Splitting a transaction across multiple accounts

When do you need to split a transaction?

A split is needed when a single bank payment covers costs that belong in different accounting categories. Common examples:

• An Amazon order that includes both office stationery and an IT accessory.
• A utility bill that combines gas and electricity.
• A business insurance payment that covers public liability and employer’s liability as separate policy lines.
• A supplier invoice that mixes materials (cost of sales) and delivery charges (overhead).

Splitting from the reconciliation queue

1. In the Reconciliation queue, find the transaction you want to split.
2. Click the transaction row to open the detail panel.
3. Click Split transaction.
4. The split editor opens, showing one line with the full original amount.
5. Click + Add line to add additional lines.
6. For each line, enter:
   • Nominal code — the account to post this portion to.
   • Amount — the value of this portion.
   • Description — optional, useful for audit purposes.
   • VAT treatment — inherited from the nominal code by default, but you can override it.
7. The running total at the bottom shows how much is allocated and how much remains.
8. When all portions are assigned and the remaining balance is £0.00, click Save split.

Example

A single bank payment of £500 covers:

• £300 computer accessories → Code 6100 (IT equipment)
• £150 office supplies → Code 6050 (Office expenses)
• £50 postage → Code 6200 (Postage & courier)

The split editor would show three lines summing to £500.

VAT on splits

Each line in a split can have a different VAT treatment. AccBooks calculates the VAT for each line independently and posts it to the correct VAT liability nominal code. The total VAT across all lines is included in your next VAT return.

Editing an existing split

To change a split after it’s been saved:

1. Go to Reconciliation → History and find the transaction.
2. Click the transaction to open it.
3. Click Edit split.
4. Make your changes and click Save.

Note: if the period containing the transaction is locked, you’ll need to remove the period lock first under Settings → Period locks.

Splitting and invoice matching

You can match individual lines of a split to specific invoices. In the split editor, click the invoice icon on any line to search for and link a matching invoice. This is useful when a single supplier payment settles multiple invoices.

Removing a split

If you want to revert a split transaction to a single line:

1. Open the transaction.
2. Click Remove split.
3. Confirm. The transaction returns to the queue as a single unclassified entry.