Quicken adds bogus tags to split transactions

Douglas Laudenschlager

When I enter a split transaction and use a tag for at least one split line, Quicken goes back in later and adds bogus tags to all the other split lines. Sometimes it adds one of the tags that I used on a split line; sometimes it seems to pick another random tag from my tag list.

I'm including before and after screenshots below to demonstrate the issue. I'm willing to let you chuckle at my OCD categorizing and tagging in the hopes of getting this bug fixed.

This is a bad bug that makes Tags an unusable feature for reliable reporting. There shouldn't be any code in the Quicken codebase to add tags that the user hasn't added himself.

A very similar issue was reported a year ago, reported as a bug, and apparently decided "Won't Fix."
https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7884937/why-are-tags-added-to-split-transactions-in-quick-windows-10

I don't see how this damage to the customer's data can be perceived as tolerable behavior. Thanks for taking a look.

-Doug

volvogirl

I don't mean to pry but what transaction are you splitting?   There may be another or better way to enter it.   Like is this a credit card account?   

Douglas Laudenschlager

I'd prefer to keep the focus here on the glaring Quicken bug that makes tags unusable for Quicken users who split transactions.

To answer your question however @volvogirl, I am splitting a single purchase of a large number of items into separate categories. This is precisely why splitting exists and why I'd like to be able to use it as intended. "If a transaction can be assigned more than one category, it's a split transaction. A split transaction helps you track spending more accurately."

UKR

What version, edition level (Starter, Deluxe, etc.) and release (R xx.xx) of Quicken are you using?
US, Canadian or other country version?
What is your subscription expiration date?
Click Help / About Quicken (Mac: Quicken / About Quicken) to get this information.
What have you tried so far to solve this problem?

Douglas Laudenschlager

I use Quicken Deluxe for Windows desktopp, R36.38, build 27.1.36.38.
My subscription is good through February of next year.
There is no way for me to "solve" this Quicken bug. Each time I discover the bogus tags - which is almost daily - I delete them all. It's my impression that they sometimes come back, but I haven't kept an item by item record - like all of us, I just want to track my finances, not track bugs.

NotACPA

Douglas Laudenschlager said:

I'd prefer to keep the focus here on the glaring Quicken bug that makes tags unusable for Quicken users who split transactions.

To answer your question however @volvogirl, I am splitting a single purchase of a large number of items into separate categories. This is precisely why splitting exists and why I'd like to be able to use it as intended. "If a transaction can be assigned more than one category, it's a split transaction. A split transaction helps you track spending more accurately."

The correct way to enter this transaction, and this will completely solve your issue, is to enter each purchase into an appropriate account, such as a credit card account.  THEN, record a payment from your checking account to the credit card account.

Each transaction in the credit card account can have it's own category, and tag(s).

UKR

Douglas Laudenschlager said:

I use Quicken Deluxe for Windows desktopp, R36.38, build 27.1.36.38.
My subscription is good through February of next year.
There is no way for me to "solve" this Quicken bug. Each time I discover the bogus tags - which is almost daily - I delete them all. It's my impression that they sometimes come back, but I haven't kept an item by item record - like all of us, I just want to track my finances, not track bugs.

Thanks for your response. Recommend you try to validate and supervalidate your data file:

Advanced Data File Troubleshooting to Correct Problems With Quicken for Windows

Douglas Laudenschlager

> @NotACPA said:
> The correct way to enter this transaction, and this will completely solve your issue, is to enter each purchase into an appropriate account, such as a credit card account.  THEN, record a payment from your checking account to the credit card account.Each transaction in the credit card account can have it's own category, and tag(s).

@NotACPA Thank you for your interest, but I don't want to do elaborate fake stuff to try to sidestep a Quicken bug. This is a SINGLE CREDIT CARD PURCHASE in which I bought multiple items that I categorize and tag differently. This is the precise scenario for which splitting exists. All I want is for Quicken not to add bogus stuff to my split lines.

Rocket J Squirrel

Douglas Laudenschlager said:

I'd prefer to keep the focus here on the glaring Quicken bug that makes tags unusable for Quicken users who split transactions.

This particular bug appears to be yours alone. I've never seen it reported before.

Quicken data corruption manifests in wildly different manners for different users. This is yours. Validate & Repair. Good luck.

Chris_QPW

I tried to reproduce this problem and I couldn't.  That suggests that there is a corruption problem in your data file like @UKR suggested.

Try this same entry in a new data file and see if you can reproduce it.

Douglas Laudenschlager

Well, I've validated and super-validated, and I've gone back in and fixed all the split transactions with bogus extra tags. Now I wait and see whether they stay gone.

Thank you for all the suggestions.

NotACPA

My reply was based, erroneously, upon the practice of some users to NOT use a card account ... and to instead try to record all of their card purchases in their single card payment transaction.

Sorry that I misinterpreted the situation.