brotherton-erpnext/erpnext/docs/user/guides/accounts/journal-entry.md

All types of accounting entries other than **Sales Invoice** and **Purchase
Invoice** are made using the **Journal Entry**. A **Journal Entry** 
is a standard accounting transaction that affects
multiple Accounts and the sum of debits is equal to the sum of credits.

To create a Journal Entry go to:

> Accounts > Documents > Journal Entry > New

<img class="screenshot" alt="Journal Entry" src="{{url_prefix}}/assets/img/accounts/journal-entry.png">

In a Journal Entry, you must select.

  * Type of Voucher from the drop down.
  * Add rows for the individual accounting entries. In each row, you must specify: 
    * The Account that will be affected
    * The amount to Debit or Credit
    * The Cost Center (if it is an Income or Expense)
    * Against Voucher: Link it to a voucher or invoice if it affects the “outstanding” amount of that invoice.
    * Is Advance: Select “Yes” if you want to make it selectable in an Invoice. Other information in case it is a Bank Payment or a bill.

#### Difference

The “Difference” field is the difference between the Debit and Credit amounts.
This should be zero if the Journal Entry is to be “Submitted”. If this
number is not zero, you can click on “Make Difference Entry” to add a new row
with the amount required to make the total as zero.

* * *

## Common Entries

A look at some of the common accounting entries that can be done via Journal
Voucher.

#### Expenses (non accruing)

Many times it may not be necessary to accrue an expense, but it can be
directly booked against an expense Account on payment. For example a travel
allowance or a telephone bill. You can directly debit Telephone Expense
(instead of your telephone company) and credit your Bank on payment.

  * Debit: Expense Account (like Telephone expense)
  * Credit: Bank or Cash Account

#### Bad Debts or Write Offs

If you are writing off an Invoice as a bad debt, you can create a Journal
Voucher similar to a Payment, except instead of debiting your Bank, you can
debit an Expense Account called Bad Debts.

  * Debit: Bad Debts Written Off
  * Credit: Customer

> Note: There may be regulations in your country before you can write off bad
debts.

#### Depreciation

Depreciation is when you write off certain value of your assets as an expense.
For example if you have a computer that you will use for say 5 years, you can
distribute its expense over the period and pass a Journal Entry at the end
of each year reducing its value by a certain percentage.

  * Debit: Depreciation (Expense)
  * Credit: Asset (the Account under which you had booked the asset to be depreciated)

> Note: There may be regulations in your country that define by how much
amount you can depreciate a class of Assets.

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