Fix, edit or cancel a journal entry in SamBooks

Recorded something wrong in your general ledger? Here are the three ways to fix it — edit, reversal, or deletion — and which one applies to your case.

What this is for

A wrong ledger entry is never handled lightly in SamBooks: it offers different actions depending on what generated the entry and when. The underlying rule is this: an entry generated by a document (an invoice, a receipt, a tax payment form, a fixed asset...) is never touched directly, because it mirrors that document — you fix the document, and the entry updates itself. A manual entry (one you recorded yourself from scratch, with "New entry") can instead be edited, corrected, or deleted directly from here — with one exception: if the accounting period it belongs to is now locked, the only way left is a true reversal, so a closed period is never touched.

Before you start

• You need a role with write permissions on accounting (Manager or Administrative).
• The actions in this guide (Edit, Fix, Delete) apply only to entries with the "Manual entry" origin. For every other origin — Sales invoice, Purchase invoice, Cash receipt, Tax payment form, Fixed asset, and so on — the Origin column tells you so, and the only row action is "Open source," which takes you to the document — that's where you actually fix it.

How to do it, step by step

1. Find the entry

Go to General ledger in the left-hand menu. The table lists Number, Recorded on, VAT date, Reason, Origin, Amount, Status: the Origin column tells you right away whether it's a "Manual entry" or comes from a document. You can filter by reason code, origin, recording period, amount, or account; the "Status" filter defaults to "Active" only — change it if you're looking for something you already deleted.

2. Work out which action you're offered

On the right of the row, you'll see different icons depending on the situation:

• manual entry, open period → a pencil icon "Edit entry" and a trash-can icon "Delete entry";
• manual entry, locked period (the VAT for that period has already been settled, or the fiscal year is now closed) → only the "Fix (reverse and reissue)" icon; hovering over it shows "Entry in an already-settled VAT period (or a closed fiscal year): not editable. The reversal and the reissue are recorded in the open period, without touching the closed one."
• entry from a document → "Open source" ("Open the source document — that's where you fix it.");
• an already-cancelled entry → none of the above, only "Duplicate" remains.

Either way, "Duplicate" is always available, even on cancelled entries.

3. Edit it in place (open period)

Press the pencil "Edit entry": the same editor you used to record it opens — "Edit the manual entry in place: the entry stays the same (same number), you just update the header and lines." Change whatever fields you need (reason, dates, ledger lines) and press "Save changes." The number and year don't change; the confirmation toast is "Entry updated (no. {number}/{year})."

4. Fix it with a true reversal (locked period, or by choice)

Press "Fix": the "Fix entry" dialog opens with the explanation — "In accounting, a recorded entry is never deleted: it stays where it is and gets neutralized by an entry with the opposite sign, followed by the corrected one (reversal + reissue)." Update the fields with the right values, exactly as in a normal editor, and press "Reverse and reissue." The final toast is "Entry fixed (new no. {number}/{year})." — read below what actually happens in the books.

5. Fix the document, not the entry

If the entry comes from a document, press "Open source": it takes you straight to the document that generated it (an invoice, a tax payment form, a VAT settlement...). Fix the wrong data there — for example, the account on an invoice line — and the ledger entry updates itself automatically, with nothing more for you to do here.

6. Duplicate an entry

Press "Duplicate": the "Duplicate entry" dialog opens, a new manual entry pre-filled with the same accounts and amounts as the source entry — "Check the date, reason, and lines before recording." The dates reset to today (so you don't end up in an already-closed fiscal year) and need confirming like any new entry.

7. Delete a manual entry

Press the trash-can "Delete entry": the confirmation "Delete this entry?" appears with the warning — "The ledger entry will be deleted and will drop out of the general journal, the balance sheet, and the VAT settlement. It can be undone with Sam's help." Once confirmed, the toast reads "Entry deleted" and the row gets a red "Cancelled" badge (it stays visible, it doesn't disappear entirely).

8. Reverse a receipt or a payment

On an entry with the "Cash receipt / payment" origin, you'll find "Reverse" instead of Edit/Delete: the confirmation is "Reverse this receipt/payment?" — "Reopens the linked due date and removes the ledger entry. If the fiscal year is closed the operation is blocked."

9. Undo a bank match

On an entry with the "Bank transaction" origin, you'll find "Undo match": the confirmation is "Undo this match?" — "Undoing it reopens the linked due date (if any) and removes the entry generated by the reconciliation."

