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1993-06-03
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I'M NO ACCOUNTANT (TM)
Single Business Journal Template
INTRODUCTION
Bookkeeping in a small business is important. Some people spend
their whole lives doing nothing else. Not me. I'm no accountant, but
I want to easily enter my checkbook transactions, reconcile my income
and expenses with the bank statement, and generate a small number of
reports at the end of the year for my accountant. If I make a
mistake, I want an easy way to change the information stored in the
computer. I want the calculations to be reliable.
I found the commercial accounting packages too complex for the needs
of my small business. I'm no accountant, but I looked at the way many
small businesses with cash flow, non-computerized accounting methods
kept their books, and transferred those methods to a menu-driven Lotus
1-2-3 (R) spreadsheet template.
If you have hundreds of transactions a day, need A/R, A/P, payroll,
billing, and inventory in an integrated package with double entry
bookkeeping, you will need to keep looking. The I'M NO ACCOUNTANT
software doesn't do all those things.
The I'M NO ACCOUNTANT system offers these features:
- Screen entry of PAYMENTS with categorized account numbers,
- Screen entry of INCOME with categorized account numbers,
- Screen entry of SALARIES with deductions and employee ID,
- Full screen RECONCILIATION with bank statements, allowing
you to easily change incorrectly entered amounts,
- Automated QUERY facility to look at transactions selected
by account number or by employee ID,
- Automated SUMMARY of income and expenses by category,
- Selectable SORTING of categories by name or number, with
easy addition of more account numbers and names,
- Printer REPORTS can list all transactions with an account
summary, or queried transactions with subtotals, in standard
or SIDEWAYS (R) format,
- On-line removable HELP facility,
- The full power of LOTUS 1-2-3.
1
I'M NO ACCOUNTANT (TM)
Single Business Journal Template
WHY USE THE I'M NO ACCOUNTANT TEMPLATE?
The software you choose for your bookkeeping should fit in with the
way you want to do your books. I use the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT template
for my small businesses. Consider these features:
1. One of the more important things you can do for your
business is to manage your own books. Look at each bill.
Decide whether it should be paid. Write the checks by hand.
Deposit your company receipts yourself. As your business
grows larger, this will not be possible. But, if you don't
control your company finances in the beginning, the company
may not get much larger. The I'M NO ACCOUNTANT template
allows the information on expenses and deposits to be quickly
and easily entered, and then changed if necessary.
2. Even though I manage my own books, I use an accountant
for the taxes. If you only have salary and interest income,
do your taxes yourself. But, tax laws regarding businesses
are complicated and changing. You need the advise and, in
case of an IRS audit, the support of a CPA. The I'M NO
ACCOUNTANT template generates a complete transaction journal,
expense ledger and income ledger for the year. With a few
explanations, this is about all your CPA should need.
3. If you pay salaries, you can get reports which show how
much tax, FICA, etc. was withheld and how much salary was
paid. This report can be used for preparation of the W-2 or
1099 forms that you must generate. Although the I'M NO
ACCOUNTANT template does not calculate the tax to be
withheld, it is easy to enter and extract all the numbers.
4. A very time consuming part of bookkeeping was bank
statement reconciliation. The I'M NO ACCOUNTANT template now
makes this very simple. If you forgot to enter a check, or
input the wrong amount of a deposit, it is easy to remedy.
5. All information entered with the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT
template is stored in a Lotus 1-2-3 (R) spreadsheet. The
transactions are sorted by date. The full power of 1-2-3 is
available to use when you need to perform any function not
provided by the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT template. Information
can be imported or exported between applications or users,
conforming to your demands.
The I'M NO ACCOUNTANT software provides easy data entry, automated
ledger posting, automated report generation, and full access to the
data for a small business. I have been using this template for
several years and it may also be appropriate for your small business,
if you don't want to be an accountant either.
2
I'M NO ACCOUNTANT (TM)
Single Business Journal Template
SINGLE OR DUAL ENTRY ACCOUNTING?
If you run a large business, which the government defines as one which
grosses over $5,000,000 per year or has over 500 employees, you may be
required to use double entry accounting procedures. All of your
finances are categorized as assets, liabilities, equity, revenue or
expenses. Through the equation ASSETS = LIABILITIES + EQUITY, each
and every transaction you make is assigned a chart of accounts number
for each side of the equation. Having two account numbers makes it
dual entry. One part of the equity is your profit or loss which is
defined by PROFIT = REVENUE - EXPENSES. Individual transactions are
entered in the JOURNAL and then periodically posted to the LEDGER,
which will then contain a summary of the transactions.
The I'M NO ACCOUNTANT template uses a single entry accounting
procedure, and is based on cash flow into and out of your checking
account. The transactions are just the deposits into your checking
account, and checks or bank charges which remove money from your
checking account. Each transaction is assigned one account number:
one of the INCOME account numbers for deposits, or one of the EXPENSE
account numbers for expenses paid.
For each deposit made or check written, the TRANSACTION menu is
selected to display a DEPOSIT, PAYMENT or SALARY entry screen. The
information you type in is automatically entered into the transaction
journal. In addition to the information you already have, you will
need only the category number.
