal entry.
Note: Should you decide to reverse a GJ document that has a description of more than 25 characters in length, the system will only include the first 25 characters in the description of the reversing document.
Note: Should you try to reverse an entry that has an inactive GL, Project or Element code, you will receive a message telling you which code is inactive and you will not be able to reverse that entry.
Note: Should you try to reverse an entry that has a terminated Project or Element code, you will be warned and asked if you wish to override.
