Split Transactions

What Is a Split Transaction?

A split transaction divides a single total amount across two or more accounting categories. Instead of one line that says "Office Depot, $250, Office Supplies," you might split that same $250 receipt into "$180 Office Supplies + $70 Ministry Supplies."

Splits allow you to keep a single transaction entry per check, receipt, or bank deposit while preserving category reporting accuracy.

When to Use a Split

Common examples include:

• Mixed receipts: a single Costco run buys office supplies, ministry supplies, and refreshments. Split by category instead of creating three separate transactions or guessing one catch-all category.
• Combined deposits: a single deposit slip combines tithes, designated gifts, and a fundraiser. Split the deposit by income category (or by fund).
• Allocated expenses: a monthly insurance bill that should be split between facility expense and vehicle expense.
• Reimbursements with multiple line items: a staff expense report covering several different category buckets.

Splits vs. Other Options

Note: Journal Entries are an Advanced-mode feature. If your accounting is set to Simple mode you will not see them, and that is fine: splits cover the everyday "one payment, several categories" need on their own.

Creating a Split

Configure splits during standard income or expense entry:

1. On the Transactions page (labeled Money In / Out in Simple mode), click the New Transaction button in the top-right corner.
2. From the menu, choose New Expense or New Income. Both open the Record Transaction form. (Splits are not available for New Transfer: a transfer just moves money between two accounts.)
3. Complete the primary fields: amount, date, account, category, payee/description.
4. Enable the Split Transaction toggle. The split lines panel opens below.
5. In each split line, enter:
   • Category: the target income or expense category.
   • Amount: the dollar figure assigned to this category.
   • Memo: optional notes describing the line item.
6. Click Add Line to create additional rows. Click the × beside a row to remove it (at least one row must remain). You can also assign individual Fund links to each line.
7. Monitor the Remaining indicator beneath the rows until it displays $0.00 in green.
8. Click Record Transaction.

The "Splits Must Equal Total" Rule

The form continuously checks that the sum of all split rows equals the transaction's top-level amount. The Remaining indicator shows the unallocated balance: it stays red until the splits add up exactly, then turns green at Remaining: $0.00.

If you attempt to save an unbalanced split, the form stops you with a message: "Split amounts must equal the transaction total." TimelyChurch checks the same rule again when it saves, so a split can never post out of balance. Adjust the line amounts so they equal the total before saving.

Editing or Removing a Split

Click the transaction row in the Transactions list to view its receipt-style detail pane and itemized split lines. You can edit the top-level fields (date, amount, account, payee, description, notes, and so on) from the Edit button on any transaction.

Editing the Split Breakdown

You can change the split breakdown itself (different categories or different amounts per row) directly from the Edit form, without deleting and re-creating the transaction. Opening a split transaction in the Edit form reveals the active Split Transaction panel pre-filled with existing rows. Adjust categories, edit amounts, or add lines until the balance shows Remaining: $0.00, then click Update Transaction.

To convert a split entry back to a single-category transaction, turn off the Split Transaction toggle and pick a single category.

Note: The split breakdown of a reconciled transaction is locked to protect the completed reconciliation.

Reporting on Splits

The Income Statement (labeled Money In vs Money Out in Simple mode) and related reports treat each split row independently for category totals. Total Income and Total Expense lines remain accurate because the line items equal the gross transaction amount.

Tracking classes (see Tracking Classes) apply to the parent transaction rather than individual split lines, meaning all lines share the same class tag. If distinct classes are required, record separate transactions.

The category filter, the Income Statement, the Treasurer's Report, budget actuals, and budget variance all use each split row's own category, so a split no longer lands in Uncategorized.

Best Practices

Use splits liberally for receipts, sparingly for everything else. Receipts that cover multiple categories are the textbook case for splits. Everywhere else, two clean transactions are usually easier to read and reconcile.

Document the split in the description. Use the top-level description to summarize ("Costco run, supplies + ministry") and the per-row memo for the per-category detail.

Reconcile splits as a single transaction. When you reconcile against a bank statement (Reconciliation lives under the Setup ▾ menu in Full Accounting, or More ▾ in Simple Checkbook), the split is one line on the bank statement and one cleared row in TimelyChurch: the split rows live underneath, not at the reconciliation level.

Related Articles

• Recording Transactions
• Tracking Classes
• Bank CSV Import

Last updated: 2026-10-21 (8.205.306).