Accounting Basics

Gäld uses double-entry bookkeeping, the standard accounting method used worldwide by businesses of all sizes.

The Fundamental Rule

Every transaction affects at least two accounts: one is debited, the other is credited. Total debits must always equal total credits.

Account Types

Type	Normal Balance	Examples
Asset	Debit	Cash, Bank, Accounts Receivable
Liability	Credit	Accounts Payable, Loans
Equity	Credit	Owner's Equity, Retained Earnings
Revenue	Credit	Sales Revenue, Service Income
Expense	Debit	Rent, Salaries, Materials

Swiss Chart of Accounts (Kontenrahmen KMU)

Gäld ships with the standard Swiss SME chart of accounts:

Class	Description	Examples
1	Assets	1020 Bank, 1100 Accounts Receivable
2	Liabilities	2000 Accounts Payable, 2200 VAT Due
3	Revenue	3000 Revenue, 3200 Other Income
4	Cost of Goods	4000 Material Costs
5	Personnel	5000 Salaries
6	Other Expenses	6000 Rent, 6500 Insurance
8	Extraordinary	8000 Extraordinary Income
9	Closing	9000 Opening Balance

Journal Entries

A journal entry records a transaction:

Date: 2025-01-15
Reference: INV-001
Description: Invoice for consulting services

  Debit   1100 Accounts Receivable    CHF 1'081.00
  Credit  3000 Revenue                CHF 1'000.00
  Credit  2200 VAT Due                CHF    81.00

The LedgerService enforces that every entry is balanced before posting.

Posting

Entries start as drafts and become posted when finalized. Posted entries cannot be edited — only reversed with a contra entry.

Lettrage (Account Allocation)

Lettrage is the process of matching related journal entry lines within an account — typically linking a payment to the invoice it settles on the Accounts Receivable or Payable ledger.

Why use lettrage

Bank reconciliation links a bank transaction to an invoice. Lettrage goes one level deeper: it groups the individual debit and credit lines inside a ledger account so you can see which entries are settled and which remain open. This is essential for:

• Identifying truly outstanding receivables or payables
• Cleaning up clearing accounts (VAT, social charges)
• Year-end audit preparation

Using lettrage in Gäld

1. Go to Accounting → Lettrage
2. Select the account to allocate (e.g. 1100 Accounts Receivable)
3. Optionally set a filter date to narrow the view
4. Select the debit and credit lines that belong together
5. Click Allocate — Gäld creates a lettrage lot grouping the selected entries

Allocated entries are marked with a lot number and removed from the "open items" list. Unallocated entries remain visible as open.

Removing a lettrage

If an allocation was made in error:

1. Go to Accounting → Lettrage
2. Switch to the Lots tab
3. Find the lot and click Remove

The entries return to the open items list.