How do I include internal transfers to only one designated account in an expense report?

James J

I want to see how much I spent, total, last year.  That includes my mortgage principal payments.  I record those payments as transfers from my checking account to the liability account associated with our home.

When I run a report for last year showing how much I spent by category, I see that I can include internal transfers.  This does bring in the mortgage payments.

The problem is that it also brings in many other internal transfers I make that I do not want to see in my final expense report.  For example, i do not want to see the transfers from my checking account to any of our credit card accounts.  I cannot exclude those credit card accounts from the report because that is where I record the actual expenses/purchases we make - I just want to exclude transfers to and from those accounts.  I also do not want to see transfers from my checking account to our short-term bond account, which is in part where we keep out emergency savings. And so on.

What's the best way to make the report show only the transfer to the liability account for the house (in addition to keeping all the other regular, non-transfer expenses)?

Jim_Harman

I would set the Transfers setting on the Advanced tab to Exclude Internal. That will exclude transfers between accounts that are selected on the Accounts tab.

Then on the Accounts tab, un-check the liability account.

Jim_Harman

I would set the Transfers setting on the Advanced tab to Exclude Internal. That will exclude transfers between accounts that are selected on the Accounts tab.

Then on the Accounts tab, un-check the liability account.

James J

Jim_Harman said:

I would set the Transfers setting on the Advanced tab to Exclude Internal. That will exclude transfers between accounts that are selected on the Accounts tab.

Then on the Accounts tab, un-check the liability account.

I never would have figured that out.  It works!

James J

And thanks @Jim_Harman

Jim_Harman

You are welcome. "Exclude internal" is certainly not a clear description of which transfers are included in the report, and the Help, which says

Exclude internal: Excludes transfers within accounts that are included in the report or graph (such as the opening balance or adjustment transactions).

is incomplete at best. I think it would be much clearer if it said

Exclude internal: Excludes transfers within and between accounts that are included in the report or graph. Opening balance and adjustment transactions are excluded, as are transfers between accounts that are selected in the Accounts tab. Transfers between selected and unselected accounts are included in the report or graph.