The ledger is a full double-entry accounting journal that records every financial event in your system. Use it to audit transactions, investigate discrepancies, create manual adjustments, and sync entries to external accounting software.
Page layout
The ledger page is divided into four sections:
- Export controls -- format selection and download buttons.
- Filter panel -- 15+ filters for narrowing results.
- Summary statistics -- aggregate totals for the current filter set.
- Entry table -- the filtered list of ledger entries or grouped transactions.
Filtering entries
The filter panel supports extensive criteria to help you find exactly what you need:
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Date Range | Start and end dates for the entry period (defaults to last 7 days) |
| Location | Filter by business location |
| Customer ID | Filter to a specific customer |
| Account Code | GL account code (e.g., 4000 for revenue, 1100 for cash) |
| Booking ID | Filter to entries related to a specific booking |
| Transaction ID | Filter to a specific POS or payment transaction |
| Account ID | Filter by customer account (for accounts receivable) |
| Side | Show only debit or credit entries |
| Min Amount | Minimum entry amount |
| Max Amount | Maximum entry amount |
| Text Search | Free-text search across descriptions |
| Include Deleted | Show soft-deleted entries alongside active ones |
| Group Transactions | Collapse related entries into transaction groups |
| Balance Filter | All, Balanced only (debits equal credits), or Unbalanced only |
Click Apply Filters to refresh the results. Click Reset to return to defaults.
Transaction grouping
When Group Transactions is enabled (the default), the ledger collapses related debit and credit entries into logical groups. Each group shows:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Transaction ID | The shared transaction identifier linking the entries |
| Entry Count | Number of individual entries in the group |
| Total Debits | Sum of all debit amounts |
| Total Credits | Sum of all credit amounts |
| Balanced | Whether debits equal credits (green check or red warning) |
| Register | The POS register or system that created the entries |
| Payment Methods | Payment types used in the transaction |
| Account Codes | GL accounts involved |
| Time Span | Duration between the earliest and latest entry in the group |
| Has Edits | Whether any entry in the group has been modified |
| Has Deleted | Whether any entry in the group has been soft-deleted |
Click a group row to expand it and see the individual entries.
Summary statistics
The summary section at the top shows aggregate totals for the current filter set:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Total Entries | Number of entries matching the current filters |
| Total Transactions | Number of grouped transactions |
| Total Debits | Sum of all debit amounts |
| Total Credits | Sum of all credit amounts |
| Balanced Transactions | Groups where debits equal credits |
| Unbalanced Transactions | Groups where debits do not equal credits |
| Account Breakdown | Per-GL-account debit and credit totals |
Individual entry fields
Each ledger entry contains:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Entry ID | Unique identifier |
| Account Code | GL account code |
| Amount | Dollar amount |
| Side | Debit or Credit |
| Description | Human-readable description of the entry |
| Transaction Date | When the financial event occurred |
| Created At | When the entry was recorded in the system |
| Location | Business location |
| Booking ID | Associated booking (if applicable) |
| Transaction ID | Associated transaction (if applicable) |
| Payment Method | How the payment was made |
| Created By | User or system that created the entry |
Audit fields
Entries that have been modified or deleted carry additional audit information:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Last Edited At | Timestamp of the most recent edit |
| Last Edited By | User who made the edit |
| Edit Reason | Explanation for the modification |
| Is Manual Entry | Whether the entry was created manually (vs. system-generated) |
| Deleted At | Timestamp of soft deletion |
| Deleted By | User who deleted the entry |
| Delete Reason | Explanation for the deletion |
Creating manual entries
Manual journal entries allow you to record adjustments, write-offs, or corrections that did not originate from a booking or POS transaction.
- Click New Entry.
- Add one or more line items. Each line requires:
- Account Code -- select from your configured GL codes.
- Amount -- the dollar amount.
- Side -- Debit or Credit.
- Description -- what this entry represents.
- Enter a reason for the manual entry.
- Set the location, transaction date, and any other reference fields.
- Verify that total debits equal total credits. The form warns you if the entry is unbalanced.
- Click Save.
Manual entries are flagged as isManualEntry: true in the audit trail.
Editing entries
Click the edit icon on any entry to modify it. You can change the account code, amount, side, and description. A reason field is required for all edits to maintain the audit trail.
Deleting entries
Entries are soft-deleted -- they are hidden by default but can be viewed using the Include Deleted filter. The delete reason and deletion timestamp are recorded. Deleted entries can be distinguished from active ones in the grouped transaction view.
Deleting ledger entries requires admin permissions.
Export
The ledger supports two export formats:
| Format | Description |
|---|---|
| CSV | Comma-separated values for spreadsheet applications |
| Excel | Native Excel (.xlsx) format with formatted columns |
Export options include:
- Include Deleted -- include soft-deleted entries in the export.
- Group Transactions -- export grouped transactions rather than individual entries.
- Include Audit Trail -- add edit history columns to the export.
- Export Type -- Ledger (standard journal) or AR Report (accounts receivable focus).
Xero integration
Each ledger entry tracks its Xero sync status:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Not Synced | Entry has not been pushed to Xero |
| Pending | Sync has been queued |
| Synced | Successfully synced to Xero with a journal ID |
| Failed | Sync attempt failed (error message available) |
Synced entries display the Xero transaction ID and journal ID for cross-reference. Failed entries show the error message and last attempt timestamp.
Xero sync requires an active Xero OAuth connection configured in the App Store. GL codes in RentalTide must match codes in your Xero chart of accounts.
GL account codes
The ledger uses a standard chart of accounts. Common codes include:
| Code | Name | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1100 | Cash | Asset |
| 1136 | Deferred Revenue | Asset |
| 2112 | Unearned Revenue | Liability |
| 4000 | Revenue | Revenue |
| 4160 | Moorage Revenue | Revenue |
| 6545 | Boat Rental Revenue | Revenue |
| 8190-8196 | Processing Fees | Expense |
Your complete GL code list is configured in account settings and can be customized for your business.
Permissions
The ledger page requires the reports_access permission. Manual entry creation and editing require admin-level access.
Enable Group Transactions to see related debits and credits together -- this makes understanding a complete financial event much easier. Use the Unbalanced filter to quickly spot discrepancies that need investigation. Manual entries are useful for adjustments, write-offs, or corrections that did not originate from a booking or POS transaction. Run the AR Report export regularly to track outstanding customer balances.
Ledger shows unbalanced transactions -- Use the Unbalanced filter to isolate problem groups. Common causes include interrupted transactions, failed payment processing, or partial refunds that were not fully recorded.
Missing entries -- Check the date range filter (defaults to last 7 days). Also verify that Include Deleted is set correctly for your search.
Xero sync failing -- Re-authenticate your Xero connection in the App Store. Verify that all GL codes used in your ledger exist in your Xero chart of accounts. Check the error message on failed entries for specific issues.
Cannot create a manual entry -- Manual entry creation requires admin permissions. Contact your account administrator.
Export is too large -- Narrow the date range or filter by specific account codes to reduce the result set before exporting.