Periodically, the JOURNAL BALANCE command is selected to summarize all
transactions in the ledgers. All transactions with the same account
numbers will be added up, summarizing where the money came from and
where it went.
Because all checking transactions have been entered, the TRANSACTION
RECONCILE command can be selected to reconcile the bank statement with
the checking balance in the spreadsheet.
The I'M NO ACCOUNTANT system keeps track of profit and loss, the bank
balance, expenses by category, and income by category.
A dual entry system would also keep track of all loans, all holdings
such as real estate and furnishings, accounts receivable, accounts
payable, depreciation, and credit card accounts. However, you would
also have to know and to enter this information.
If you need a full picture of your financial situation, and have the
time and the information for the data entry, you should investigate a
dual entry accounting system. If you only need information on profit
and loss, categorized transactions, and up to date checking account
balances, then you should examine the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT single entry
system in detail.
3
I'M NO ACCOUNTANT (TM)
Single Business Journal Template
GETTING STARTED
The I'M NO ACCOUNTANT template requires the use of Lotus 1-2-3, a
product of Lotus Development Corporation which you must acquire
separately. There are other spreadsheet products which will allow
many Lotus 1-2-3 macro templates to run properly, but the I'M NO
ACCOUNTANT templates have not been tested with any of them.
First copy the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT file named JOUR1.WK1 to the sub-
directory containing your 1-2-3 executable files, or to the one in
which you keep your spreadsheet files.
To load Lotus 1-2-3 from the DOS prompt, it is usually only necessary
to type
123
followed by pressing the ENTER key.
This manual does not provide any tutorial on Lotus 1-2-3. Before
using I'M NO ACCOUNTANT templates, please acquaint yourself with the
use of your spreadsheet software. A little knowledge will go a long
way.
After Lotus 1-2-3 (R) is loaded and running, the single business
journal template JOUR1.WK1 can be run by entering the command
/frJOUR1
followed by pressing the ENTER key.
In just a few seconds, a menu should appear at the top of the screen.
It is similar to the Lotus 1-2-3 menu, except that it allows you to
access all of the functions of the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT template.
The next thing to do is press the letter J to select the JOURNAL menu
items. Then press the letter C to CLEAR the spreadsheet. An entry
screen will appear and three pieces of information should be entered:
(1) The date. This should be the starting date you want to use
with the journal. It is usually the first day of the
current year. For example, '1/1/91 is a valid date.
(2) Your business name. If you don't use the template for a
business, your personal name will be OK to use. This name
will appear at the top of some reports. Avoid using these
characters: @ # | { } / \ + - ~
4
(3) The starting balance. Usually there is a starting balance
in the checkbook, but you can enter 0 if you want. Leave
the starting balance blank to cancel the CLEAR function.
This procedure will customize a copy of the template. You will
immediately be prompted for a new spreadsheet name. Use any name you
like, but be sure that it is a name DOS will accept. To be safe, use
only letters and numbers in the name. If you have different accounts,
this JOURNAL CLEAR procedure can be repeated as often as you like,
each time giving a different file name. In the future, use the new
name to load your spreadsheet.
In addition to your record of expenses and income, you will need a
list of the account categories. These are numbers which are used to
classify all your expenses and income. They are referred to as a
chart of accounts.
The I'M NO ACCOUNTANT template comes with a default list of
categories. They are listed in APPENDIX A and APPENDIX B. To print
your own list, first make sure that Lotus 1-2-3 (R) has been
configured for your printer, and that the printer is on. Then, from
the JOURNAL menu, select the NORMAL print item by pressing the N key.
The first page will be almost empty since you have not yet entered any
transactions. Following that, you will get a page with expense
accounts and then one with income accounts. The final summary sheet
will also be all zeroes.
If you don't like some of the names or numbers, see the reference
section on how to change them. If you delete any numbers or names, be
sure not to leave any gaps in the list. A line without a name or a
number in the middle of a list will result in unexpected consequences.
Selecting a good set of account numbers is important. Once a set of
numbers is selected, it will be hard to change until the next year.
Think about your income and expenses, and customize the list for
yourself.
Press the ESC key to get back to the main accounting menu. If you
want to stop now, press Q to save the spreadsheet and QUIT 1-2-3.
Otherwise, if you want to enter transactions now, press T and the
TRANSACTIONS menu will be displayed.
Select D to make a deposit, P to make a payment which is not a salary,
or S to pay a salary with deductions. An entry screen will be
displayed and you only need to enter the information. When going
between lines, use the UP and DOWN arrows. After all the information
has been entered, press the ENTER key twice.
When you have finished, press the ESC key to return to the main I'M NO
ACCOUNTANT menu and then the Q key to quit. For most menus, you can
press the H key to get help. When finished reading the help screens,
press the ENTER key to continue.
This should get you started. In the next section, we give more
detailed information on the operation of the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT
template.
5
I'M NO ACCOUNTANT (TM)
Single Business Journal Template
REFERENCE SECTION
A WALK THROUGH THE TEMPLATE.
