Open the transactions behind a total

  1. Choose a report and set the account and period.
  2. Select the category or chart item you want to inspect.
  3. Review the detail or transaction list that opens.
  4. Open an individual transaction to check the amount, date, category and account.

Keep the same accounts and dates selected when bank account a report against a transaction list. If the list includes more accounts or a longer period, its total can be different.

Check the common causes

  • Dates: a purchase near month-end may have been entered in the adjacent month.
  • Account: the entry may belong to an account outside the report.
  • Category: similar names can divide a group you expected to see together.
  • Splits: a category gets only its part of a split receipt, not the whole payment.
  • Status: a voided entry may remain visible for reference.

Look for duplicated records too, especially after importing a file or recording a bill payment.

Fix the entry, then check the report

Edit the transaction that contains the mistake and return to the report with the same filters. Check the category total again. Avoid adding a second transaction purely to make a chart look right.

When the records are correct, the report becomes a useful basis for a budget. Choose a category you want to manage, then set a monthly amount covering the same accounts.