Why Are General Journal Entries Appearing on the Collections Report?

If you're noticing that General Journal Entries are appearing on your Collections Report in QuickBooks Desktop 855-749-2321 and you want to remove them, it's important to understand why these entries are showing up and how to address the issue.

• A General Journal Entry Was Made Against Accounts Receivable: If a General Journal Entry (GJE) was posted to an Accounts Receivable (AR) account or to a customer’s sub-account, it may show up in your Collections Report as an outstanding balance or transaction.

• Incorrect Use of Accounts Receivable: Sometimes, businesses use journal entries to record customer payments, adjustments, or corrections, which can unintentionally impact the report.

• Customer Credits or Refunds: A General Journal Entry related to customer credits or refunds might be recorded in such a way that it affects the AR account, causing it to appear in the Collections Report.

Start by reviewing the General Journal Entry (GJE) in question to see if it’s affecting customer balances or the AR account incorrectly.

1. Go to Company > Make General Journal Entries.

2. Search for the specific General Journal Entry that is appearing on the Collections Report.

3. Double-click the GJE to open it and review the accounts used. Make sure that any entry affecting Accounts Receivable is properly linked to a customer or invoice.

If the General Journal Entry was incorrectly posted to Accounts Receivable or linked to a customer inappropriately, you can reclassify the entry.

1. If the General Journal Entry was posted to the wrong account, you can create a correcting journal entry to reverse the effect on Accounts Receivable.

2. Post the correct transaction (e.g., invoice, payment, or credit) through the Create Invoices or Receive Payments window instead of using a General Journal Entry. This ensures that the Collections Report reflects only legitimate transactions related to outstanding invoices and payments.

Sometimes, the Collections Report might include extra details (like General Journal Entries) due to the filters you’ve set.

1. Go to Reports > Customers & Receivables > Collections Report.

2. Click Customize Report to modify the filters.

3. Make sure the date range and account filters are correctly set. For example, ensure that you're not accidentally including transactions from the Accounts Receivable account that don't belong in the report.

To filter out General Journal Entries directly from the Collections Report, you can customize the report by excluding specific types of transactions:

1. In the Customize Report window, go to the Filters tab.

2. Look for the Transaction Type filter.

3. Exclude General Journal entries from the report by deselecting them under the filter options.

By doing this, the Collections Report will only display transactions like invoices and payments, leaving out General Journal Entries.

If there are still discrepancies, it’s possible that customer balances were unintentionally affected by the General Journal Entry. To check:

1. Go to Reports > Customers & Receivables > Customer Balance Detail.

2. Look for any unusual balances or journal entries that might have been mistakenly posted.

3. If necessary, create a proper credit memo or refund receipt to correct any outstanding balances that were altered by the General Journal Entry.

1. Use Invoices and Payments Instead of General Journal Entries: Instead of using journal entries to manage customer accounts, always use the Create Invoice and Receive Payments features in QuickBooks. These features are designed to track payments and customer balances accurately.
2. Review Account Settings: Regularly review the accounts involved in journal entries to ensure you're posting to the correct accounts (e.g., using the proper accounts for Accounts Receivable and customer credits).
3. Proper Categorization of Adjustments: If you need to record adjustments, credits, or refunds, use the proper tools in QuickBooks, such as Credit Memos, Refund Receipts, or Bank Transfers. This ensures that they appear correctly in the Collections Report.
4. Run Custom Reports: Consider running customized reports to help filter out unwanted data. For example, you can create a custom Accounts Receivable Aging Report that only includes invoice data and excludes journal entries.

If General Journal Entries are showing up incorrectly on your Collections Report in QuickBooks Desktop 855-749-2321, it's likely due to how they were posted in relation to Accounts Receivable or customer balances. By reviewing and reclassifying any incorrect journal entries, adjusting report filters, and using the proper transaction methods for customer payments and credits, you can ensure that your Collections Report reflects only the correct data.

Using proper transaction types, like Invoices and Payments, can save you time and reduce the risk of errors in the future, ensuring that your financial reports are accurate and reliable.

If you're still facing challenges or need more advanced assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to QuickBooks support or a certified QuickBooks professional for guidance.