A set of default accounts are created when a new database is started, some are used by VATStuff itself to record purchases, sales and VAT, others can be used by you to record any money movement.
For example you may wish to record a regular bank interest income - this could be done by creating a 'Bank Interest account'. Each month credit it with the interest income - and debit your cash account. This way the cash account increases by the interest, and the 'Bank Interest account' is a record of all your income due to interest, similarly you may want a 'Bank Charges account' to record the cash going out in the other direction.
Each account is ordered into folders, and using the 'New Folder' and 'New Account' buttons you can create folders and accounts.
Certain accounts are automatically generated by the system to record purchases and sales, for example if you create a new customer under the Sales tab, a customer account will be created.
Listing an account by double clicking it will show the statement of the account. Double clicking on any line in the statement will show you the appropriate transaction.
Listing an account also provides a 'Report' button which can generate a pdf or csv file of the account between any two dates.
A 'pdf' file is a widely used document format, which can be viewed and printed from a pdf document viewer. Such a file could be stored or copied as a permanent record, or sent to your accountant.
A 'csv' file is a comma-separated file, which can easily be imported into any spreadsheet program.
New Folder
This allows you to create a new folder - and to set its name and description.
New Account
This allows you to create a new account - and to set its folder, type, name and description.
You can also set its opening balance - which moves money into this new folder from the account 'opening balance' (under the 'System' folder).
You could equally well move money into it from any other account using the functions under the 'Move Money' tab.
The 'type' of an account is one of a list of types (which are defined under the 'Types' button), these are types such as Asset or Expense.
Edit
If you click on, and highlight a folder or account, the 'Edit' button allows you to edit a folder's name and description, and an account's folder, name, description, type - and if no transaction has yet been done, an opening balance.
Delete
If you click on, and highlight a folder or account, the 'Delete' button allows you to delete it if:
Essentially, only a newly created and unused account can be deleted.
Types
This allows you to create and edit the 'type' values which are assigned to accounts. On program startup, with a new database, several default types are created. You can edit these or create your own. You cannot delete a type which is assigned to any accounts - but you can edit its name.
The 'Default type used for new customer accounts' is used when a customer account is created automatically as you add new customers under the 'Sales' tab.
The 'Default type used for new supplier accounts' is used as new suppliers are created - normally you would not change these from the default settings of 'Asset' for customer accounts, and 'Liability' for supplier accounts.
These type values are currently available for your convenience only. The 'Reports' tab has a function to list accounts by folder or by type.
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