Is there a problem with split categories when entering transactions in investments?

rjcharle
rjcharle Member
I cannot get Quicken to accept split transactions correctly. I'm trying to enter Y/E 401k withdrawal and split out withholding and the money I get to keep. I use the "Enter Transaction" button and enter the data as usual, but the system keeps overriding the total I had entered with data from another transaction and I get an erroneous total. I've been doing this on Quicken for 10 years or more and have never had this problem.

Best Answers

  • rjcharle
    rjcharle Member
    Answer ✓
    Thanks to both volvogirl and NotACPA, but I disagree on two counts. First, why provide a "Split" option on the "Category" field if you can't use it? Second I discovered I can circumvent the problem by turning off the "Quick Fill" option in "Preferences." With that option off I can do exactly what I want.
    The problem seems to be that Quicken prefills the "Amount" field with a value from another account and then greys it out so it can't be changed.
  • rjcharle
    rjcharle Member
    Answer ✓
    Case closed. Thanks to all.

Answers

  • Rocket J Squirrel
    Rocket J Squirrel SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 2020
    You placed your question in the "Quicken on the Web" category, which is not where it wants to be. You need to tell us whether you're using Mac or Windows, US or Canada, and what version of Quicken, for starters.
    If Quicken is populating one transaction with data from a different transaction, you may have data corruption. We'll need to know exactly what you're running to offer any assistance.

    Quicken user since version 2 for DOS, now using QWin Biz & Personal Subscription (US) on Win10 Pro.

  • rjcharle
    rjcharle Member
    Sorry for this category error. I'm just learning my way around the site. As for your questions, I am running Windows 10 US Version R30.10 Build 27.1.30.10.
    Here is a more detailed description of my problem:
    With my IRA register displayed I press "Enter Transaction" in the upper left.
    I specify the transaction type as "Withdraw" in the Cash group
    I then designate myself as the payee and tab to the Split option under Category.
    At this point, the Amount field is prefilled with the amount from the last transaction where I was the Payee and greyed out so it cannot be changed.

    One more complicating factor is that, while recreating these steps, I was able to circumvent this problem and enter my transaction successfully. However, I have been unable to retrace the steps that allowed me to do this. The problem seems to be related in some way to the order in which I enter data in the Split dialog.
  • volvogirl
    volvogirl SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    I thought you have to enter the full amount as the withdraw as a transfer to your checking or wherever.  Then in your checking account make another transaction for the withholding.  

    I'm staying on Quicken 2013 Premier for Windows.

  • NotACPA
    NotACPA SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    No payment of taxes can be recorded in Q in a retirement type account.
    You need to withdraw the FULL amount to your checking account, and then split the transaction to record a negative number as the taxes withheld and adjust the total of the transaction to record, in the register, only that which you actually received.

    Q user since February, 1990. DOS Version 4
    Now running Quicken Windows Subscription, Business & Personal
    Retired "Certified Information Systems Auditor" & Bank Audit VP

  • rjcharle
    rjcharle Member
    Answer ✓
    Thanks to both volvogirl and NotACPA, but I disagree on two counts. First, why provide a "Split" option on the "Category" field if you can't use it? Second I discovered I can circumvent the problem by turning off the "Quick Fill" option in "Preferences." With that option off I can do exactly what I want.
    The problem seems to be that Quicken prefills the "Amount" field with a value from another account and then greys it out so it can't be changed.
  • rjcharle
    rjcharle Member
    Answer ✓
    Case closed. Thanks to all.
  • Boatnmaniac
    Boatnmaniac SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    J_Mike said:
    If a single transaction with a split category is used to transfer the net distributed amount from a retirement account to a checking account (or other taxable account) and to expense the taxes withheld, it will keep the retirement account and checking account balances correct.  And in a test file where I did  this it was observed that the Itemized Categories report can be set up to capture this type of transaction properly but there were numerous other issues encountered, such as:
    • Tax Schedule report does not capture it properly
    • Tax Summary report does not capture it properly
    • Tax Planner does not capture it at all properly
    • Income & Expense report does not capture it properly
    As indicated above, I use the single split transfer transaction procedure retirement acct to checking) and it works perfectly for me. The Tax Schedule and Tax Summary reports pick up the gross disreibution as taxable income and report the withholdings. The Tax Planner picks up the gross distribution (under Other Income) and it reflects the withholdings.

    No problems at all from a tax reporting viewpoint.

    There is a wrinkle if the distribution is a transfer to a taxable brokerage act. In the brokerage acct register, one must use a "Deposit" transaction (under Cash Transactions) for the tax reports and planner to report correctly.
    First, I corrected my statement regarding Tax Planner not capturing the split transaction data at all.  I'd needed to change the Tax Schedule setting for the account in my test file and now it does show up but the info is not accurate.
    Second, you've peaked my interest.  My earlier post on this was based upon what I'd learned from others (including from several SUs) and from personal experience over the years.  If you've found a way to use a single split category transaction to accurately capture all the appropriate tax data while also keeping the affected accounts in balance and not causing issues with the data in the specific transactions then I'm all ears!
    Following is my understanding of what you describe but as shown the data is not be captured properly.  What do you do differently or what am I doing incorrectly?
    CREATION OF THE TRANSACTION IN THE IRA ACCOUNT REGISTER (for a $1000 gross distribution, $900 net distribution and $100 withheld for taxes):
    TAX SCHEDULE AND SUMMARY REPORTS:
    TAX PLANNER - OTHER INCOME:
    TAX PLANNER - TAX WITHHELD:

    (Quicken Classic Premier Subscription: R54.16 on Windows 11)

  • Boatnmaniac
    Boatnmaniac SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 2020
    J_Mike said:
    @Boatnmaniac

    Enter the split transaction in the destination account - Checking
    Split #1  Transfer from IRA      $1.000
    Spit #2   Tax Withheld               ($100)

    Result is a net deposit to checking of $900
    The resulting IRA Acct register entry shows only the withdrawal ($1,000) - a transfer to Checking.

    Tax Line Assignments;
    IRA Acct - Transfers Out .    1099-R:Total IRA taxable distrib.
    Fed Tax withheld                  1099-R:IRA federal tax withheld

    As indicated earlier, my tax reports and the planner do match up.
    What a coincidence.  I was wondering what you were doing that was different than what I'd done (and what many others have likely done) that would give you different results than what I was getting and had decided that perhaps you were entering the data from the back-end instead of from the front-end. 
    So I started testing that and came up with the exact same good results that you have reported.  And then I came back here and saw your post!  (BTW, I was not questioning that you were getting good results.  I was just trying to understand what you were doing that was different that gave you the good results.)
    What threw me off for a little while was that the connected transaction that showed up in the IRA Account did not show the split for the withheld tax but then I realized it wouldn't and shouldn't since the transaction originated in the Checking Account.
    My initial thoughts are that this process probably isn't the best one for those who download IRA Account transactions from the FI (assuming the FI downloads 2 transactions...one for the Net Distribution to the checking account and one for the withheld tax amount) but I'll test that out.  For others this could help to simplify their level of effort.
    Thanks for the quick replies!

    (Quicken Classic Premier Subscription: R54.16 on Windows 11)

This discussion has been closed.