Accounting Breakdowns

HINT-- Breakdowns are used in many parts of the Goldenseal accounting software and estimating software.

BREAKDOWN BASICS
       When to Use | Breakdown Tables | Category Breakdowns | Item Breakdowns
       Transaction Breakdowns | Project Breakdowns | Other Breakdowns
       Data Storage | Exporting | Importing | Using Breakdowns
       Finding Breakdowns

WEBSITE INFO LINKS
       Accounting Software | Estimating Software | Construction Estimating Software

RELATED TOPICS
       Table Data Entry | Transactions

When to Use Accounting Breakdowns

Use breakdowns to itemize details in a transaction.  For example, you can use breakdowns to include several purchase items in one Material Purchase transaction.

The following transactions can include breakdowns:

Bank Checks-- Use a Category, Item, Payroll or Purchase breakdown.
Bank Deposits-- Use a Payment breakdown.
Bank Payments-- Use a Category, Item, Payroll or Purchase breakdown.

Bids-- Use a Category or Item breakdown.
Billing Records-- Use a Sales, Draw Schedule, Progress Payment, Time and Materials, Allowance, Change Order or Rental breakdown.
Change Orders-- Use a Category or Item breakdown.
Cost Transfers-- Use a Category or Item breakdown.

Equipment Hours-- Use a Category or Item breakdown.
Estimates-- Use a Category or Item breakdown.
Inventory Used-- Use a Category or Item breakdown.
Inventory Transfers-- Use an Item breakdown.

Labor Hours-- Use a Category or Item breakdown.
Other Costs-- Use a Category, Item, Payroll Tax or Sales Tax breakdown.
Material Purchases-- Use a Category or Item breakdown.

Payment Receipts-- Use a Payment breakdown.
Payroll Records-- Includes Wage, Commission, Deduction, Employer Tax, Category Tax, Benefit and Vacation breakdowns.
Purchase & Work Orders-- Use a Category or Item breakdown.

Sales-- Use a Category or Item breakdown.
Subcontractor Costs-- Use a Category or Item breakdown.

Breakdown Tables

When you choose a breakdown from the breakdown popup menu, Goldenseal shows you a breakdown table.  Usually the table is at the bottom of the transaction window, under the regular data entry fields.

Each breakdown table contains rectangular cells that are arranged in vertical rows and horizontal columns.

Each breakdown table has a title at the top of each column.  To the right of the cells is a scroll bar.  Scroll up or down to see all of the rows in the table.
HINT-- If there are no hidden rows, then the scroll bar is disabled.

To select a cell, click in it with the mouse.
HINT-- Some cells are disabled, and can't be selected.

You can the keyboard to move from one cell to another.  Use the following keyboard shortcuts:

• Tab-- selects the next editable cell to the right.  Hold down the Shift key to move to the left.
• Return-- selects the next cell down.  If you are in the bottom row, it adds a new row.  Hold down the Shift key to move up.
• Arrow Keys-- Each arrow key selects the next editable cell in the given direction.

Changing Breakdowns

To change the breakdowns that are included in a transaction, click on the breakdown popup at the left side of the window, and choose a different breakdown.

When you choose None, the current breakdown table will be removed.
When you choose Category or Items, Goldenseal shows you a table with an empty first row.
When you choose a transaction breakdown or project breakdown, Goldenseal creates a table with all data filled in.

In Payroll Records, Goldenseal stores more than one set of breakdowns in a single transaction, so you can switch between them without losing any data.

Adding Table Rows

To add more rows to a breakdown table, follow these steps:

1. Click in the bottom row of the table.  You can select any editable cell.
2. Hit the Return key.  Goldenseal will add a row.

NOTE-- You can't add rows to transaction breakdowns or project breakdowns.  Goldenseal automatically fills in all of the data that applies to the current transaction.

Transaction Breakdowns

Some breakdown tables fill in a list of transactions automatically.

For example, when you use the Pay Bills command, Goldenseal creates a bank transaction with a Purchase breakdown that lists the items you are paying.

You can't add more items to a transaction breakdown.

To remove items from a transaction breakdown, turn off the checkmark in the first column.  Goldenseal will automatically remove all unchecked items from transaction breakdowns when you close the record.

The following transactions include transaction breakdowns which reference a list of other transactions:

Bank Checks-- Payroll or Purchase breakdowns.
Bank Deposits-- Payment breakdown.
Bank Payments-- Payroll or Purchase breakdowns.
Billing Records-- Sales, Allowance, Change Order or Rental breakdowns.
Other Costs-- Payroll Tax or Sales Tax breakdowns.
Payment Receipts-- Use a Payment breakdown.
Payroll Records-- Wage or Commission breakdowns.

Project Breakdowns

Billing Records can show three specialized types of breakdowns for project billing:

• Draw Schedule-- draw schedule phases, with percentage of completion for each.
• Progress Payment-- cost categories or locations, with percentage of completion for each.
• Time and Materials-- expenses for a project.

For a Draw Schedule or Progress Payment breakdown, enter the percentage of completion for each item.
For a Time and Materials breakdown, use the checkmark column to determine which items to bill for now.

Other Breakdowns

Assemblies use a breakdown table to show their components.

Payroll Records show breakdown tables which itemize different payroll details.

• Deductions-- employee deductions.
• Employer Taxes-- employer taxes and insurance.
• Category Taxes-- taxes computed for different categories of work.
• Benefits-- benefit payments and deductions.
• Vacations-- vacation hours accrued.

NOTE-- Payroll Records store more than one type of breakdown, unlike other transactions.  When you switch between different breakdowns, you won't lose the items in the other breakdowns.

Breakdown Data Storage

Goldenseal stores each line in a breakdown table as a separate object in the company file.

You can't view breakdowns directly-- you can only see them when you look at the transaction that includes them.
HINT-- You can use the Database Report to see the raw data in Goldenseal.

Exporting Breakdowns

To export the breakdowns in one record, choose Save as Text from the File menu.  It will fill in a file with all of the data in a transaction, along with each breakdown.

To export all of the items in one type of breakdown, follow these steps:

     1. Choose Export from the File menu, and choose One Breakdown Class from the submenu.

     2. Choose the class of breakdown to export, and the range of items to use.

     3. Enter a name for the export file, and choose a location.
     4. Choose which fields to export, and set their order.
     5. Goldenseal will create a text file that includes the selected breakdown data.

To export all breakdowns, follow these steps:

1. Choose Export from the File menu, and choose All Breakdowns from the submenu.
2. Choose the range of items to export.
3. Enter a name for the export file, and choose a location.
4. Goldenseal will create a text file that includes the selected breakdown data.

Each breakdown includes a reference to the transaction where it belongs.

Importing Breakdowns

When you import data from a file that was previously exported from Goldenseal with the Entire Company File command, Goldenseal will import all transactions and their associated breakdowns.  It imports each class in the proper order so everything ends up where it should be.

If you exported One Breakdown Class or All Breakdowns, you can only import the data into a file that already contains all the transactions that the breakdowns came from.  Otherwise Goldenseal will have no place to put them, and the import will do nothing.

Using Breakdowns

Enter breakdowns whenever you want more detail in a transactions.  Goldenseal automatically uses them for job costs and for any other posting that happens with the transaction.

Goldenseal also creates breakdowns automatically when you use one of the action commands:  Billing, Deposit Funds, Pay Bills or Write Payroll.

You will rarely need to work with breakdowns directly.  If you want to get specific information from a set of breakdowns, use a Breakdown Calculator, or set up a Report Table that is based on a breakdown class.

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