General journals are the backbone of financial posting in Business Central.
Even though most transactions are posted via documents like invoices or orders, you still rely on general journal templates to post recurring, manual, or employee-related entries.
In this blog, we’ll explore how to set up General Journal Templates, why each field matters, and the impact of different No. Series combinations.
General Journal Templates define:
- The structure of the journal
- The default behaviors
- The type of entries users can post
- The default balancing accounts, number series, and posting behaviors
Go to Search. Type General Journal Templates. Select the related link
Key Fields and Their Purpose
Name & Description:
Defines a unique name and a short explanation of the journal’s purpose.
Type (The MOST important field):
Determines the journal’s structure and functionality. Available Types as display in SS. Each type configures posting behavior and default setup.
Recurring (Yes/No):
If checked → journal is used for Recurring Entries
- Lines remain after posting
- No. Series must be blank
- Document No. gets replaced with posting number
- Useful for: rent, salaries, repeated accruals
Bal. Account Type / No.
Defines the default balancing account for all batches created from this template.
No. Series & Posting No. Series
Determines document numbering rules.
📊 Table Summary — VERY useful for blog readers:
|
No. Series |
Posting No. Series |
Result |
|
Blank |
Blank |
Manual numbers → same number posted to all ledger entries |
|
Filled |
Blank |
Document No. auto-filled → carried to ledger entries |
|
Blank |
Filled |
Manual Doc No. → ledger entries get Posting No. |
|
Filled |
Filled |
Doc No. auto-filled → replaced by Posting No. during posting |
Source Code
Identifies origin of entry. Filled automatically based on default source codes.
Reason Code
Provides reason for posting → valuable for audit trails & analysis.
Force Doc. Balance
If enabled → Journal must balance per document
If disabled → balances by date only
Copy VAT/Tax Setup to Journal Lines
If enabled:
- Automatically copies posting groups from accounts
- Saves time
- Ensures tax accuracy
System asks whether journal batches should be updated.
Increment Batch Name
Automatically generates next batch name.
Example:
BATCH01 → BATCH02 → BATCH03
Allow VAT/Tax Difference
Allows manual adjustments of VAT amounts on journal lines.
Copy to Posted Jnl. Lines
When enabled:
- Journal lines appear on Posted General Journal
- You can copy them back to make corrections
Very helpful for accountants.
Setting up General Journal Templates correctly is essential for consistent financial postings in Business Central. Understanding the purpose of each field helps build clean, structured, and compliant financial processes.
This is Part 1 of our Journals Series.
Next, we’ll explore Further
Thanks For Reading…!!😊😊
Regards,
Khushbu Rajvi

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