Accounts and the hierarchy

An account’s id is a readable path, and the path is the hierarchy. Only accounts with no children, called leaf accounts, can hold transactions; parents just add up what is beneath them.

Ids are paths, not codes

An account is named by a path like Asset:Bank Account:HDFC. Each segment, separated by a colon, is a level in the hierarchy, so the name itself tells you where the account sits. There is no separate list of groups to keep in step with your naming.

Only leaf accounts hold money

Only accounts with no children, the leaf accounts, can appear in a transaction. A parent such as Asset:Bank Account never holds money directly. Its balance is simply the total of everything under it. This keeps each rupee attributed to exactly one specific account, with parents acting as roll-ups for reporting.

Every account has a category

Alongside its place in the hierarchy, each account has one category: Asset, Liability, Income, Expense or Equity. The category decides how the account is reported. Assets and liabilities feed your net worth; income and expense feed your cash flow. Equity holds a single account, Equity:Opening Balance, which the app uses to record the starting balances of your accounts. You do not need to create equity accounts yourself.

The category is separate from the account’s role, which says what kind of thing it is. See Account roles.

Add an account

1. Tap More, then Accounts. (Or tap Add on Home and choose Account.)
2. Tap the plus button. The New Account sheet opens.
3. Enter the Account Name and choose a Category.
4. In Parent Account / Path, type the parent, for example Assets:Bank. The Quick Preset menu offers parents that already exist in your ledger for that category.
5. Answer What is this account? to pick its role.
6. Check the DERIVED ACCOUNT PATH shown on the sheet. It is the parent path plus the name, joined by a colon.
7. Tap Create Account.

A sensible layout

A simple, readable chart might look like this:

• Asset:Bank Account:HDFC and Asset:Bank Account:SBI, two banks grouped under one parent;
• Asset:Investments:Mutual Funds;
• Liability:Credit Card and Liability:Car Loan;
• Income:Salary;
• Expense:Groceries, Expense:Transport.

Your parent roots may differ (for example Assets or Asset). The app does not rely on the name of the parent; it relies on the account’s category and role, so you can name groups the way you like.

Tips

• Keep paths short and consistent. Pick singular or plural and stick with it.
• Create one account for each real bank account, card or loan so balances match your statements.
• Do not worry about getting the tree perfect. You can add accounts any time.
• Deleting an account that already has transactions archives or protects it, rather than erasing your history.

Why is my account missing from a picker?

Pickers offer leaf accounts only, and some pickers narrow the list further. For example, the account that money leaves in an expense is chosen from money accounts such as banks, wallets and cards. If an account is missing, check that it has no children and that it has the right category and role.

Still stuck? Email [email protected] and we will help.