All transactions, such as checks written or income received, are
stored in the 1-2-3 (R) spreadsheet by the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT software.
Before starting to use the template, it will be good to get an idea of
where and how the information is stored.
First, copy the file JOUR1.WK1 to the subdirectory in which you
normally keep your 1-2-3 spreadsheets. Then, load 1-2-3 by typing
123
followed by pressing the ENTER key. Load the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT
template by entering
/frJOUR1
followed by pressing the ENTER key. After a delay of just a few
seconds, the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT copyright screen will be displayed and
its MAIN menu will be active. Just press the ENTER key to activate
the 1-2-3 READY mode.
Press the HOME key to view the first screen of the transaction
journal. The columns are labeled at the top. As you enter data, each
transaction will use one row of the spreadsheet. The fields on the
first screen are:
Date The date of the transaction.
Name The name of the person or business a
check was written to or received from.
Description This field describes why the transaction
occurred. Make any necessary notes.
Month This column will contain the number of
the month (1-12) in which the transaction
appears in the bank statement.
Number This is the check number, usually the
number of a check you wrote.
Press the TAB key to view the next screen. The fields on that screen
are:
Account This is the expense account number, the
income account number, or employee ID.
Payment Amounts of checks written are stored here.
Balance This is the current bank balance.
Deposit Amounts of deposits are stored here.
Gross Salary The total salary paid before deductions.
FICA Amount deducted from salary for FICA.
Fed tax Amount deducted from salary for fed. tax.
6
Press the TAB key to view the next screen. The fields on that screen
are:
St tax Amount deducted from salary for state tax.
Co tax Amount deducted from salary for county tax.
Press the TAB key to view the expense ledger screen. This screen
shows the expense account numbers and names. After a JOURNAL BALANCE
command has been completed, the amount will be the sum of all
transactions with the same expense account number. You can use the
PAGE DOWN and PAGE UP keys to view all of the numbers.
Press the TAB key to view the income ledger screen. This screen shows
the income account numbers and names. After a JOURNAL BALANCE command
has been completed, the amount will be the sum of all transactions
with the same income account number. You can use the PAGE DOWN and
PAGE UP keys to view all of the numbers.
Press the TAB key to view the summary screen. This screen shows the
summary of all transactions and will be generated by the JOURNAL
BALANCE command. For the accounts to be balanced, the top two lines
must show the same amount, and the bottom two lines must show the same
amount.
The portions of the spreadsheet described above will be printed out
when the JOURNAL NORMAL command is executed.
Press the TAB key to view the checkbook reconciliation screen.
Outstanding checks and deposits will be shown on this screen, together
with a summary of the actual bank balance and the amount shown in the
bank statement. When nothing is outstanding, the TRANSACTION
RECONCILIATION command will display only balances on the screen.
Press the TAB key to view the first account report screen. The
EXTRACT command will display information on single account numbers or
Employee ID numbers on this screen. The headings are the same as for
the transaction journal.
Press the TAB key to view the second account report screen. This
screen will be filled in only if you are extracting information on an
Employee ID. The EXTRACT INPUT command will also generate subtotals
for each of the columns on the account report screens.
Continuing to press the TAB key now will display portions of the
spreadsheet used by I'M NO ACCOUNTANT to perform calculations, execute
commands, and give help. Please do not change these areas.
Information in the spreadsheet may be modified from the 1-2-3 READY
mode. To restore the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT menu from the 1-2-3 READY
mode, press key A while holding down the key labeled ALT. It is the
only ALT key you will have to use with I'M NO ACCOUNTANT software.
Once you have pressed the ALT A key from the 1-2-3 READY mode, all
accounting functions are available from the menus.
7
SETTING UP THE TEMPLATE.
To customize the template for your use, select the JOURNAL CLEAR
command from the MAIN menu. Although described in the JOURNAL CLEAR
section of the manual, some of the information will also be discussed
here. The following menu will be displayed when the JOURNAL CLEAR
option is selected:
________________________
|Date |
|Bus. name |
|Balance |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|________________________|
INITIAL date, business name and balance
(a blank Balance cancels)
By leaving the balance blank and just pressing the ENTER key, the
operation will be canceled. The MAIN menu will be displayed and no
action will be taken.
Normally, you will want to fill in all three fields. The date is the
starting date for the journal. It is usually the first day of the
year. Type in the date as a string, like '1/1/91 and then press the
DOWN ARROW.
Next, type in the name of your business or your personal name. This
name will be displayed at the head of the spreadsheet, on the
copyright screen, and on several printouts. Avoid all of the
following characters in the name: @ # | { } / \ + - ~
Press the DOWN ARROW to go to the third field. The balance is the
starting balance in the checking account on the starting date. It can
be 0, but usually isn't. Enter the balance and press the ENTER key.
If you have made any mistakes, use the UP or DOWN ARROW keys to select
the field with the error. Then type in the correct entry. Press the
ENTER key again. Repeat this procedure until there are no more
errors. Then press the ENTER key a second time.
Ignore any beeps. The software will now prompt you for a new file
name. Be sure that the file name does not already exist and that you
use only letters and numbers in the name. Then press the ENTER key.
