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by Mister_Snuggles 806 days ago
> if you're trying to understand a piece of software like Quickbooks and are not coming from an accounting background

Unfortunately, QuickBooks won't help you understand accounting. It's not a true double-entry accounting system, at least it wasn't the last time I touched it. That said, it still does its job and does it well enough, and real accountants are fine with dealing with it.

Simply Accounting is a better example of a true double-entry system.
2 comments
chimeracoder 806 days ago
> Unfortunately, QuickBooks won't help you understand accounting. It's not a true double-entry accounting system, at least it wasn't the last time I touched it.

QuickBooks absolutely is a double-entry accounting system. The "bookkeeper" mode abstracts away and hides what's going on under the hood, but if you enter "accountant" mode, you'll see the full ledger, and you can even make direct journal entries to modify it.

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Mister_Snuggles 806 days ago
I must have only ever encountered it in "bookkeeper mode". That abstraction is likely what threw me off!
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chimeracoder 806 days ago
> I must have only ever encountered it in "bookkeeper mode". That abstraction is likely what threw me off!

I personally find the bookkeeper mode very confusing, and having observed others (non-accountants) using it to manage small businesses, I think that folks would be better off taking a one-day course in accounting and learning just enough to use it in accountant mode.

You don't have to be a CPA, just literally enough about A = L + E to follow the flow within Quickbooks and record one side of each entry.

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PopAlongKid 806 days ago
> It's not a true double-entry accounting system, at least it wasn't the last time I touched it.

Can you elaborate? I've used Quickbooks for over 15 years and it has always been a true double entry accounting system during that time.

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