How to Work With General Journals in Business Central (2025)

Overview

A short walkthrough of general journals in Business Central, published in May 2025. It covers where journals are located, the difference between general and specific purpose journals, and how templates set up the parameters for each journal type.

It then compares two ways of entering lines, with and without balancing accounts, shows how to review entries with the general journal test action before posting, and ends with reversing posted entries when a mistake is made.

Key points

• General journals are general purpose journals used for almost all bookkeeping tasks. They are reached from the business manager or accountant role center under finance or journals.
• All journal types have templates. Templates set the parameters that control each journal type.
• Several journals can exist for one type, so tasks can be split by type or between users.
• Entry without balancing accounts: pick the account number and type what the expense is on each line. It gives a clear overview and suits new users or simpler tasks.
• Entry with balancing accounts: enter the expense details such as tax info and amount, then balance each line with a balancing account. It needs fewer lines but requires familiarity with journal posting.
• Run the general journal test action to produce a test report and check entries before posting.
• To correct a mistake, find the entries through GL registers and use the reverse register action. This reverses them completely, and you can then post a new correct journal entry.

Features

Every feature below: status not stated.

AL objects mentioned

As heard in the captions. A name that matches one object page by exact type and name links to it; the others stay as named.

• other “GL registers” at 2:07

Quotes

• 0:01 “You can use journals to perform most of your bookkeeping tasks.”
• 0:16 “The general journals are general purpose journals used for almost all bookkeeping tasks.”
• 0:39 “All journal types have templates. Templates allow you to set up parameters that control the different journal types.”
• 0:49 “There are two basic ways of filling in a journal with or without balancing accounts.”
• 1:41 “This way reduces the number of lines you must fill in, making journal entry faster.”
• 1:41 “You can always check before you post the journal by using the general journal test action.”
• 1:54 “If you make a mistake, you can always reverse journal entries.”
• 2:07 “Find the entry usually by searching the GL registers. Then use the reverse register action.”
• 2:21 “You can always leave and come back to a journal. No need to save your work.”