Accounting entries
An accounting entry records a transaction: it is attached to a journal and a date, and is made up of lines on the debit and credit sides. Swifto generates most of them automatically from your documents, while still letting you enter some manually for opening entries and miscellaneous operations.
Overview
An accounting entry is the translation of an economic transaction into your accounts. Each entry is attached to a journal (Sales, Purchases, Bank, Cash, Payroll or Miscellaneous operations) and carries a date that places it within the fiscal year. It is made up of several lines, each showing an account and an amount on the debit or credit side.
What an entry contains
- A journal and a date
- A label describing the transaction
- At least two movement lines
- A debit total equal to the credit total
Target audience
- Accountant — entry and correction
- Finance manager — balance control
- Executive — audit trail review
The heart of accounting
Entries feed the general ledger and the trial balance. They rely on the accounts of the chart of accounts.
Double-entry
Accounting is based on the principle of double-entry: in every entry, the total debits always equal the total credits. Every transaction has a counterpart — what comes in somewhere goes out elsewhere. Take the example of a sales invoice of 1,190 TND (1,000 TND excluding tax + 190 TND of VAT at 19 %):
| Account | Label | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 411 | Customer — Alpha Company | 1,190.000 | — |
| 701 | Sales of goods | — | 1,000.000 |
| 4371 | VAT collected | — | 190.000 |
| Totals | 1,190.000 | 1,190.000 | |
The customer owes 1,190 TND (debit), split into revenue of 1,000 TND and VAT of 190 TND due to the State (credit). Debit = Credit: the entry is balanced.
Entry statuses
An entry goes through different statuses over its life. Its status determines what you can do with it.
Entry in preparation: it can still be edited or completed before posting.
Entry recorded in the books: it counts in the general ledger and trial balance and can no longer be deleted.
Entry cancelled by a reverse entry: it remains visible for traceability.
Entries generated automatically from documents arrive already posted. Only manual entry goes through a draft status before posting.
Recording an entry
Manual entry is done on a multi-line screen: you choose the journal and the date, then add as many lines as needed. Swifto continuously totals the debit and credit and displays the variance: posting is only possible once this variance is zero.
New entry — OD journal
| Account | Label | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 532 | Bank — opening balance | 12,000.000 | — |
| 101 | Capital | — | 12,000.000 |
| Totals | 12,000.000 | 12,000.000 | |
For a line on a control account (customer 411, supplier 401), you must select the auxiliary — the third party concerned — or the line is refused.
Automatic vs. manual
In Swifto, the vast majority of entries are generated automatically from documents: as soon as an invoice, a payment received or a payslip is posted, the corresponding entry is created without any input from you. Manual entry remains reserved for a few specific cases.
Automatic entries
Sales, purchases, payments received, payments and payroll: generated and posted from your documents.
Manual entries
Opening entries (opening balance) and miscellaneous operations, entered in the OD journal.
The OD (Miscellaneous operations) journal is your entry point for anything that does not come from a commercial document: adjustments, provisions, opening entries.
Reversal
To correct a posted entry, it is never deleted: it is reversed. Swifto creates a reverse entry (debits become credits and vice versa) that cancels its effect, then marks the original entry as "reversed". Both remain visible, guaranteeing an intact audit trail.
flowchart LR A["Posted entry
Dr 411 / Cr 701-4371"]:::ok --> B{Correction
needed?}:::p B --> C["Reversal
reverse entry"]:::coll C --> D["Original marked
"reversed""]:::s C --> E["New correct entry
if needed"]:::ok classDef p fill:#f3f1ff,stroke:#7366fe,color:#1f1c3d; classDef s fill:#F1F5F9,stroke:#334155,color:#1E293B; classDef ok fill:#CFFAFE,stroke:#0891B2,color:#155E75; classDef coll fill:#FEF3C7,stroke:#D97706,color:#92400E;
When you edit or delete a document that has already been posted, Swifto automatically reverses the original entry, then regenerates a new one if necessary.
Viewing & traceability
Each entry stays linked to its source document: from the entry, you can trace back to the invoice, payment received or payslip that generated it. A reversed entry clearly shows which reverse entry cancelled it.
View
Open an entry to see all its lines, its journal and its date.
Trace back to the document
Every automatic entry links back to the original invoice or payment.
Audit trail
Nothing is erased: the original and its reversal both remain traceable.
To find the detail of the movements on a given account, rely on the general ledger, which shows entries and the running balance account by account.
Business rules
At least two lines — an entry always has at least one debit line and one credit line; a single line has no accounting meaning.
Total debit = total credit — posting is blocked as long as the variance is not zero.
Open context required — the journal must be active, the fiscal year open and the period unlocked; the accounts used must be active.
Control account = auxiliary — a line on 411 or 401 requires specifying the third party (customer or supplier).
A posted entry is never deleted — a posted entry can only be corrected by reversal, to preserve the audit trail.
FAQ & Tips
Why can't I post my entry?
Most often because the variance between the total debit and the total credit is not zero. Check your amounts: the entry must be balanced.
I made a mistake on a posted entry, what should I do?
Do not delete it: reverse it. Swifto creates the reverse entry, then you enter the correct entry if necessary.
Do I need to enter the entries for my invoices?
No: they are generated automatically when the document is posted. Manual entry is used for opening entries and miscellaneous operations.
Tip — a clear label on every entry
Fill in an explicit label when entering manually: it makes it much easier for you and your accountant to review the general ledger.