The file will be saved and the MAIN menu displayed. In the future,
load the spreadsheet with the new name when you want to use the I'M NO
ACCOUNTANT template.
8
The MAIN menu.
The MAIN menu of the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT software appears when you first
load the software, or when you press the ALT A key from the 1-2-3
READY mode. If you have selected any of the options which cause other
menus to be selected, pressing the ESC key will move back one level,
until you have reached the MAIN menu again. The following menu will
be displayed:
1-2-3 Transactions Journal Extract Register Help Quit
To select an item from a menu, either press the first letter of the
word (for example, press T to select Transactions) or use the right
and left arrow keys to highlight the word and then press the ENTER
key.
Each menu begins with the 1-2-3 item. Selection on the 1-2-3 item
will turn off the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT menu and go to 1-2-3 READY mode.
This allows all 1-2-3 commands to be used for data manipulation.
After performing 1-2-3 operations, press the ALT A key to return to
the main I'M NO ACCOUNTANT menu.
Transactions include deposits, bill payments, salary payments, and
bank statement reconciliation. These items are discussed in the
TRANSACTION menu section.
The Journal item includes clearing the spreadsheet for use with a new
bank account or to start a new year, balancing the accounts, adding
new account numbers, and getting a printout of the journal. These
items are discussed in the JOURNAL menu section.
The Extract item allows you to extract information by account number
or Employee ID. This can be especially useful for preparing tax
forms. If you give your accountant a copy of the template on disk, he
or she can use this feature to check whether or not the proper
categories were selected. These items are discussed in the EXTRACT
menu section.
The Register item will display a screen with information on the
registration of the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT software. This will allow
unregistered users who have received only a copy of the software on a
disk to be able to get the current version, a printed manual, and
technical support.
All menus have a Help item. Selection of the help item displays a
context sensitive help screen. By pressing the PAGE DOWN key, more
information can be seen. When you have finished viewing the help
screens, press ENTER to continue.
The Quit item from the MAIN menu will save the updated spreadsheet
file to disk, and prompt you to quit. If you answer NO, the MAIN menu
will be active. If you answer YES, 1-2-3 will exit. The Quit item
from other menus just moves back one menu, towards the MAIN menu.
9
The TRANSACTIONS menu.
The TRANSACTIONS menu is selected by pressing T from the MAIN menu.
The transactions include deposits, bill payments, salary payments, and
checkbook reconciliation. The following menu will be displayed:
1-2-3 Deposit Payment Salary Reconcile Bottom Help Quit
The 1-2-3 item exits the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT template and enters the
1-2-3 READY mode. The Bottom item positions the journal at the current
balance column. The Help item shows context sensitive help on the
TRANSACTIONS menu items. The Quit item returns to the MAIN menu.
TRANSACTIONS DEPOSIT.
Selection of TRANSACTIONS DEPOSIT shows the following screen:
________________________
|Date |
|Name |
|Description |
|Account # |
|Amount |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|________________________|
DEPOSIT entry
(a blank Amount cancels)
The DATE field will be automatically filled. It starts with the
current date when the spreadsheet is loaded. However, typing a new
date in the date field overrides the current date. The DATE field
should contain the date on which the check was deposited. Use the
arrow keys to go between fields.
The NAME field should contain the name of the person or business who
wrote the check to you. The DESCRIPTION is optional but helps to
further describe what the payment to you was for. If you can't see
all the information in the field on the screen, don't worry. It can
always be viewed by moving the cursor to that cell.
The ACCOUNT number is one of the INCOME account numbers. The default
income account numbers are listed in Appendix A. Proper account
numbers must be given for the accounts to balance.
The AMOUNT is how much the check was written for. To cancel the
TRANSACTIONS DEPOSIT, leave the amount field blank. Whether or not
the amount field is left empty, the spreadsheet will be positioned at
the bottom of the journal, showing the current balance.
10
TRANSACTIONS PAYMENT.
Selection of TRANSACTIONS PAYMENT shows the following screen:
________________________
|Date |
|Name |
|Description |
|Account # |
|Check # |
|Amount |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|________________________|
PAYMENT entry (not for salary)
(a blank Amount cancels)
Don't use this for payments of a salary. Payments of a bill are
categorized by account number. Payments of a salary are categorized
by Employee ID.
The DATE field should contain the date on which the check was written.
It should be entered as a string, like '1/1/91. If you forget to
start the string with a single quote, the field will look strange.
Don't worry, though. When you finish entering the data, the software
will add the initial quote and change the number into a string.
The NAME field should contain the name of the person or business to
which the check was written. The DESCRIPTION field is optional but
should include any information necessary to explain the reason for
writing the check. If you can't see all the information in the field
on the screen, don't worry. It can always be viewed in 1-2-3 READY
mode by placing the cursor at that cell.
The ACCOUNT number is the EXPENSE category. The default expense
categories are listed in Appendix B. Proper account numbers must be
given for accounts to balance.
The CHECK number is the number of your check.
The AMOUNT is the amount of the check. To cancel the TRANSACTIONS
PAYMENT command, leave the AMOUNT field blank and press the ENTER key.
