Hello, Clint, and welcome to GnuCash!
On 2026-05-03 19:32, Clint Chaplin wrote:
I'm fairly new to double-entry bookkeeping, but I think I understand the
general principle, but when it comes to setting up a chart of accounts, it
feels like there are so many ways to set up the tree structure, starting
with what is at the higher levels vs. lower levels, and most trees are
workable. I realize this email list is about GnuChash, which will be used
to instantiate whatever chart I develop, and so is not the correct place to
be asking my questions.
Does anybody have a pointer to a place where I can ask questions about
account charts and structures, and get some real world perspectives on what
worked and what didn't? And what may be GAAP and what isn't?
The place to start in the GnuCash documentation is the /GnuCash Tutorial
and Concepts Guide/
<https://gnucash.org/viewdoc.phtml?rev=5&lang=C&doc=guide>. See
especially section 2, the basics.
The /GnuCash Wiki/ has an FAQ. See especially the *Accounting
Questions* section
<https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/FAQ#Accounting_Questions>. Note that it
suggests specific texts and videos as introductions to accounting.
GnuCash makes it easy to experiment. GnuCash will offer to populate a
few different charts of accounts in a new book file. It costs nothing
but a little time to try. So, install GnuCash, open a new Book file,
accept the various offers of initial charts of accounts, and see what
you think. Also, it is not hard to restructure the chart of accounts as
you go. You can move a subaccount from one parent to another, and all
the transactions stay within that account. So, one way to get started is
to get started, then correct your course as you go.
There is a /Personal Finance & Money/ Q&A site
<https://money.stackexchange.com/>. Some accounting questions are in
scope there, but I'm not sure where exactly they draw the boundaries.
When it comes time to switch from learning about accounting to learning
how GnuCash works, read /The GnuCash Manual/
<https://gnucash.org/viewdoc.phtml?rev=5&lang=C&doc=help>.
I hope this helps,
—Jim DeLaHunt
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