What actually happens when you press "Fix"

Don't think of "Fix" as a deletion: it writes three entries and deletes none of them.

1. The reversal: a new entry with the original entry's lines flipped (where there was a debit there's now a credit, and vice versa), dated in the open period you're currently working in — so the lock rules accept it without ever touching the closed period. You can spot it in the list by its reason text, which explicitly reads "Reversal {original number}/{year} — {original reason}".
2. The corrected entry, with the right data you entered in the dialog: it gets its own new progressive number.
3. The original entry, which stays exactly where it was, unchanged: it isn't deleted or marked "Cancelled" — it remains a fully active entry, its accounting effect simply neutralized by the reversal sitting next to it.

The result is that after a fix you'll see three active rows in the list, all regularly in the general journal: the original, the reversal that zeroes it out, and the new corrected entry. This is how the books keep track of a mistake without making it disappear: you can always reconstruct what happened and when.

If something goes wrong

• I don't see the pencil to edit the entry: either the period it belongs to is already locked (VAT settled or fiscal year closed) — in which case you only get "Fix" — or the entry isn't manual: check the Origin column; if it's not "Manual entry," fix it from the document via "Open source."
• I deleted an entry by mistake: it's still tracked; ask Sam to restore it, as the deletion confirmation itself points out.
• The entry doesn't balance in the Fix or Edit dialog: as long as debits and credits don't match, saving stays blocked, with the message "The entry does NOT balance: difference {amount}" — fix the lines before confirming.
• A line touches a fixed-asset account and saving gets blocked: it needs to be linked to a fixed asset, or marked "This is a reclassification"; without one of the two, the system won't let the change through.
• I reversed a receipt but the fiscal year is closed: the operation gets blocked — in a closed fiscal year you can't even reverse it; the only option left is fixing it in the open period where possible.

Ask Sam

Every action in this guide has a chat counterpart: you can ask Sam to create, edit, fix, or delete a manual entry with the same result as the buttons — for example, "fix entry no. 42 of 2026: the VAT line should have been 22%, not 10%." Sam always shows you a preview of the entry before executing it and waits for your explicit confirmation, exactly like the dialogs you see on the page. One useful detail: in the UI, the "Fix" button only shows up on its own when the period is locked — in an open period you see "Edit," which is more direct. If you'd still rather have a true reversal even in an open period — to leave an explicit accounting trail instead of editing the entry in place — you can ask Sam for that directly.

Frequently asked questions

I recorded something wrong: how do I fix it? If it's manual and the period is still open, press the pencil "Edit entry" and fix it in place. If the period is locked, press "Fix": SamBooks records a reversal and a new corrected entry, without touching the original.

How do I reverse a ledger entry? It depends on the origin: a manual entry is corrected with a true reversal via "Fix (reverse and reissue)"; a receipt or a payment has its own dedicated "Reverse" button, which reopens the linked due date.

Can I delete an accounting entry? Only if it's manual and the period is open: "Delete entry" removes it from the general journal, the balance sheet, and the VAT settlement. It stays recoverable with Sam's help.

I don't see the pencil to edit the entry: why? Either the period is already locked (in which case you only get "Fix"), or the entry isn't manual: it comes from a document and gets fixed there via "Open source."

How do I cancel a receipt I recorded by mistake? Find the entry with the "Cash receipt / payment" origin and press "Reverse": it reopens the linked due date and removes the ledger entry.

How do I undo the match between a bank transaction and an invoice? On the entry with the "Bank transaction" origin, press "Undo match": the linked due date goes back to open and the entry generated by the reconciliation is removed.

I got the account wrong on an invoice: do I have to redo the entry? No: open the invoice via "Open source" and fix the account there. The ledger entry realigns itself, with nothing for you to touch directly.

Where do I find cancelled entries? In the "Status" filter above the table: switch from "Active" to "Cancelled" (or to "All" to see both together).

What does "reverse and reissue" mean? It means SamBooks neither edits nor deletes the wrong entry: it creates one with the opposite sign that zeroes out its effect, immediately followed by one with the correct data. The original stays visible, unchanged.

If I cancel the entry, does it disappear from the general journal? Yes: a deletion removes it from the general journal, the balance sheet, and the VAT settlement. It doesn't disappear from the database — it stays as a "Cancelled" entry, recoverable with Sam's help — but it stops counting in the accounting totals.

Can I recover a deleted entry? Yes, by asking Sam to restore it: that's exactly what the deletion confirmation means when it says it "can be undone with Sam's help."

Related guides

• Recording a general ledger entry