Whether or not the amount field is left blank, the spreadsheet will be
positioned at the last entry of the BALANCE column of the transaction
journal. The current bank balance will be visible on the screen.
11
TRANSACTIONS SALARY.
Selection of TRANSACTIONS SALARY shows the following screen:
________________________
|Date |
|Name |
|Description Salary |
|Employee ID |
|Check # |
|Net Amount |
|Gross Amount |
|FICA |
|Fed. tax |
|State tax |
|County tax |
|________________________|
SALARY entry
(a blank Gross Amount cancels)
Data entry for the payment of a salary is made with this screen. It
should not be used for payment of other bills. You can use salary
payment screens for your employees for whom you must deduct tax, as
well as contract employees for whom you don't. This allows employee
information to be extracted by Employee ID and information on other
payments to be extracted by account number.
The DATE field should contain the date on which the check was written.
The I'M NO ACCOUNTANT software will fill in the date for you. First,
the current date is loaded. It can be changed by just typing in a new
date. The new date will be loaded automatically next time. This way,
you do not need to reenter the date for multiple checks written on the
same day.
The NAME field should contain the name of the person who is being
paid. The DESCRIPTION field is automatically filled with the word
SALARY. However, if you want to change the description, just type in
the new information. Also use this screen to enter commissions.
The EMPLOYEE ID field contains the employee ID number. You can use
any numbers for the employee ID, except that they should not be the
same as any expense or income category numbers. Use social security
numbers, numbers over 100000, or labels.
The CHECK number field contains the number of your check.
The NET amount is the amount of the check. The GROSS amount is the
salary before deductions. FICA is the social security deduction.
There are also fields for federal, state, and county tax deductions.
If the net amount does not equal the gross amount less all deductions,
the software will not exit the data entry screen. The amounts in
error must be reentered.
12
TRANSACTIONS RECONCILE.
Selection of the TRANSACTIONS RECONCILE item should be done after all
information on payment and deposit transactions has been entered, and
the monthly bank statement has been received.
If there are no outstanding items because you recently performed a
reconciliation, the software will position the spreadsheet at the
first item of the journal and will indicate INPUT. Press the ENTER
key to cause the software to continue. Then, on the checkbook
reconciliation screen, balances will appear. The journal balance
should equal the bank balance.
If there are outstanding items, the software will position the cursor
in the first empty cell of the MONTH column. If the item described on
that row is still outstanding, press the ENTER key.
If the item has cleared the bank, type in the number indicating the
month (1 to 12). The amount of the check or deposit also will usually
be visible on the screen. Check the amount to be sure that it is
correct. Moving the cursor left or right is OK.
If the amount of the check or deposit shown in the spreadsheet is not
correct, move the cursor to that cell and enter the correct amount.
Use the left and right arrow keys to move the cursor.
When the ENTER key is pressed, the software will continue with the
reconciliation. The software will position the spreadsheet on the
next empty MONTH cell. Continue until all outstanding items have been
processed.
All outstanding items will be displayed on the checkbook
reconciliation screen, with the calculated bank balance displayed. If
this does not match the actual bank statement, review all deposits and
checks until the data entry error has been located.
Be sure that automatic bank deposits or deductions have been included
in the transaction ledger. In particular, include bank interest
earned and special bank service charges for which no check was
written.
Transactions are stored in the order that they are entered. The
RECONCILE item does not change this order. Selection of the JOURNAL
BALANCE, JOURNAL NORMAL, or JOURNAL SIDEWAYS item will sort all
transactions by date and then by check number. You can perform a
JOURNAL BALANCE before or after the TRANSACTION RECONCILE, depending
on how you want the items to be displayed during reconciliation.
13
The JOURNAL menu.
The JOURNAL menu is selected by pressing the letter J from the MAIN
menu. The menu items process data already in the spreadsheet by
balancing, adding new account numbers, clearing, or printing out.
The following menu is displayed:
1-2-3 Balance Modify Clear Normal Sideways Help Quit
The 1-2-3 item exits the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT template and enters the
1-2-3 READY mode. The Help item shows context sensitive help on the
JOURNAL menu items. The Quit item returns to the MAIN menu.
JOURNAL BALANCE.
The JOURNAL BALANCE performs several important functions. First, the
journal is sorted by date, and then by check number. Next, all
transactions with the same account number are added together, with the
sums stored in the ledgers. Finally, a summary sheet is calculated,
showing whether information in the ledgers matches the information in
the transaction journal. They will not match if transactions have
been assigned account numbers which are not in the ledger listing.
New numbers can be added with the JOURNAL MODIFY command. Numbers
already in the journal can be changed only from the 1-2-3 READY mode.
You should perform a JOURNAL BALANCE monthly, and especially before
making a printout with the JOURNAL NORMAL or JOURNAL SIDEWAYS
commands.
To help you identify bad numbers, when accounts do not balance a list
is made of account numbers which are found in the journal but not in
the ledger. This will pick up account numbers from 1 through 99,999.
