How can I stop quicken deluxe from changing negative numbers to positive ones?

emw

Quicken deluxe changes negative numbers to positive ones in splits done in check registry. For example, if the bank entry is -170. Because the entry consists of -$330 refund, $10 for dues, $150 for nametags, Quicken changes the -$330 figure to positive and the otherf 2 figures are turned negative leading to a false figure.
How can I stop Quicken from doing this?

volvogirl

Are you starting by entering the 170 net amount in the right column?  I assume it's money going out?  So it should be in the Paymdnt column.

There are actually 3 columns...Payments, Deposit and Amount and then the Balance column.  Amount can be for either deposit or payment.  Depending on the sign + or - in the Amount column  it will also put the $ in the appropriate Payment or Deposit column.  

That extra Amount column can be confusing.  I would delete it and just enter the $ in the right column, either Payments or Deposit.  Click on the Gear Icon right above the balance column and unselect  the "Amount" Column (1st one) and make sure the Deposit and Payment columns are checked.  Payments is at the very bottom of the list.  

Chris_QPW

Are you giving the refund?
Because that is the only way the amount should be -$170.

If one is getting a refund then the entry should start by entering $330 into the Deposit column, and then select the split button.

Then you would add the expenses paid from the refund.  Note if you start with $170 because it is downloaded, just bump it up to $330 and when finished with the entries, select Adjust.





In general the reason you will never see Quicken start with a negative number is because the numbers are in reference to the transaction type.  As in if this is a withdraw transaction, then the positive numbers are withdraws, and the negative numbers are deposits.  If this is a deposit transactions, then the positive numbers are deposits, and the negative numbers are withdraws.

Above is a deposit, so $330 is a deposit into the account and the others are withdrawing from it.

But look at this payment/withdraw transaction that I selected the split button on.

emw

The Affinipay company which services our credit card transactions places a number of transactions into one bank deposit. A client paid $10. for dues, someone else paid $150. for nametags, and then another person was given a refund of $330. The amount in the bank was $-170. This is the way the QFX file moves from the bank to the check registry. When I try to enter the split to account for the -170. Quicken reverses what came from the bank as negative to a positive number. Are you saying I need to change the bank deposits that come as negative to separate the positive numbers and enter the negative number separately??

Chris_QPW

OK my example was for if the money was coming in, and @volvogirl's was for if it is going out, which you have confirmed is the case.

When you imported the QFX file you should have got $170 in the Payment column (turn off the Amount column like @volvogirl suggested so that it is less confusing).


Here it is in pictures, which should be easier to follow:

Now the split, it starts like this:


Enter this:


Even though it might seem strange, since the transaction is a Payment, all amounts that you pay have a  positive sign, and all amounts you receive are the reverse which is negative.

emw

I truly appreciate the input regarding the problem with negative numbers. However, a further complication is that the Quicken report of itemized categories is also incorrect where negatives have been treated as positives. Is there no solution to this problem or would another version of Quicken behave any better?

Tom Young

"However, a further complication is that the Quicken report of itemized categories is also incorrect where negatives have been treated as positives."

I have never ever encountered this problem.  Making Income entries, (which typically are CREDITS from an accounting standpoint), as negative numbers, (i.e., DEBITS), is perfectly acceptable if you're making a refund of a previously received deposit, and making Expense entries, (which typically are DEBITS from an accounting standpoint), as negative numbers, (i.e., CREDITS), is perfectly acceptable if you're receiving a refund of a previous payment.

Quicken handles this situation just fine, deducting the "contra" entry from the associated Income or Expense Category.  Occasionally the "contra" entry or entries amounts to more that the "typical" entries in the affected Category, resulting in a red (negative) line in a report, but that's perfectly proper presentation for that period.

Chris_QPW

The report shouldn't be wrong.