Working with Categories
Categories are used to identify Entries, allowing for grouping, reporting and organizing Entries. There are a set of default categories in the product at the start, allowing for capturing items like Groceries, Auto expenses, Taxes as well as basic Income and Expense.
When users create an Entry a Category is required. A Category can also have a parent Category, allowing organization into sub groups.
Categories are created and managed as a group via the tools menu, choosing Tool->Categories
Account Categories
Account categories are categories that are created automatically when an account is created, and cannot be modified (they are hidden if an account is hidden)
Account categories can be used to represent transfers or payments from one account to another. For example you might have a checking account and a savings account. If you want to represent a transfer between the accounts, you can create an entry in the checking account with the category of the entry being the savings account. Doing this creates a linked entry that will show up in both accounts, and show a transfer of funds between the accounts (so if the entry is listed as a deposit in the checking account, it will be listed as a payment in the savings account, and vice versa)
Creating a Category
To create a Category, choose Tools->Categories, then Add.
A category can have four components, the name, a parent category, sub category and finally a tax category. Specify a unique name for your category, as well as the parent category if desired. For example you might have a category named ‘Utilities’, and a child named ‘Utilities:Electricity” (with parent ‘Utilities’)
Sub category and Tax Category allow for further refinement of category types and usage, and help indicate how a category should be handled.
Sub Category can be set to nothing, or Income or Expense.
Tax Category is used to indicate if something is a tax (and what type, i.e. Federal, State or Local), or whether something is not taxable (Non-taxable), or if something has a taxable state (for example pre-Tax)
Hiding a Category
To remove a Category from the choices, it can be hidden. In the Categories view select the Category and then choose Hide. The Category will no longer be visible on Entries or as an item in the Category List. If a parent Category is hidden only that Category will no longer be listed, children will still be accessible.
Unhiding a Category
To return a Category to a usable state, first show hidden Categories. These Categories will then show up in red in the list. Select the category and choose ‘Unhide’, it is then returned to a usable state.