Labels and 9-digit social security numbers may not appear. If
accounts do not balance and no missing numbers are found, an income
account was used for a payment, or vice versa. To view the numbers,
enter 1-2-3 READY mode and use the PAGE DOWN and PAGE UP keys. Press
ALT A to continue. New account numbers may be added from the JOURNAL
MODIFY menu.
The JOURNAL MODIFY menu.
The JOURNAL MODIFY menu is selected by pressing the letter M from the
JOURNAL menu. The menu items add new expense or income categories, or
change how the information is sorted. The following menu is
displayed:
1-2-3 Expense Income Sort Help Quit
The 1-2-3 item exits the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT template and enters the
1-2-3 READY mode. The Help item shows context sensitive help on the
JOURNAL MODIFY menu items. The Quit item returns to the MAIN menu.
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JOURNAL MODIFY EXPENSE.
Selection of the JOURNAL MODIFY EXPENSE command results in the display
of the following screen:
________________________
|Title |
|Number |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|________________________|
New EXPENSE account
(a blank Number cancels)
Select the JOURNAL MODIFY EXPENSE command when you need to add a new
expense category. Both the account number and name must be given.
First, enter a new expense account title. Press the DOWN ARROW and
enter the new expense account number. Then press the ENTER key twice.
The account number and name will be added to the list in the expense
ledger.
To cancel adding a new account number, leave the input field blank and
press the ENTER key once. In either case, the spreadsheet will be
positioned to show the expense ledger containing the expense account
numbers, names, and the sums calculated by the most recent JOURNAL
BALANCE command.
To change an existing expense account number or name, first select
JOURNAL MODIFY EXPENSE. Then, without entering any data, press the
ENTER key. The spreadsheet will be positioned at the expense ledger.
Press the ENTER key again to get to the 1-2-3 READY mode. Use the
arrow keys to move to the cell to be changed and then enter the new
information. Press ALT A when you have finished changing the existing
account numbers and/or names.
15
JOURNAL MODIFY INCOME.
Selection of the JOURNAL MODIFY INCOME command results in the display
of the following screen:
________________________
|Title |
|Number |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|________________________|
New INCOME account
(a blank Number cancels)
Select the JOURNAL MODIFY INCOME command when you need to add a new
income category. Both the account number and name must be given.
First, enter a new income account title. Press the DOWN ARROW and
enter the new income account number. Then press the ENTER key twice.
The account number and name will be added to the list in the income
ledger.
To cancel adding a new account number, leave the input field blank and
press the ENTER key once. In either case, the spreadsheet will be
positioned to show the income ledger containing the income account
numbers, names, and the sums calculated by the most recent JOURNAL
BALANCE command.
To change an existing income account number or name, first select
JOURNAL MODIFY INCOME. Then, without entering any data, press the
ENTER key. The spreadsheet will be positioned at the income ledger.
Press the ENTER key again to get to the 1-2-3 READY mode. Use the
arrow keys to move to the cell to be changed and then enter the new
information. Press ALT A when you have finished changing the existing
account numbers and/or names.
16
JOURNAL MODIFY SORT.
The entries in the expense and income ledgers can be sorted by either
account number or account name. Each time you execute a JOURNAL
MODIFY SORT command, the sort will be switched between the two kinds
of sorting. None of the data is changed by this command, only the way
you view the list of information.
Each time this command is executed, the spreadsheet will be positioned
at the expense ledger. The results of the new sort can be viewed
immediately.
I keep the list sorted alphabetically during the year for my use. At
the end of the year, I sort the list numerically before making a
printout for my accountant.
JOURNAL CLEAR.
Selection of the JOURNAL CLEAR command results in the display of the
following screen:
________________________
|Date |
|Bus. name |
|Balance |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|________________________|
INITIAL date, business name and balance
(a blank Balance cancels)
The JOURNAL CLEAR command should be executed when you want to start a
new spreadsheet for a new year, or a new checking account, or a new
business.
The date is the date of the first transaction in the journal. It is
usually the first day of a new fiscal year.
The business name can also be your personal name. This name appears
on several printouts and will designate which business or person the
printout is for. Avoid using the following characters within the
business name: @ # | { } / \ + - ~
Using any of the characters listed above may cause unexpected results
when loading the spreadsheet or making a printout.
17
The balance is the bank balance on the starting date. If the balance
is zero, enter 0. If you leave the balance field blank, the command
will be canceled. For a new year, the balance is the final balance
from the previous year.
When changing from one year to the next, there may be outstanding
checks. For a month or two, you may need to perform a TRANSACTIONS
RECONCILE on two spreadsheet files until all outstanding checks from
the previous year have cleared.
Unlike other JOURNAL commands, after this command is over the MAIN
menu will be displayed, not the JOURNAL menu. Since the JOURNAL CLEAR
command will clear all transactions, you will probably want to enter
TRANSACTIONS or QUIT from the MAIN menu rather than execute some other
JOURNAL command.
JOURNAL NORMAL.
Selection of the JOURNAL NORMAL item will make a printout of the
journal, ledgers, and summary on the printer normally selected by
Lotus 1-2-3.
