Manual journals: creating, posting and managing

How to create, post, and manage manual journals across the job.

Manual Journals are entries that sit outside automation, used for non-routine transactions, corrections, accruals, provisions, or adjustments identified during review or General Ledger (GL) Scrutiny.

Manual Journals dashboard

The dashboard summary shows five status counters at the top: Total, Incomplete, Posted, Voided, Reversals.

Below those, four source breakdown cards show how many journals came from each origin: GL Scrutiny, Workpapers, Autocoding, Others, each with Posted, Void, and Reversal counts.

Dashboard table columns

MJ ID, Narration, Date, Account, Debit, Credit, Status (Posted, Voided, Incomplete), Source, Name (creator), Actions (view, edit, void, download).

Filters and search

Free-text search journals, filter by All Status, All Sources, or All Time. Use Sync with Partner to push journals to Xero, or Download to export.

Creating a manual journal

  1. Click + Add New Manual Journal.

  2. Enter the Date and Narration.

  3. Add the Debit and Credit lines. For each line, enter the Account Code-Name, Description, and the Debit or Credit amount. The Tax Rate column is locked at No GST on every line. Zato does not calculate GST per line. If the journal involves GST, enter the GST portion as a separate line posted to the GST account. See Posting a journal with GST below.

  4. Click Save to post.

Posted journals reflect immediately across all linked workpapers and General Ledger (GL) Scrutiny.

⚠️ GST handling differs from Xero. In Xero, GST is calculated per line based on the tax code. In Zato, the Tax Rate column is locked at No GST and the GST portion must be posted as a separate journal line. Zato will not calculate GST for you.

Posting a journal with GST

Zato journals do not calculate GST automatically. Every line is locked to a Tax Rate of No GST, and the GST portion must be entered manually as a separate line posted to the GST account.

To post a GST-inclusive journal:

  1. Enter the GST-exclusive amount of the transaction on one line, debited or credited to the relevant account.

  2. Enter the corresponding GST-exclusive amount on the other side, debited or credited to the relevant account.

  3. Enter the GST portion on a third line, debited or credited to the GST account.

Total Debit and Total Credit must balance before you can save.

Editing or voiding a journal

Use the Actions icons on the journal row. Voided journals remain visible in the dashboard for audit purposes but are excluded from balances.

Reversing a journal

Click the Reverse action on a posted journal. The system creates a mirror entry that offsets the original. Both the original and the reversal stay in the audit trail.

How to access

  1. Go to Jobs and click the Results Icon on the job.

  2. Select Manual Journals.