"This transaction is not in balance" -- Quickbooks cannot perform simple arithmetic
David Hutton
people on this newsgroup have experienced. The clues are:
1) you sometimes get the message "This transaction is not in balance..."
when the transaction IS in balance
2) you have a version that supports GST (e.g. Canadian)
The problem may seem sporadic or unpredictable to you. Here is how I can
reproduce it consistently on my system:
1) I enter a transaction such as a bill or invoice, and override the GST
total (to set an amount different to what Quickbooks calculated -- we often
have to do this.)
2) Having completed and saved the transaction, I then go back and try to
change it in some way (e.g. to add a memo). The system won't let me!
I now get the message "This transaction is not in balance..." although the
numbers are correct and in balance. Using the 'recalculate' button simply
messes up the transaction so that the GST is set to what Quickbooks'
simple-minded calculation thinks it should be -- but the numbers are now all
wrong.
I first reported this problem to Intuit on 2 Feb 2001, but none of the
promised fixes have worked. (I am now on the very latest release). I
escalated it to Stephen Bennett, President of Intuit -- with little joy so
far. Intuit seems to believe that 1) the bug not serious, 2) it is easily
worked around, and that 3) few customers are encountering it. I think that
they are wrong on all counts, so I'd like your help to find out.
If you are seeing this problem, please post here, or even better send me an
email at:
quick...@dhutton.com
I will keep everyone informed of what I learn, and the outcome.
David Hutton
By the way, there is a workaround, although it's horrible.
1) get Quickbooks to memorize the transaction,
2) delete the original,
3) use the memorized transaction to creat a new one, and then
4) DON'T SAVE IT UNTIL YOU ARE CERTAIN THAT IT IS PERFECT. One tiny typo and
you are toast -- you will need to start over. And of course the links (from
the original invoice or bill to other transactions) are all messed up when
you delete the original.
Adam H.
Adam
"David Hutton" <da...@dhutton.com> wrote in message
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Vernon
solve this problem and a few others. It SEEMS to work.
"David Hutton" <da...@dhutton.com> wrote in message
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David Hutton
using multicurrency. (And once you have turned on multicurrency mode, you
cannot switch back since the file format is changed.)
Vernon <Safa...@Hot-stop-spam-Mail.com> wrote in message
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D B Munro
I get this error when I complete a sales receipt and forget to change the
deposit to information to my cash account rather than my bank account (many
of our sales are small cash transactions, post-dated cheques etc so we don't
actually deposit the exact same amount to the bank account). So, when I see
the deposit was erroneously shown as made to our bank account, I simply
enter the sales receipt, change the deposit info to cash rather than bank,
and then get the "not in balance" message.
Note ny cash account is really a bank account called cash. I mention this
because the only change I'm making as far as QB goes is to change bank
accounts - no amounts change - so it seems clear to me this is a bug!
--
D B Munro
"David Hutton" <da...@dhutton.com> wrote in message
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Jack McCracken
Don't put an amount in the top of the transaction...Clear it out if it a
previous transaction you are editing...
Put in your account, your items / expenses (net amounts) in the detail area,
set your tax code, and click recalc. Puts in the right GST / PST, and the
totals the transaction IN BALANCE...Works for me every time.
.
Thanks...
.
Jack McCracken
i_ca...@hotmail.com
.
"Adam H." <ah...@netconnect.com.au> wrote in message
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David Hutton
Thanks for the override suggestion -- I tried it, but unfortunately it
doesn't work for the bug I am describing. There is no problem if the GST
amount that Quckbooks calculates is correct. However, there are MANY
situations where this simple-minded calculation (using the amounts and tax
codes) is incorrect. Once example: when an expense line on a bill contains
a combination of PST-chargeable and non-PST-chargeable items. In this
situation (and others) you need to read the correct GST from the original
receipt and key it into Quickbooks, overriding the calculated amount.
Quickbooks is designed to allow this -- and does so until this bug kicks in.
David Hutton
Jack McCracken <i_ca...@htomail.com> wrote in message
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allgorithms inc.
for me. I never realized it could be a multicurrency issue, how odd. Anyhow,
the only solution I have come up with is to take the differential in one
item in the bill. I was very frustrated with the R4 that promised to fix it,
and actually had a QB sales agent connect me to Support for free! Too bad
they didn't have a fix either, their best suggestion was to wait for the
next release!
Susan
"D B Munro" <denm...@home.com> wrote in message
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