Be sure that your printer is connected, and that you have setup 1-2-3
for that printer. In most cases, a more clear and readable printout
will result if 1-2-3 sets up your printer to print in compressed mode
with 132 characters on a line.
The business name will appear as the title. Otherwise, 1-2-3 default
printer settings will be used for the printout.
JOURNAL SIDEWAYS.
Selection of the JOURNAL SIDEWAYS will make a printout of the journal,
ledgers, and summary on the printer normally selected by the 1-2-3
Sideways(R) add-in.
Be sure that your printer is connected, and that you have setup the 1-
2-3 Sideways (R) add-in for that printer. The Sideways(R) add-in must
be setup for ALT F7 or {app1} for the JOURNAL SIDEWAYS command to
function.
Although it has never been reported, selection of a SIDEWAYS option
without first loading Sideways (R) as {app1} may result in loss of
data. To prevent this, save your spreadsheet before selecting a
SIDEWAYS option.
Sideways (R) default printer settings will be used for the printout.
Sideways (R) is a registered trademark of Funk Software, Inc.
18
The EXTRACT menu.
The EXTRACT menu is selected by pressing E from the MAIN menu. The
following menu will be displayed:
1-2-3 Input Normal Sideways Up Down Help Quit
The 1-2-3 item exits the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT template and enters the
1-2-3 READY mode. The Help item shows context sensitive help on the
EXTRACT menu selections. The Quit item returns to the MAIN menu.
EXTRACT INPUT.
Selection of the EXTRACT INPUT command results in the display of the
following screen:
________________________
|Account # |
|Start Date |
|End Date |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|________________________|
ACCOUNT number entry
(a blank Account cancels)
Each of the deposit and payment transactions has an account number
associated with it. Each salary transaction has an employee ID
associated with it. By entering the account number or employee ID
and pressing the ENTER key twice, all transactions associated with
that number or ID will be displayed on the screen.
By extracting all transactions associated with an employee ID, an
entire payment record including withholding can be created for the
entire year. This is especially useful at year end when 1099 or W-2
forms must be generated.
If no dates are given, all records will be searched. If the Start
date is given, no records will be searched before that date. If the
End date is given, no records well be searched after that date. You
may input both dates, one date, or no date.
By leaving the input field blank and just pressing the ENTER key, this
command will be canceled.
19
EXTRACT NORMAL.
After the transactions for a single category or employee ID have been
extracted, they can be printed out with the EXTRACT NORMAL command.
The printout will go to the normal 1-2-3 printer.
The printer should be turned on and 1-2-3 should be set up for that
printer. The results may look better if you set up the 1-2-3 default
printer options for printing in compressed mode with a 132 column
width.
The business name will appear as the title. Otherwise, 1-2-3 default
printer settings will be used.
EXTRACT SIDEWAYS.
After the transactions for a single category or employee ID have been
extracted, they can be printed out with the JOURNAL SIDEWAYS command
if the 1-2-3 Sideways(R) add-in has been loaded.
The printer should be turned on and Sideways (R) should be set up for
that printer. Sideways(R) must be loaded for ALT F7 or {app1} for
this command to function.
Although it has never been reported, selection of a SIDEWAYS option
without first loading Sideways(R) as {app1} may result in loss of
data. To prevent this, save your spreadsheet before selecting a
SIDEWAYS option.
Sideways (R) default printer settings will be used.
EXTRACT UP.
Sometimes a category has more transactions than can be viewed on a
single screen. To cause a "PAGE UP" from the EXTRACT menu, just press
key U for up. If the top screen is already shown, the screen will not
change.
EXTRACT DOWN.
Sometimes a category has more transactions than can be viewed on a
single screen. To cause a "PAGE DOWN" from the EXTRACT menu, just
press key D for down. The next screen down will be shown. If it is
blank, press key U for page up.
20
I'M NO ACCOUNTANT (TM)
Single Business Journal Template
USING THE TEMPLATE.
You will need to decide how to make the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT system
conform to your needs. However, you may find the following checklist
to be a good starting point.
1. At least once a week, enter all of the checking
TRANSACTIONS. This way, a large number will not pile up at
the end of the month. Keep a list of account numbers handy
during data entry.
2. When you get the bank statement, first finish entering
any transactions which you have put off. Then perform a
checkbook RECONCILIATION. If any transactions have been
left out, or the amounts have been entered incorrectly, the
reported bank balance will not be right. Don't forget
non-check transactions such as monthly bank interest or
check fees. Repeat until the bank balance is correct.
3. After the bank statement is correct, perform a JOURNAL
BALANCE. If there are any mismatches, this means that
either an expense or an income account number was entered
incorrectly. Go back and check the numbers which were
used, change the improper ones, and try to balance again.
Repeat until everything balances.
4. On a monthly basis, you may want to make a hard copy
printout using JOURNAL NORMAL or JOURNAL SIDEWAYS. This
will be important if your computer disk crashes and all
the backups are lost. In addition, each time you make
changes to the spreadsheet, save the file on a backup
floppy disk. Each month, you may want to make another
backup on another floppy disk, just to be safe.
5. At the end of the year, make a hard copy printout to
give to your accountant. You can also provide a copy of the
spreadsheet file on disk, if your accountant can use it.
