Using Auditor -- Other Issues
Re-using Check Numbers
Jewel does not allow duplicate check numbers. If a handful of duplicates are needed, then they can be "forced" by correcting the check numbers in Auditor / View Journal.
If duplication is an ongoing issue, such as when the treasurer orders a batch of checks with already-used numbers, then possible solutions are:
- Edit all previous checks with the needed numbers, changing them from 1234 to 101234 or something similar.
- Ask the treasurer to record the new checks as 101234 or similar.
- Start a new bank account that doesn't have the check number history.
Use your judgement to decide which option would be easiest and least confusing for the treasurer/board.
Database Out of Balance
The sum of the Total Conference Funds and the Total Local Funds should always equal the Total Bank Accounts. If it doesn't, Auditor will warn you when you open the database and when you move from the back end to the front end.
Bank Account Changed to Local/Conference Fund: The most common cause is that the treasurer has accidentally edited their bank account to make it a local or conference fund. Yes, there are warnings, but they apparently got clicked through. Review the Financial Summary to find a suspicious-looking account, then check the Account Journal report to verify that you found the correct account. Often the account name doesn't get changed. And comparing the account's Ending Balance to the out-of-balance amount can also help identify the correct account. Once you know which account should be a bank account, go to Maintenance / Edit Accounts, select the account in the left-hand column, click the Edit box in the center column, then change the Type back to Bank Account. Check the Financial Summary or click into Auditor and back to check whether the database now balances.
Transfers Involving Liability Accounts: Jewel does not correctly handle transfers involving Liability accounts. Check the Financial Summary to see if this is why your database is out of balance. The Liabilities portion of the Transfer column will normally be blank. If it is not, corrections must be made. General Journals should be used to enter transfers involving Liability accounts. (However, we recommend that treasurers stick to using Transfer Funds for all other transfers, since that format is easier to use, and is clearer on reports.)
Auditor Mistake: You can try searching for transactions in the amount of the difference, but when mistakes are made in Auditor, they are difficult to track down. Obviously, fix the problem if you can find it. If not, enter a General Journal Entry that adds (or subtracts) money where it's needed, and to any other randomly chosen account. Then go to Auditor / View Journal, and change the amount of the random half of the General Journal Entry to $0. As always, write a good memo that explains what you did.