G
v1.0
Skip to main content

Accounting

Real, double-entry, GL-grade accounting — not a "transactions list dressed up as a ledger." Every revenue-generating module (jobs, sales, payroll) posts here automatically.

Chart of accounts​

Accounting → Chart of Accounts is the account directory.

Each account has:

  • Code + name.
  • Type — asset / liability / equity / revenue / expense / contra.
  • Parent — supports parent-child hierarchies.
  • Status — active / inactive.
  • System-protected flag — some core accounts (e.g. AR, AP, retained earnings) are immutable and cannot be deleted or renamed. Tenant- customizable accounts can be added freely.

The chart of accounts is the skeleton your GL posts to.

General ledger​

Accounting → General Ledger is the journal.

A journal entry has:

  • Number — {year}-{seq}.
  • Date + reference (invoice / payment / credit_note / manual).
  • Memo — free-text description.
  • Lines — at least two, with account, debit, credit.

Validation​

Manual journal entries are validated before write:

  • Sum of debits must equal sum of credits.
  • Minimum of two lines.
  • No negative amounts.
  • No split-direction lines on the same line item.

Bad books are structurally impossible.

Auto-posting​

The following auto-post to the GL:

  • Sales invoice issued → DR AR / CR Revenue
  • Payment received → DR Cash/Bank / CR AR
  • Credit note → DR Revenue / CR AR (with restock entries to inventory and COGS)
  • Purchase order received → DR Inventory / CR AP
  • PO vendor invoice → DR Inventory (any adjustment) / CR AP
  • PO vendor payment → DR AP / CR Cash/Bank
  • Payroll sheet finalized → DR Salary Expense / CR Salary Payable
  • Payroll line paid → DR Salary Payable / CR Cash/Bank

The GL is always a true reflection of operations.

Financial reports​

Accounting → Reports — pre-built, date-range filterable reports.

Trial balance​

Accounting → Reports → Trial Balance — per-account DR / CR / balance for the period. The foundation of every accounting review.

Profit & Loss​

Accounting → Reports → Profit & Loss — revenue vs. expense for the period, with net income at the bottom.

Both reports are computed live from the journal — not from cached or derived numbers.

How this differs​

Most SMB workshop platforms either have no accounting (you export to Excel / QuickBooks) or a shallow "income / expense list." TheGarageOS runs real double-entry bookkeeping that every operational module posts to automatically — jobs, sales, payroll, warranty / returns, all flow into one ledger.

For an owner / accountant, this is the difference between "a tool that helps run a shop" and "a tool that is the shop's financial system of record."

Country-specific tax​

Tax calculation is country-aware with a pluggable engine:

  • Bangladesh — VAT 15%.
  • Malaysia — SST 8% / 10%.
  • Other countries — trait-based, ready to extend.

Tax is computed per line item, on every quote and invoice, with the country-specific rate applied automatically based on the tenant's configured country.

Tips​

  • Don't fight the GL — let auto-posting do the work. Manual entries are for accountant adjustments, not day-to-day operations.
  • Trial Balance first — when you spot a discrepancy, run the Trial Balance for the period and walk the accounts.
  • Chart of accounts is protected — you cannot delete or rename system accounts. Add your own.

Next: Settings & Branding, or the user journey.