6. At the end of the year, extract and printout the salary
information on each employee. This record can be used to
generate the W-2 and 1099 forms required by the government.
7. To start a new year, use the JOURNAL CLEAR command.
The new balance for the new year is the final balance
for the old year. Be sure to use a new name for the
spreadsheet since you will need to keep the information
on previous years available.
21
I'M NO ACCOUNTANT (TM)
Single Business Journal Template
REQUIREMENTS
In order to use the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT templates, you must have LOTUS
1-2-3 (R) version 2.01 or later, on a computer compatible with MS-DOS
version 2.x or later. The more memory you have, including EMS memory,
the more information you will be able to store in the spreadsheet. In
order to get printed reports, you must also have a printer configured
by LOTUS 1-2-3. The software is supplied on a 360K 5-1/4" floppy
disk, or on a 720K 3-1/2" disk.
WHY REGISTER?
After you register the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT templates, you will receive
the following:
1. A legal license for using of the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT templates.
2. A printed copy of the documentation.
3. The most recent version of the software.
4. Information on future releases and discounted upgrade prices.
5. Instructions for removal of the HELP screens, which can free
up additional memory for storing more data.
6. Instructions for removal of the delay in loading when the
template is run.
7. Technical support. Registered users with a valid license
are entitled to support by mail at
Microsmith Computer Technology
POB 1473
Elkhart, IN 46515
and to limited phone support. The phone number for technical
support will be supplied upon receipt of the registration
form and the registration fee. Registered users will be kept
informed of changes in the phone number, the hours to call,
as well as updates to the software. Please note: Technical
support is only for the use of the template, and not for any
problems with your computer hardware, Lotus 1-2-3, or general
accounting questions.
22
I'M NO ACCOUNTANT (TM)
Single Business Journal Template
APPENDIX A. Default INCOME Categories
403 Appraisal fees
430 Bad debt recovery
400 Commission income
420 Dues
450 Escrow
406 Interest, tax free
405 Interest income
415 Loan (#1)
416 Loan (#2)
412 Mortgage
408 Other income or refund
414 Principal payment
402 Rental income
440 Salary
401 Sales
410 Sales - Real estate
491 Security deposit
433 Shipping/handling
492 Transfer from another account
499 Unclassified, non-taxable
23
I'M NO ACCOUNTANT (TM)
Single Business Journal Template
APPENDIX B. Default EXPENSE Categories
501 Advertising and promotion
569 Boating expense
581 Books, magazines
546 Cleaning
507 Closing service fees
531 Contributions
590 Dividends
526 Dues
517 Education
530 Employee benefits
504 Entertainment
519 Equipment rental
566 Food/groceries
568 Health care
522 Insurance
540 Interest
521 Licenses and fees
575 Loan
550 Loan principal repayment (#1)
551 Loan principal repayment (#2)
509 Management fee
545 Miscellaneous expense
565 Mortgage
547 Office equipment
512 Office supplies
570 Petty cash
513 Postage
515 Professional fees
536 Property upkeep
525 Rent
535 Repairs and maintenance
586 Returned items
500 Sales commissions
591 Security deposit refund
506 Selling expense
514 Shipping/handling
505 Signs
580 Software
511 Taxes, payroll
527 Taxes, property
503 Telephone
592 Transfer to another account
502 Travel
599 Unclassified, non-deductible
567 Uniforms/clothing
518 Utilities
520 Vehicle expense
24
I'M NO ACCOUNTANT (TM)
Single Business Journal Template
REGISTRATION
Registration is required to use the I'M NO ACCOUNTANT templates.
Registered users of I'M NO ACCOUNTANT templates receive technical
support and assistance. A registered user will receive the most
recent version of the templates, and will also receive a printed
copy of the documentation.
The I'M NO ACCOUNTANT software templates and manual are supplied
"AS IS". Willis E. Howard, III and Microsmith Computer Technology
disclaim all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without
limitation, the warranties of merchantability or fitness for a
particular purpose. No liability is assumed for damages, direct
or consequential, which may result from their use.
REGISTRATION: # COPIES: AMOUNT:
INDIVIDUAL ($30.00 per copy) _________ $______________
(For use by one individual)
BUSINESS ($200.00 per copy) _________ $______________
(For use in one building)
BUSINESS ($2000.00 per copy) _________ $______________
(For unlimited worldwide use)
TOTAL $______________
SEND A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER ONLY, PAYABLE TO WILLIS E. HOWARD, III.
NAME ____________________________________________________________
ADDRESS _________________________________________________________
CITY/STATE/PROVINCE _____________________________________________
COUNTRY/POSTAL CODE _____________________________________________
PHONE ___________________________________________________________
SOFTWARE VERSION YOU NOW HAVE (OR NONE)___________________________
SOFTWARE MEDIA: ( ) 3-1/2" disk ( ) 5-1/4" disk
PLEASE FILL IN AND MAIL A COPY OF THIS PAGE WITH YOUR CHECK TO:
MICROSMITH COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY
POB 1473
ELKHART, IN 46515
25
