Changing or deleting a transaction

If you are part way through entering a transaction, you can erase it and start again by choosing Erase from the Edit menu.

Sometimes, however, you may need to make changes to or delete a transaction you have already recorded. A transaction can only be changed or deleted:

■	if it is changeable. A changeable transaction is identified by a white zoom arrow () next to it.

To check if your transaction is changeable, make sure the Transactions CAN’T be Changed; They Must be Reversed option is deselected in the Security tab view of the Preferences window. Note that when you create your company file, this preference is not selected.

If you want to maintain a strict audit trail, you should consider making your transactions unchangeable by setting this preference. An unchangeable transaction is identified by a gray zoom arrow (

) next to it.

■	if it is not dated within a locked period.

Lock periods prevent you from inadvertently making an entry in a period in which you don’t want new entries. For example, after you have completed end-of-month reports for January, you might lock the period so that the balances for that month cannot be changed. If you want to change a transaction in a locked period, you need to unlock the period first.

If you make your transactions unchangeable, you need to reverse the transaction to cancel its effect on your accounts—see ‘Reversing a transaction’.