[GNC] New GnuCash file and importing Chart of Accounts

[Jay Bouxsein]

At the outset, I must confess that I am a senior who increasingly has
difficulties using complicated software products, especially accounting
products because I do not have detailed accounting knowledge but I do know
the basics. I have worked with my accountant to use GnuCash to assist him
in preparing end of year tax returns and he has suggested that I open new
books at the beginning of each new year.  I mostly use the checkbook
register which accepts the check and deposit details and organizes them
into appropriate sub accounts.  I produce a P & L with expanded details and
he works his magic.

I am running version 2.6.7.  I have created new GnuCash files in the past,
but this year I am stuck. I just cannot remember how I did it in the past.
I found a section in the Help materials which seemed to offer a good
solution but when I tried it, I was unsuccessful and now I can't even find
the precise section I had been using, not even whether it was in the
Tutorial materials or the general manual. (Short term memory problems I
guess.)

Basically I want to create a new GnuCash file for tax year 2023 and export
into it the Chart of Accounts used by my 2022 GnuCash file. Not the data,
just the Chart of Accounts.  I know I could start from scratch and work my
way through the Setup Assistant, but I want to avoid the possibility of
introducing errors not found in my 2022 file. I came across a statement in
the Help materials stating the an easy way to achieve my goal was to go to
the file menu and select "Export " and from the three options drop down
select "Export Accounts" and in the window which opens I should be able to
not only transfer the Chart of Accounts, but create the new GnuCash file I
want to create.

My attempts have failed because I believe that I am not pushing the right
keys at the right time in the right order.  I really need detailed
instructions.  Can any of you help?

Jay B
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Re: [GNC] difficulties I am having

[Jay Bouxsein]

Thanks. I probably will take your advice.

Jay

On Sat, Apr 24, 2021, 7:39 PM John Ralls  wrote:

> Please copy the list on all replies unless you're including confidential
> information like a screenshot of your register.
>
> Since you've got your file back the way you want it you should save it and
> make a copy, then consider also making a copy on a service like Dropbox or
> Google Drive so that you're protected if something should happen to your
> computer. Do that again every year after you finish entering the previous
> year's data.
>
> Regards,
> John Ralls
>
> > On Apr 24, 2021, at 5:18 PM, Jay Bouxsein  wrote:
> >
> > Well, I have good news and bad news, good first. I did manage to get my
> original data entry screen, that is the one that we were using, and it
> seems to be working just like it did when we were entering the data for tax
> year 2020.  All of the data we entered for transactions in Jan and Feb were
> all still where we put them and it was waiting for us to enter the new data
> starting with March 1.  I can also print P & L for past years as well as
> this year.
> >
> > The bad news is that your suggested go back via backup will not work for
> me because the newest back up the system has for me dates all the way back
> to 2017.  It appears that ever since we used the system since 2017 I was
> simply exiting the program without posting the new data ignoring any error
> messages that may have appeared.  You know, as you get older, you start to
> mentally age back to your youth, and I am proof of that. I really cannot
> tell you how I got back to the setup I had, I just started punching buttons
> that looked like they might help. I really did not want to go back and
> start again from 2017 so I figured what the Hell.  I only remember hitting
> the "revert" option from the file menu and nothing after that.
> >
> > In any event, my plan is to get 2020 out of the way and then maybe start
> all over again setting up a new and improved chart of accounts under a new
> company name.  It shouldn't be too bad because we really do have a simple
> operation here with limited vendors and limited things which only pop up
> rarely as issues. I promise , I hope, to not need to trouble you in the
> future, I'll make good use of the program's help feature.
> >
> > I thank you and all of your mates who stepped up to try to lend a
> helping hand. It is pleasant to run into people like you who are willing to
> help strangers.
> >
> > VTY
> >
> > Jay Bouxsein
> >
> > On Thu, Apr 22, 2021 at 7:45 PM John Ralls  wrote:
> > That's not what I hoped to see.
> > It looks like instead of changing the type of the checking account you
> deleted it and told GnuCash to move all of its transactions to Expenses.
> >
> > It's possible to fix this but it will be a little tedious. If you have a
> backup from before all of this happened (see
> https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/FAQ#Q:_What_are_all_these_.gnucash_and_.log_files_filling_up_my_directory.3F
> if you don't know about GnuCash's automatic backups) then you can just quit
> GnuCash without saving, rename the backup to the working name, and start
> over.
> >
> > Otherwise you'll need to:
> > 1. Leave the current Expenses account as type Expense but rename it to
> Checking.
> > 2. Make a new top level expenses account
> > 3. Edit each direct child account of Checking and change its parent to
> Expenses.
> > 4. When Checking has no more children edit it, change its type to Bank,
> and change its parent to Assets:Current Assets.
> >
> > Regards,
> > John Ralls
> >
> > > On Apr 22, 2021, at 5:21 PM, Jay Bouxsein  wrote:
> > >
> > > Thanks so much for such a prompt reply. I have attached a couple of
> photos of the screens that I have up on my computer right now which should
> answer your question and give you more understanding about the way my
> system is set up.
> > >
> > > I thank you again for all your help.
> > >
> > > Jay BOUXSEIN
> > >
> > >
> > > On Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 7:09 PM John Ralls  wrote:
> > > Whether you want to change the children depends on how you've
> structured your accounts. What are the children?
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > John Ralls
> > >
> > > > On Apr 22, 2021, at 5:04 PM, Jay Bouxsein 
> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Thanks so much. I am at the computer right now and made the change
> you recommended in the lower left hand corner of the edit account screen to
> bank. I pressed OK and got a pop-up screen that says "give the children the
> same type