General Ledger, Trial Balance & Financial Statements Explained
Namrata10 Nov 2026
This guide walks you through recording a journal entry in QuickBooks® Online accounting software.
A journal entry is a manual adjustment to your books. It is the tool you reach for when no other transaction type (invoice, bill, expense or transfer) fits what you need to record, because it lets you post amounts directly to the accounts you choose.
Because a journal entry bypasses the usual forms, it is best used by someone comfortable with double-entry bookkeeping, or on instructions from your accountant. Before you start, make sure you know which account should be debited and which should be credited.
Typical situations where a journal entry makes sense:
- Posting debits and credits by hand, the way you would in a traditional ledger.
- Reclassifying an amount from an income account to an expense account, or the reverse.
- Moving a balance out of an asset, liability or equity account into an income or expense account.
How to record a journal entry
- Click the
- New
- On line one, pick the first account in the Account column, then type the amount under Debits or Credits, whichever applies to that account.
- On line two, pick the account on the other side of the adjustment and type the same amount in the opposite column.
- Before saving, confirm the entry balances: the total of the Debits column must equal the total of the Credits column.
- Add a short note in the Memo field explaining the reason for the adjustment, so you (or your auditor) can understand it later.
- Finish with Save and close, or Save and new if you have more entries to record.
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